selpercatinib
selpercatinib
Pronunciation:
SEL-per-KA-ti-nib
Other Name(s):
Retevmo™
Appearance:
capsule in various strengths and colours
This handout gives general information about this cancer medication.
You will learn:
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who to contact for help
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what the medication is
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how it is given
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what to expect while on medication
This handout was created by Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) together with patients and their caregivers who have also gone through cancer treatment. It is meant to help support you through your cancer treatment and answer some of your questions.
This information does not replace the advice of your health care team. Always talk to your health care team about your treatment.
My cancer health care provider is: _____________________________________________
During the day I should contact: _______________________________________________
Evenings, weekends and holidays: _____________________________________________
This page gives general information about this cancer medication.
You will learn:
-
who to contact for help
-
what the medication is
-
how it is given
-
what to expect while on this medication
This information was created by Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) together with patients and their caregivers who have also gone through cancer treatment. It is meant to help support you through your cancer treatment and answer some of your questions.
This information does not replace the advice of your health care team. Always talk to your health care team about your treatment.
For treating certain types of cancers such as lung and thyroid cancers
Tell your health care team if you have or had significant medical condition(s), especially if you have / had:
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liver, kidney problems,
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heart problems (including irregular heartbeat),
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too much or too little salt in your body, such as potassium, magnesium or calcium
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high blood pressure,
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bleeding problems,
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thyroid problems, or
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any allergies
Remember To:
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Tell your health care team about all of the other medications you are taking.
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Keep taking other medications that have been prescribed for you, unless you have been told not to by your health care team.
You will have a blood test to check for hepatitis B before starting treatment. See the Hepatitis B and Cancer Medications pamphlet for more information.
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This medication is usually taken twice a day by mouth. Talk to your health care team about how and when to take your medication.
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Swallow the capsules whole with a glass of water, with or without food.
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Do not crush or chew selpercatinib capsules.
- If you take medications that lower your stomach acid, talk to your health care team. Read the section below “Will this treatment interact with other medications or natural health products?”
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Do not eat or drink grapefruit, starfruit, Seville oranges or their juices (or products that contain these) while taking this drug. They may affect the amount of drug in your blood and/or increase side effects.
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If you forget to take a dose of your selpercatinib:
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If it has been less than 6 hours from the missed dose, take the dose as usual. Then take your next dose at the normal scheduled time.
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If it has been longer than 6 hours, do not take the dose. Take your next dose at the normal scheduled time. Do not take extra (double up) to make up for the missed dose.
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If you vomit (throw up) after taking a dose, do not repeat the dose. Take your next dose at your normal time.
Warning: If you take too much of this medication by accident, or if you think a child or a pet may have swallowed your medication, you must call the Ontario Poison Control Center right away at: 1-800-268-9017.
While taking selpercatinib, wounds may take longer to heal than normal or may not fully heal. Tell your health care team if you plan to have any surgery (including dental surgery). Your health care team may ask you to stop selpercatinib treatment before and after your surgery.
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DO check with your health care team before getting any vaccinations, surgery, dental work or other medical procedures.
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DO NOT use tobacco products (such as smoking cigarettes or vaping) or drink alcohol while on treatment without talking to your health care team first. Smoking and drinking can make side effects worse and make your treatment not work as well.
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DO NOT take any other medications, such as vitamins, over-the-counter (non-prescription) drugs, or natural health products without checking with your health care team.
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DO NOT start any complementary or alternative therapies, such as acupuncture or homeopathic medications, without checking with your health care team.
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DO NOT eat or drink grapefruit, starfruit, Seville oranges or their juices (or products that contain these) while on this treatment. These may increase the quantity of the medication in your blood and increase the side effects.
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DO NOT drive, operate machinery or do any tasks that need you to be alert if you feel dizzy.
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DO check with your health care team before getting any vaccinations, surgery, dental work or other medical procedures.
