Effectiveness of Keytruda & It’s Dosage, Side Effects

Effectiveness of Keytruda & It’s Dosage, Side Effects

Keytruda or pembrolizumab is often given after other cancer medicines have been tried without success.

Keytruda or pembrolizumab is strong enough to change your immune system workings and it might cause various side effects that may cause other serious medical conditions.

In case you have any of these symptoms after using keytruda or pembrolizumab, get immediate medical help: vision changes, shortness of breath, chest pain, severe stomach pain, diarrhea, tiredness, a deeper voice, dark urine, weakness or severe muscle pain, bleeding or bruising, cough, rapid heartbeats, feeling light-headed, hormonal disorder (increased urination or thirst, weight loss or gain, frequent headache, feeling cold), change in color or amount of urine, yellowing of eyes or skin, blood in stools.

How Effective is Keytruda?

How Effective is Keytruda?

Keytruda also known as pembrolizumab is a medicine to treat cancer which mainly focuses on the effectively reducing the development and spread of cells that spread the disease in the body.

Keytruda or pembrolizumab is to effectively treat all these conditions:

  • Keytruda or pembrolizumab is used to effectively treat Hodgkin lymphoma in children and adults
  • Keytruda or pembrolizumab is used to effectively treat a kind of cancer that after lab testing proves to be mismatch repair deficiency or instability high solid tumor
  • Neck and head cancer which spreads to other parts or returns after the treatment
  • Treatment of non small cell lung cancer (this is for your tumor which has unique genetic marker, however your physician will test this too)
  • Effective treatment of melanoma (advanced skin cancer) which has spread to all other parts of the body and also cannot be removed surgically
  • Treatment of urinary or bladder tract cancer which spreads to other parts of the body and not possible to remove through surgical procedures

The FDA approved keytruda or pembrolizumab for the treatment of lung cancer or neck and head cancer on accelerated basis. In laboratory, tumors have responded to Keytruda. However, it is not proved that keytruda or pembrolizumab can lengthen survival time or improve symptoms.

Keytruda or pembrolizumab medicine’s side effects can cause various symptoms on several parts of the body. There will be need to treat few of these side effects with other medicines which would delay cancer treatment. Doctor will conduct regular medical tests to make sure keytruda or pembrolizumab is safe for you. Therefore, do not miss any doctor consultations.

Prior to Taking Keytruda

In order to make keytruda or pembrolizumab for you, tell your doctor if you have any of these conditions or symptoms:

If you are planning to become pregnant or pregnant, you should not use keytruda or pembrolizumab as it might harm the unborn baby. It is very important for you to take effective birth control measures even after 4 months of your last dosage.

It is also unknown if keytruda or pembrolizumab passes through breast milk to the feeding child. Therefore, you shouldn’t breast feed your child while on this medicine as it could harm the baby.

How is Keytruda Given?

Keytruda or pembrolizumab is given through an IV and will be injected to vein. This will be done by your doctor or any healthcare specialist.

Keytruda or pembrolizumab is given one time every three weeks. Follow your physician advice on the treatment carefully and he will determine the duration of the treatment or how long you need this medicine.

In order to make sure keytruda or pembrolizumab is the best treatment for your cancer; your physician will perform various medical tests prior to starting treatment.

Keytruda or pembrolizumab side effects can cause various symptoms on several parts of the body. There will be need to treat few of these side effects with other medicines which would delay cancer treatment. Doctor will conduct regular medical tests to make sure this medicine is safe for you.

In order to make sure keytruda or pembrolizumab is the safe for you frequent medical tests will be performed by your doctor. Therefore, never miss any consultations.

What is the Recommended Dosage of Keytruda?

Treatment for Melanoma – Metastatic – General Adult Dosage

2 milligrams/kg IV infusion over 30 minutes

Duration of the keytruda or pembrolizumab treatment: It has to be continued once in every three weeks until unacceptable toxicity or disease progression

Keytruda or pembrolizumab is used to treat disease progression or metastatic melanoma after a BRAF inhibitor if BRAF V600 positive mutation and ipilimumab.

What are the Side Effects of Keytruda?

If you experience any side effects such as swelling of tongue, lips, throat or lips, difficulty in breathing or hives, you must get immediate medical assistance

There are few side effects that might occur at the time of keytruda or pembrolizumab IV injection such as light headed, feverish, feeling dizziness, cold or hot feeling, difficulty in breathing, itchy, tingly, over sweating, etc.

Keytruda or pembrolizumab has the ability to alter the working of your immune system that might root various side effects which can lead to even severe medical conditions:

Get immediate medical help if you experience any of these symptoms:

  • Severe stomach pain, increased stools, diarrhea, tarry or bloody/black stools, stools that contain mucus
  • New or worsening cough, shortness of breath, chest pain
  • Low level sodium – severe weakness, feeling unsteady, loss of coordination, slurred speech, confusion
  • Hormonal disorder symptoms – vision problems, deepened or hoarse voice, unusual or frequent headaches, behavior or mood changes, hair loss, weight loss or weight gain, constipation, increased thirst or hunger, rapid heartbeats, tiredness, feeling light headed, sweating, increased urination
  • Joint pain, ongoing or severe muscle pains, severe muscle weakness
  • Easy bleeding or bruising or pale skin
  • Liver problems – easy bleeding or bruising, jaundice (yellowing of eyes or skin), right sided stomach pain, clay colored stools, dark urine, loss of appetite

In case you have any of these above side effects of keytruda or pembrolizumab, your cancer treatment might be delayed or stopped permanently

Common side effects of keytruda or pembrolizumab are:

  • Rashes, itching
  • Tiredness
  • Stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite
  • Pain in joints, bones or muscles
  • Shortness of breath, cough, fever are all side effects of keytruda or pembrolizumab
  • Abnormal liver function tests, low sodium levels.
Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:June 5, 2019

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