Lenvatinib comes as a capsule to take by mouth. It is usually taken once daily with or without food. Take lenvatinib at around the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take lenvatinib exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Swallow the capsules whole; do not open, chew, or crush them.
If you are unable to swallow the capsules, put them into a small glass and add about one tablespoon of water or apple juice. Do not break or crush the capsules. Leave the capsules in the liquid for at least 10 minutes and then stir the contents for at least 3 minutes. Drink the mixture. After drinking the mixture, add another 1 tablespoon of water or apple juice to the glass. Swirl the contents a few times and swallow the mixture.
Your doctor may decrease your dose of lenvatinib or tell you to stop taking the medication for a time or permanently if you experience serious side effects. Be sure to talk to your doctor about how you are feeling during your treatment with lenvatinib.
The length of your treatment depends on how well you respond to the medication and the side effects you experience. Continue to take lenvatinib even if you feel well. Do not stop taking lenvatinib without talking to your doctor.
Lenvatinib is used to treat a certain type of thyroid cancer that has returned or that has spread to other parts of the body and cannot be treated with radioactive iodine. Lenvatinib is also used along with everolimus (Afinitor, Zortress) to treat renal cell carcinoma (RCC, a type of cancer that begins in the kidney) in people who have previously received treatment with another chemotherapy medication. Lenvatinib is also used along with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) as an initial treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma. Lenvatinib is also used to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; a type of liver cancer) that cannot be treated with surgery. Lenvatinib is also used along with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) to treat a certain type of cancer of the endometrium (lining of the uterus) that has spread to other parts of the body or worsened during or after treatment with chemotherapy medications or that cannot be treated with surgery or radiation therapy. Lenvatinib is in a class of medications called kinase inhibitors. It works by blocking the action of an abnormal protein that signals cancer cells to multiply. This helps stop the spread of cancer cells.