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DO NOT use tobacco products (such as smoking cigarettes or vaping) or drink alcohol while on treatment without talking to your health care team first. Smoking and drinking can make side effects worse and make your treatment not work as well.
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DO NOT take any other medications, such as vitamins, over-the-counter (non-prescription) drugs, or natural health products without checking with your health care team.
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DO NOT start any complementary or alternative therapies, such as acupuncture or homeopathic medications, without checking with your health care team.
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DO NOT eat or drink grapefruit, starfruit, Seville oranges or their juices (or products that contain these) while on this treatment. These may increase the quantity of the medication in your blood and increase the side effects.
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DO NOT drive, operate machinery or do any tasks that need you to be alert if you feel dizzy.
Yes, this medication can interact with other medications, vitamins, foods and natural health products. Interactions can make this medication not work as well or cause severe side effects.
Tell your health care team about all of your:
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prescription and over-the-counter (non-prescription) medications and all other drugs, such as cannabis/marijuana (medical or recreational)
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natural health products such as vitamins, herbal teas, homeopathic medicines, and other supplements
Check with your health care team before starting or stopping any of them.
Avoid taking medications that lower your stomach acid such as proton pump inhibitors, H2 blockers and antacids. They may affect how your selpercatinib works.
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If you need to take medications called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), such as omeprazole (Losec®), take your selpercatinib with food.
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If you need to take medications called H2 blockers, such as ranitidine (Zantac®) or famotidine (Pepcid®), take your selpercatinib 2 hours before or 10 hours after you take the H2 blockers.
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If you need to take medications called antacids, such as calcium carbonate (Tums®), take your selpercatinib 2 hours before or 2 hours after you take the antacid.
- Anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen (Advil® or Motrin®), naproxen (Aleve®) or Aspirin®.
- Over-the-counter products such as dimenhydrinate (Gravol®)
- Natural health products such as St. John’s Wort
- Supplements such as vitamin C
- Grapefruit juice
- Alcoholic drinks
- Tobacco
- All other drugs, such as marijuana or cannabis (medical or recreational)
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Always check your temperature to see if you have a fever before taking any medications for fever or pain (such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (Advil®)).
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Fever can be a sign of infection that may need treatment right away.
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If you take these medications before you check for fever, they may lower your temperature and you may not know you have an infection.
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How to check for fever:
Keep a digital (electronic) thermometer at home and take your temperature if you feel hot or unwell (for example, chills, headache, mild pain).
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You have a fever if your temperature taken in your mouth (oral temperature) is:
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38.3°C (100.9°F) or higher at any time
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OR
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38.0°C (100.4°F) or higher for at least one hour.
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If you do have a fever:
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Try to contact your health care team. If you are not able to talk to them for advice, you MUST get emergency medical help right away.
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Ask your health care team for the Fever pamphlet for more information.
If you do not have a fever but have mild symptoms such as headache or mild pain:
- Ask your health care team about the right medication for you. Acetaminophen (Tylenol®) is a safe choice for most people.
Talk to your health care team before you start taking ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®), naproxen (Aleve®) or ASA (Aspirin®), as they may increase your chance of bleeding or interact with your cancer treatment.
Talk to your health care team if you already take low dose aspirin for a medical condition (such as a heart problem). It may still be safe to take.
Talk to your health care team about:
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How this medication may affect your sexual health including erectile dysfunction (problems with the penis).
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How this medication may affect your ability to have a baby, if this applies to you.
This treatment may harm an unborn baby. Tell your health care team if you or your partner are pregnant, become pregnant during treatment, or are breastfeeding.
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If there is any chance of pregnancy happening, you and your partner together must use 2 effective forms of birth control at the same time until at least 2 weeks after your last dose. Talk to your health care team about which birth control options are best for you.
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Do not breastfeed while on this medication and for at least 2 weeks after your last dose.
Keep this medication in the original packaging at room temperature in a dry place, away from heat and light. Keep out of sight and reach of children and pets.
