TABLE III.
Anticancer therapies associated with gastrointestinal (GI) toxicitya
| Drug class | Agent or agents | Types of toxicity |
|---|---|---|
| Alkylating agent (in high doses)21 | Cyclophosphamide, bendamustine, busulfan, ifosfamide, melphalan | Stomatitis |
| Antimetabolite21 | 5-Fluorouracil, cytarabine, floxuridine, methotrexate | Diarrhea, stomatitis |
| Antimitotic agent21 | Vinblastine, vincristine | Stomatitis, constipation |
| Checkpoint inhibitor22 | Ipilimumab, nivolumab, pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, durvalumab, avelumab | Colitis, diarrhea |
| EGFR inhibitor22 | Cetuximab Erlotinib, afatinib, gefitinib |
Diarrhea Diarrhea, GI bleeding or perforation |
| Immunomodulating agent21 | Interleukin 2 | Stomatitis, colitis |
| MEK inhibitor22 | Trametinib | Diarrhea |
| Nitrosourea21 | Carmustine, lomustine | Diarrhea |
| PI3K inhibitor22 | Idelalisib | Colitis |
| Topoisomerase inhibitor21 | Etoposide | Stomatitis |
| Irinotecan | Diarrhea, stomatitis | |
| VEGF or VEGFR inhibitor22 | Axitinib, bevacizumab | GI bleeding or perforation |
a
The list of therapies in the table is incomplete; agents are provided as examples.
EGFR = epidermal growth factor receptor; MEK = mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase; PI3K = phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase; VEGF(R) = vascular endothelial growth factor (receptor).