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Targeted Therapy Side Effects

Targeted therapy treatment may come with side effects. Learn about the different effects of treatment and how to manage them. Stay up to date by signing up for our community newsletter.

Risk Management & Treatment > Cancer Treatment > By Treatment Type > Targeted therapy > Targeted Therapy Side Effects

Targeted Therapy for Treating Cancer Targeted Therapy Side Effects

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Side Effects

Like any medication, targeted therapies may cause side effects. Although some effects are more common with certain medications, each person's experience may be different. Side effects may vary depending on your general health, the type of agent and dose you are on, other medications you take, the site of your cancer and other factors.

It's important to talk with your doctor about possible treatment side effects and options for minimizing them. Some of these effects may improve with medication or other medical interventions. Report all symptoms or changes in your health to your doctor. You may also report any suspected side effects directly to the online or by calling: 1-800-FDA-1088.

What side effects may be seen with targeted therapies?

Below are some of the more common or serious side effects seen with targeted therapies:

Allergic reactions	Hair loss	Nauseau, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite
Anemia and low blood counts	Heart damage	Mouth and tongue sores
Birth defects	Immune-mediated side effects	Rash or skin changes
Fatigue	Joint or muscle pain	Risk for additional cancers

See below for more details and ways to manage each of the side effects listed above.

Table of common and serious side effects of different types of targeted therapies

The table below lists some of the more common or more serious side effects of different classes of targeted therapies. Importantly, side effects vary between drugs, even those in the same category. Talk to your doctor about which side effects are most likely, which ones are most serious, symptoms to watch out for and who to contact with concerns.

Table of Targeted Therapy Side Effects: This table lists common and serious side effects of different targeted therapies.

Type of Agent	Name of Agents	Common Side Effects	Serious Side Effects
AKT inhibitor	Truqap (capivasertib)	Changes in certain blood tests Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting Fatigue High blood sugar Mouth sores Rash	Severe diarrhea Severe skin rashes Very high blood sugar
Anti-Her2 kinase inhibitor	Tukysa (tucatinib)	Anemia Abnormal liver values in the blood Headache Diarrhea Fatigue Fertility problems Mouth sores Rash Stomach pain	Severe diarrhea Severe liver problems
Anti-HER2 antibody	Herceptin (trastuzumab) & biosimilars (e.g.,Trazimera) Kadcyla (trastuzumab emtansine) Perjeta (pertuzumab) Phesgo (pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and hyaluronidase-zzxf)	Allergic reactions Constipation Diarrhea, nausea and vomiting Fatigue or weakness Fever and chills Hairloss Joint and muscle pain Low blood counts Neuropathy Rash	Heart disease Severe allergic reaction
BRAF and MEK inhibitors	Braftovi (encorafenib) Tafinlar (dabrafenib) Mekinist (trametinib) Mektovi (binimetinib)	Abdominal pain Cough Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and decreased appetite Fatigue Fever and chills Headache High blood pressure Joint pain Pain in the hands and feet Rash	Bleeding problems Eye problems Heart rhythm problems Risk for developing new skin cancers
CDK 4/6 inhibitors	Ibrance (palbociclib) Kisqali (ribociclib) Verzenio (abemaciclib)	Abnormal levels of liver values found in the blood Anemia Fatigue Infections Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite Rash Sore mouth Thinning hair	Heart rhythm problems (Kisqali) Liver damage Low white blood counts Risk for developing new skin cancers Severe lung inflammation
Anti-EGFR antibody	Erbitux (cetuximab)	Diarrhea and nausea Headache Rash and itching Fingernail and toelnail changes Low blood counts Mouth sores Weakness	Severe or fatal allergic reactions Heart attacks Lung disease
Anti-EGFR antibody	Vectibix (panitumumab)	Used alone: Diarrhea and nausea Fatigue Infections at the side of the fingernails or toenails Skin rash When combined with chemotherapy: Abnormal levels of magnesium, calcium and potassium Diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite Mouth sores Skin rash Weakness	Serious allergic reaction Severe skin reactions
Antibody-drug conjugate	Datroway (datopotamab deruxtecan-dlnk)	Constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, decreased appetite and belly pain Decreased calcium and increased liver enzymes on blood work Dry eye Fatigue Hair loss Low blood counts Mouth sores Rash	Serious allergic reaction Serious lung disease
Antibody-drug conjugate	Trodelvy (sacituzumab govitecan-hziy)	Constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, decreased appetite and belly pain Fatigue Hair loss Low blood counts Rash	Serious allergic reaction Severe skin reactions
Anti-VEGF or VEGF receptor antibody	Avastin (bevacizumab) Cyramza (ramucirumab) Lenvima (lenvatinib) Zaltrap (ziv-aflibercept) Zirabev (bevacizumab)	Back pain Dry skin Headache High blood pressure Nasal symptoms Skin rashes Swelling in the hands and feet Taste changes Too much protein in the urine Watery eyes	Fistula (abnormal connection between organs) Heart problems Nonhealing wounds Stomach or intestinal tears Swelling of the brain Very high blood pressure
MTOR inhibitor	Afinitor (everolimus)	Abnormal levels of sugar or fat in the blood Abdominal pain Cough Delayed wound healing Fatigue Fever Headache Mouth sores Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea Infections Low blood counts Respiratory tract infections Skin rash Swelling of hands and feet	Inflammation of the lungs Kidney damage Severe allergic reactions
Multi-target kinase inhibitor	Stivarga (regorafenib) Sutent (sunitinib malate)	Abnormal liver values in the blood Abdominal pain Altered sense of taste Bleeding Delayed wound healing Dry or discolored skin Fatigue Fever Hair color changes Headache Infections Irritation of the throat Joint and muscle pain Mouth sores Nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite Low blood sugar Low thyroid levels Respiratory tract infections Shortness of breath Skin rash Swelling of hands and feet Voice changes or hoarseness Weakness Weight loss	Brain swelling Heart attack Infections Serious bleeding Severe bone loss of lower jaw (Sutent) Severe liver damage Stomach tear
PARP inhibitors	Lynparza (olaparib) Rubraca (rucaparib) Talzenna (talazoparib) Zejula (niraparib)	Abdominal pain Altered sense of taste Cough Decreased appetite, weight loss Dizziness Fatigue or weakness Fertility problems in men (Talzenna) Fever Headache Joint or muscle pain (Zejula) Low blood counts Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea Urinary tract infections (Lynparza) Watery eyes	Acute myeloid leukemia (a type of cancer) Blood clots in the lungs (Lynparza) Bone marrow damage (myelodysplastic syndrome) High blood pressure which can become serious (Zejula) Inflammation of the lungs (Lynparza)
PIK3 inhibitor	Piqray (alpelisib)	Changes in blood test results Fatigue Decreased appetite, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, weight loss Hair loss Low blood counts Mouth sores Skin rash	Severe allergic reaction Severe diarrhea Severe lung inflammation Severe skin reactions Very high blood sugar