Do not throw out any unused medications at home. Bring them to your pharmacy to be thrown away safely.
If you are a patient:
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Wash your hands before and after touching your oral anti-cancer medication.
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Swallow each pill whole. Do not crush or chew your pills.
If you are a caregiver:
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Wear nitrile or latex gloves when touching tablets, capsules or liquids.
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Wash your hands before putting on your gloves and after taking them off, even if your skin did not touch the oral anti-cancer medication.
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Throw out your gloves after each use. Do not re-use gloves.
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Do not touch oral anti-cancer medications if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
If medication gets on your skin:
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Wash your skin with a lot of soap and water.
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If your skin gets red or irritated, talk to your health care team.
If medication gets in your eyes:
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Rinse your eyes with running water right away. Keep water flowing over your open eyes for at least 15 minutes.
The following table lists side effects that you may have when getting selpercatinib. The table is set up to list the most common side effects first and the least common last. It is unlikely that you will have all of the side effects listed and you may have some that are not listed.
Read over the side effect table so that you know what to look for and when to get help. Refer to this table if you experience any side effects while on selpercatinib.
Very Common Side Effects (50 or more out of 100 people) | |
Side effects and what to do | When to contact health care team |
Mild swelling What to look for?
What to do?
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Talk to your health care team if it does not improve or if it is severe |
Diarrhea What to look for?
What to do? If you have diarrhea:
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Talk to your health care team if no improvement after 24 hours of taking diarrhea medication or if severe (more than 7 times in one day) |
Common Side Effects (25 to 49 out of 100 people) | |
Side effects and what to do | When to contact health care team |
Fatigue What to look for?
What to do?
Ask your health care team for the Fatigue pamphlet for more information. |
Talk to your health care team if it does not improve or if it is severe |
Dry mouth What to look for?
See our Mouth Care pamphlet for more information. Talk to your health care team if your dry mouth does not improve or if it is severe. |
Talk to your health care team if it does not improve or if it is severe |
High blood pressure (May be severe) What to look for?
What to do?
If you have a severe headache get emergency help right away as it may be a sign your blood pressure is too high. |
Talk to your health care team if it does not improve or if it is severe |
Liver problems (May be severe) Your health care team may check your liver function with a blood test. Liver changes do not usually cause any symptoms.
If you have any symptoms of liver problems, get emergency medical help right away. |
Get emergency medical help right away |
Rash; dry, itchy skin What to look for?
To prevent and treat dry skin:
Rash may be severe in some rare cases and cause your skin to blister or peel. If this happens, get emergency medical help right away. |
Talk to your health care team if it does not improve or if it is severe |
Constipation What to look for?
What to do? To help prevent constipation:
To help treat constipation:
Ask your health care team for the Constipation Pamphlet for more information. |
Talk to your health care team if it does not improve or if it is severe |
Nausea and vomiting (Generally mild) What to look for?
To help prevent nausea:
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Contact your healthcare team if nausea lasts more than 48 hours or vomiting lasts more than 24 hours |
Mild headache; What to look for?
Ask your health care team for the Pain pamphlet for more information. |
Talk to your health care team if it does not improve or if it is severe |
Cough and feeling short of breath What to look for?
What to do?
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Talk to your health care team. If you are not able to talk to your health care team for advice, and you have a fever or severe symptoms, you MUST get emergency medical help right away |
Less Common Side Effects (10 to 24 out of 100 people) | |
Side effects and what to do | When to contact health care team |
Low appetite What to look for?
What to do?
Ask your health care team for the Loss of Appetite pamphlet for more information. |
Talk to your health care team if it does not improve or if it is severe |
Dizziness What to look for?
What to do?
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Talk to your health care team if it does not improve or if it is severe |
Irregular heartbeat (May be severe) What to look for?
What to do? Get emergency medical help right away. |
Get emergency medical help right away |
Too much or too little salt in your body What to look for?
