Patient Medication Information: uses, side effects, how to take - Act Bicalutamide
ABOUT THIS MEDICATION
What the medication is used for:
ACT BICALUTAMIDE is used to treat advanced prostate cancer in combination with other drugs (LHRH analogues) which reduce the levels of androgens in the body or surgery.
What it does:
Androgens are male sex hormones within the body which can cause tumour growth within the prostate. Bicalutamide belongs to a group of medicines called non-steroidal anti-androgens. This means that bicalutamide interferes with some of the actions of androgens to prevent the tumour from growing.
What are the Stages of Prostate Cancer:
- Localized disease- the early stages of disease when prostate cancer is confined to the prostate gland.
- Locally advanced disease- the disease progresses and the cancer spreads to other tissues within the pelvis.
- Advanced or metastatic disease- the disease progresses to other parts of the body.
The PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test is a simple blood test for a protein produced by the prostate (PSA). This test has helped in the detection of prostate cancer resulting in an increase in the number of men whose prostate cancer is detected at an early stage.
What are the Treatment Options for Localized Prostate Cancer:
The optimal treatment for a given individual will depend on the specific circumstances of his case. For localized disease, patients are usually offered one of the following:
- Surgery to remove the prostate
- Targeted radiotherapy to kill the cancer cells in the prostate
- No treatment initially (watchful waiting) whereby the patient is monitored until there are signs of progression before treatment is started.
When it should not be used:
- Do not take ACT BICALUTAMIDE if you have early phase (localized) prostate cancer requiring watchful waiting.
Do not take ACT BICALUTAMIDE if you are allergic to bicalutamide or any of the nonmedicinal ingredients in ACT BICALUTAMIDE.
ACT BICALUTAMIDE must not be taken by women, including pregnant women or mothers who are breast feeding their babies.
- ACT BICALUTAMIDE must not be given to children.
What the medicinal ingredient is:
The active ingredient in this medicine is bicalutamide.
What the important nonmedicinal ingredients are:
Each tablet contains the following inactive ingredients: colloidal anhydrous silica, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, povidone and sodium starch glycolate. The coating ingredients are hypromellose, lactose monohydrate, polyethylene glycol, titanium dioxide and triacetin.
What dosage forms it comes in:
ACT BICALUTAMIDE comes in tablets containing 50 milligrams (mg) of bicalutamide as the active ingredient. It is available in blister strips of 15 tablets, 30 tablets per package and bottles of 30 and 1000 tablets.
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
BEFORE you use ACT BICALUTAMIDE talk to your doctor or pharmacist if:
- You have liver disease.
- You have lung disease.
- You have low bone mineral density (BMD).
- You have low red blood cell count (anemia).
- You are taking blood thinners or medicines to prevent blood clots.
- You have heart or blood vessel conditions, including heart disease, a heart condition called ‘long QT syndrome’ or family history of this heart condition, heart rhythm problems (arrhythmia), or are being treated with medicines for these conditions. The risk of heart rhythm problems may be increased in such patients when using ACT BICALUTAMIDE.
If you go into hospital let the medical staff know you are taking ACT BICALUTAMIDE.
If you are taking ACT BICALUTAMIDE, you and/or your partner should use birth control while you are taking ACT
BICALUTAMIDE and for at least 130 days after stopping ACT
BICALUTAMIDE. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about birth control.
ACT BICALUTAMIDE may have an effect on male fertility which could be reversible.
- Bicalutamide should only be prescribed by a doctor experienced with the treatment of prostate cancer.
- Bicalutamide 150 mg/day dose should not be used.
- Bicalutamide may rarely be associated with liver failure; some cases have been fatal.
- Bicalutamide may be associated with uncommon cases of interstitial lung disease; some cases have been fatal.
Avoid direct exposure to excessive sunlight or UV-light while you are taking ACT BICALUTAMIDE.
ACT BICALUTAMIDE may make you feel sleepy. Do not drive or use machines until you know how the drug affects you.
INTERACTIONS WITH THIS MEDICATION
Please inform your doctor if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, even those not prescribed.
- In particular please inform your doctor if you are taking blood thinners like warfarin or medicines to prevent blood clots.
- If you are taking any medicines that may increase the risk of having an abnormal heart rhythm.
- If you are taking medicines used to treat heart rhythm problems.