Allergic reactions

Any therapy can cause an allergic reaction in someone who is sensitive to the medication. Allergic reactions may range from mild to severe. Rarely these reactions can be fatal. Your oncologist may prescribe medication to decrease your risk for severe allergic reactions caused by targeted therapies.

Anemia, bleeding and low white blood cell counts

Some targeted therapies damage bone marrow, where blood cells are made. This can result in too few red blood cells (anemia), too few platelets (thrombocytopenia) and a low white blood cell count (neutropenia).These bone marrow effects can lead to symptoms like fatigue, rapid heart rate, bleeding and increased risk for infection. Most of the time, these changes are mild. Your oncologist may test your blood, to make sure that your blood counts do not drop too low, which could delay treatment.

Birth defects

Many targeted therapies can cause birth defects. Women are cautioned not to become pregnant while on . It's important to speak with your doctor about your plans for pregnancy before starting treatment.

Fatigue

Fatigue may be caused by cancer or treatments, including targeted therapies. You should report fatigue to you doctors so they can check and treat you for underlying causes, including depression, sleep disturbances and medication side effects. You may be able to improve your energy level with these suggestions:

making sure that your diet is balanced and provides you with adequate nutrition. Ask your doctor for a referral to a nutritionist if you need help figuring out your nutritional needs.
making sure that you get adequate sleep.
trying to stay physically active, which can help improve your energy level.

Heart damage

Certain targeted therapies—especially anti-Her2 therapies—can cause heart damage. Your oncologist may run tests to make sure that your heart function is normal before, during and after treatment. Some drugs may help protect the heart from damage caused by targeted. Heart damage caused by treatment can also be minimized by lowering the dose, changing how it is given or switching to different drug.

Joint or muscle pain

Certain targeted therapies may cause joint or muscle pain. Exercise, yoga, and acupuncture may help relieve joint pain. Ask your doctor about whether you can take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories or other medication to improve joint pain caused by these therapies.

Mouth and tongue sores

Some targeted therapies can cause painful sores of the mouth and lips (called stomatitis), which can make eating painful. Certain medications and mouthwashes can help to repair mouth cells, coat the sores or block the pain caused by the sores. Rinsing your mouth with salt or baking soda can also improve mouth sores.

Nausea, vomiting and appetite changes

Several different medications help to reduce nausea during treatment. This can improve appetite, reduce weight loss and support a balanced diet—referral to a nutritionist can help assure that you maintain a balanced diet during treatment. Certain foods may be more or less likely to trigger nausea, vomiting or upset stomach.

Rashes

Some targeted therapies can cause rashes. Rashes may range from mild to severe, depending on the agent.

Rashes

Some targeted therapies can cause rashes. Rashes may range from mild to severe, depending on the agent.

Risk for additional cancers

Increased risk for certain cancers may occur after treatment. The risk is usually small. Cancers that may be increased include skin cancers (reported with BRAF and MEK inhibitor combinations) and acute myeloid leukemia (reported with PARP inhibitors).