What to do? Get emergency medical help right away for severe symptoms. |
Get emergency medical help right away for severe symptoms |
Mouth sores What to look for?
To help prevent mouth sores:
Ask your health care team for the Oral Care (Mouth Care) pamphlet for more information. |
Talk to your health care team as soon as you notice mouth or lip sores or if it hurts to eat, drink or swallow |
Low neutrophils (white blood cells) in the blood (neutropenia) When neutrophils are low, you are at risk of getting an infection more easily. Ask your health care team for the Neutropenia (Low white blood cell count) pamphlet for more information. What to look for?
What to do? If your health care team has told you that you have low neutrophils:
If you have a fever: If you have a fever, try to contact your health care team. If you are unable to talk to the team for advice, you must get emergency medical help right away.
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If you have a fever, try to contact your health care team. If you are unable to talk to the team for advice, you MUST get emergency medical help right away. |
Bleeding; Low platelets in the blood (May be severe) When your platelets are low, you are at risk for bleeding and bruising. Ask your health care team for the Low Platelet Count pamphlet for more information. What to look for?
If your health care team has told you that you have low platelets:
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Talk to your health care team if you have any signs of bleeding. If you have bleeding that doesn’t stop or is severe (very heavy), you MUST get emergency help right away. |
Erectile dysfunction (problems with the penis) Erectile dysfunction is when you have trouble getting or keeping an erection. What to do?
Ask your health care team for the Intimacy and Sex pamphlet for more information. |
Talk to your health care team if this bothers you. |
Changes in thyroid activity Thyroid changes may happen weeks to months after you receive your treatment. Your health care team may check your thyroid activity regularly with a blood test. What to look for? Underactive thyroid:
What to do?
If you have weight changes along with any of the other symptoms listed, talk to your health care team as soon as possible. |
Contact your health care team as soon as possible (office hours) |
Trouble Sleeping Your medications may cause trouble sleeping. It may get better once your body gets used to the medication or when your treatment ends. What to look for?
What to do? Talk to your health care team if it does not improve or if it is severe |
Talk to your health care team if it does not improve or if it is severe |
Low levels of albumin in your blood Albumin is a protein that is found in the blood. It helps to maintain pressure in the blood vessels and move substances, such as hormones and medications through your body. Your health care team may check your levels of albumin with a blood test. Low albumin may not cause any symptoms unless your level is very low.
What to do? If you have any of these symptoms, talk to your health care team. If you have swelling in your belly, get emergency medical help right away. |
If you have any of these symptoms, talk to your health care team. If you have swelling in your belly, get emergency medical help right away. |
Hair thinning or loss What to look for?
What to do?
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Talk to your health care team if this bothers you. |
Other rare, but serious side effects are possible with this treatment.
If you have any of the following, talk to your cancer health care team or get emergency medical help right away:
- pain, swelling and hardening of a vein
- signs of an allergic reaction: rash, swollen lips, face or tongue, chest and throat tightness
- swelling in ankles and feet, or weight gain that is not normal for you
- pain in your lower back
- changes in urination (peeing) such as less urine than usual
- muscle cramps or twitching that won’t go away, confusion
For more information on how to manage your symptoms ask your health care provider, or visit: https://www.cancercareontario.ca/symptoms.
April 2025 New patient information sheet
The information set out in the medication information sheets, regimen information sheets, and symptom management information (for patients) contained in the Drug Formulary (the "Formulary") is intended to be used by health professionals and patients for informational purposes only. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or side effects of a certain drug, nor should it be used to indicate that use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective for a given condition.
A patient should always consult a healthcare provider if he/she has any questions regarding the information set out in the Formulary. The information in the Formulary is not intended to act as or replace medical advice and should not be relied upon in any such regard. All uses of the Formulary are subject to clinical judgment and actual prescribing patterns may not follow the information provided in the Formulary.