PROPER USE OF THIS MEDICATION
Follow your doctor’s instructions about when and how to take your tablets. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
- The usual adult dose is 50 mg daily.
- Swallow the tablet(s) whole with a drink of water.
- Try to take your dose at the same time each day.
During the first few months of use, you may be monitored by your physician for signs of changes in your liver function. In approximately 2.0% of patients, such changes may lead to withdrawal of therapy.
If you experience a rise in PSA while taking ACT BICALUTAMIDE your physician may discontinue ACT BICALUTAMIDE for several weeks in order to monitor your condition off treatment.
Overdose:
Missed Dose:
You should take ACT BICALUTAMIDE as prescribed. However, if you miss a dose, do not take an extra dose. Just resume your usual schedule.
SIDE EFFECTS AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM
Like all medicines, ACT BICALUTAMIDE 50 mg can have side effects.
Side effects that are very common (more than 10 in every 100 patients are likely to have them):
- dizziness
- nausea
hot flushes
- feeling weak
- decreased red blood cell count (anemia)
- puffiness/swelling
- constipation
Side effects that are common (1 to 10 in every 100 patients are likely to have them):
- loss of appetite
- reduced sex drive
- depression
- sleepiness
- indigestion
- flatulence
- loss of hair or hair re-growth
- rash
- itching
- dry skin
- impotence
- chest pain
- tender or enlarged breast tissue
- weight gain
- heart failure
- heart attack
Occasionally, ACT BICALUTAMIDE may be associated with changes in your blood which may require your doctor to do certain blood tests.
| SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS, HOW OFTEN THEY HAPPEN AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symptom/effect | Talk with your doctor or pharmacist | Stop taking drug and call your doctor or pharmacist | ||
| Only if severe | In all cases | |||
| Very Common (more than 10 in every 100 patients are likely to have them) | ||||
| Blood in urine | √ | |||
| Abdominal pain | √ | |||
| Common (1 to 10 in every 100 patients are likely to have them) | ||||
| Yellow skin and eyes (jaundice). These may be symptoms of liver damage. | √ | |||
| Heart failure (reduced heart function) | √ | |||
| Heart attack | √ | |||
| Uncommon (1 to 10 in every 1000 patients are likely to have them) | ||||
| Serious breathlessness, or sudden worsening of breathlessness, possibly with a cough or fever. Some patients taking bicalutamide 50 mg get an inflammation of the lungs called interstitial lung disease. | √ | |||
| Severe itching of the skin (with raised lumps) or swelling of the face, lips, tongue and/or throat, which may cause difficulty in swallowing | √ | |||
| Rare (1 to 10 in every 10,000 patients are likely to have them) | ||||
In case of drug overdose, contact a health care practitioner, hospital emergency department or regional Poison Control
Centre immediately, even if there are no symptoms.
| SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS, HOW OFTEN THEY HAPPEN AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM |
|---|
| Symptom/effect | Talk with your doctor or pharmacist | Stop taking drug and call your doctor or pharmacist |
|---|
| Only if severe | In all cases |
|---|
| Very Common (more than 10 in every 100 patients are likely to have them) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| increased skin sensitivity to sunlight | √ | ||
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you think you have any of these or any other problems with your tablets.
This is not a complete list of side effects. For any unexpected effects while taking ACT BICALUTAMIDE, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
HOW TO STORE IT
- Keep your tablets in the container they came in.
- Do not take your tablets after the expiry date on the container. Dispose of them in an appropriate way.
- Keep your tablets in a safe place where children cannot see or reach them. Your tablets could harm them.
- Keep your tablets at room temperature (15 to 30 °C).
MORE INFORMATION
NOTE: This CONSUMER INFORMATION leaflet provides you with the most current information at the time of printing.
For the most current information, the Consumer Information
Leaflet plus the full Product Monograph, prepared for health professionals can be found at:
http://www.actavis.ca
or by contacting the sponsor, Actavis Pharma Company, at:1-866-254-6111
Last revised: October 6, 2017
Reporting Side Effects
You can report any suspected side effects associated with the use of health products to Health Canada by:
Visiting the Web page on Adverse Reaction
Reporting (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/medeff/report-d eclaration/index-eng.php) for information on how to report online, by mail or by fax; or
- Calling toll-free at 1-866-234-2345.