ALIMTA

ALIMTA®(Pemetrexed)

What is Alimta?

Alimta is chemo drug used to treat lung cancer. Other uses include bladder, breast, pancreatic cancer.

Before starting Alimta, you have to:

-	Take oral Folic acid 350mcg to 1000mcg once daily, starting 1 week before Alimta, and continue throughout the treatment, and for 21 days after the last treatment.
-	Receive Vitamin B12 1000mcg intramuscular injection 1 week prior to Alimta, and continue throughout treatment every 3 cycles thereafter. This is to lower the chances of side effects of Alimta.
-	Take oral Dexamethasone tablet 4mg twice daily, starting 1 day before, the day of, and the day after Alimta treatment. This helps to prevent skin rash due to Alimta.

Early side effects

- Nausea, vomiting or appetite loss may be experienced.
- Stomach upset and/or diarrhoea may occur.
- Tiredness or weakness may be felt for a few days after treatment.

Delayed side effects

- A drop in the blood cell counts may occur 7 - 21 days after treatment.
- Mouth ulcers may occur within several days of treatment.
- Skin rash or itch may occur between treatments, but usually disappear before the next treatment.

Inform your doctor if any of the following occurs:

- Fever of 38°C or higher.
- Diarrhoea lasting longer than 24 hours.
- Soreness in the mouth for more than 3 days.
- Unusual bleeding, bruising or black stools.

Precaution

You should not take pain killers like naproxen sodium, voltaren sodium, mefenamic acid, aspirin and so on 5 days before, during and 2 days after Alimta treatment.

If you have any question, please call a nurse or pharmacist at the National Cancer Centre. The side effects listed above are those that occur frequently. Other side effects may occur. Please contact your doctor to report.