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Overview: Cabazitaxel is used to treat prostate cancer. It helps stop cancer cells from dividing and making new cells. The most common side effects are diarrhea, nausea, tiredness, weakness, and loss of appetite. Tell your health care provider right away if you have fever or chills, stomach pain, swelling in your face, feet, ankles, or legs, frequent need to pee but only passing small amounts, trouble breathing, or chest pain. Cabazitaxel is given by a health care provider in a hospital or clinic.

Uses

What is cabazitaxel used for?

Cabazitaxel is commonly used to treat prostate cancer.

Cabazitaxel may also be used for other conditions as determined by your health care provider.

How does cabazitaxel work (mechanism of action)?

Cabazitaxel is a chemotherapy medicine. It works by attaching to microtubules, which are parts inside cells that help cancer cells divide and make new cancer cells. By disrupting this process, cabazitaxel can stop cancer cells from dividing and cause the cells to die. This can stop or slow down the growth and spread of cancer.

How is cabazitaxel supplied (dosage forms)?

Brands and other names

  • Jevtana

Dosage forms and strengths

Cabazitaxel is available in an injectable form that is given by a health care provider.

How should I store cabazitaxel?

Cabazitaxel is given by a health care provider in a hospital or clinic. You will not store it at home.

Side Effects

What are the most common side effects of cabazitaxel?

The most common side effects of cabazitaxel are listed below. Tell your health care provider if you have any of these side effects that bother you.

  • Low neutrophil levels (see Bone Marrow Suppression below)
  • Low levels of red blood cells 
  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Tiredness or weakness
  • Blood in your urine (see Bladder Problems below)
  • Constipation
  • Low appetite
  • Back pain
  • Stomach pain

There may be other side effects of cabazitaxel that are not listed here. Contact your health care provider if you think you are having a side effect of a medicine. In the U.S., you can report side effects to the FDA at www.fda.gov/medwatch or by calling 800-FDA-1088. In Canada, you can report side effects to Health Canada at www.health.gc.ca/medeffect or by calling 866-234-2345.

What are the serious side effects of cabazitaxel?

While less common, the most serious side effects of cabazitaxel are described below, along with what to do if they happen.

Severe Allergic Reactions. Cabazitaxel may cause allergic reactions, which can be serious. Your health care provider may prescribe other medicines to help reduce your risk of a reaction to cabazitaxel. Get help right away if you have any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction.

  • Breathing problems or wheezing
  • Racing heart
  • Fever or general ill feeling
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat
  • Trouble swallowing or throat tightness
  • Itching, skin rash, or pale red bumps on the skin called hives
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Dizziness, feeling lightheaded, or fainting
  • Stomach cramps
  • Joint pain

Bone Marrow Suppression. Cabazitaxel may cause your bone marrow to not make enough cells. This can lead to low blood levels of important cells, such as red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. This may also cause low levels of a type of white blood cell called neutrophils (neutropenia). Neutrophils help prevent infection. Having a low level of neutrophils may increase your risk of infection. Call your health care provider or get help right away if you have any of the following symptoms of bone marrow suppression.

  • Fever or chills
  • Sore throat, cough, or shortness of breath
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Pale or yellowish skin
  • Easy bruising or bleeding
  • Unusual weakness or tiredness
  • Dizziness, lightheadedness, or feeling like you are about to pass out
  • Fast or abnormal heartbeat

Stomach Problems. Cabazitaxel may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. This may lead to dehydration and changes to the levels of certain minerals in your body, called electrolyte imbalances, which can be serious. Cabazitaxel can also increase the risk of bleeding, inflammation, and tears (perforation) in your gut. Call your health care provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms.

  • Stomach pain 
  • Fever
  • Diarrhea that does not go away
  • Severe constipation
  • Unusual weakness, dizziness, or fainting 
  • Vomit or poop that looks bloody or black
  • Muscle cramps or twitching
  • Trouble breathing
  • Confusion or decreased alertness

Kidney Damage. Kidney damage can happen when using cabazitaxel. Call your health care provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms of kidney damage.

  • Reduced need to pee
  • Swelling in your face, feet, ankles, or legs
  • Weakness or unusual tiredness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain or pressure
  • Confusion
  • Nausea
  • Seizures

Bladder Problems. Cabazitaxel can cause inflammation in your bladder (cystitis) and blood in your urine (hematuria). Call your health care provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms of bladder problems.

  • Frequent need to pee but only passing small amounts
  • Pink, red, brown, or tea-colored urine (pee)
  • Pain or burning when you pee
  • Fever or chills
  • Pain or pressure in your stomach, side, or lower back
  • Confusion

Serious Lung Problems. Cabazitaxel can cause inflammation in your lungs, also called interstitial lung disease or pneumonitis. Cabazitaxel may also cause acute respiratory distress syndrome. These lung problems can be serious or life-threatening. Get emergency help if you have trouble breathing.

Warnings & Precautions

Who should not use cabazitaxel?

Allergies to Ingredients. People who are allergic to any of the following should not use cabazitaxel.

  • Cabazitaxel
  • Jevtana
  • Any of the ingredients in the specific product dispensed

Your pharmacist can tell you all of the ingredients in the specific cabazitaxel products they stock.

Low White Blood Cells. Cabazitaxel should not be used if you have very low levels of neutrophils, which is a type of white blood cell. Having low neutrophils could increase your risk of infections, and cabazitaxel could make blood cell problems worse. Your health care provider will do blood tests to determine if you can use this medicine. 

Severe Liver Problems. Cabazitaxel should not be used if you have severe liver problems. Using cabazitaxel could make liver problems worse. If there is a concern about the health of your liver, your health care provider will do tests to determine if it is working well enough to use this medicine. 

What should I know about cabazitaxel before using it?

Cabazitaxel will be given to you by a health care provider in a hospital, clinic, or infusion center.

Cabazitaxel may make it difficult for you to get a partner pregnant. If you have concerns, talk to your health care provider.

Keep all appointments with your health care provider, including appointments for blood tests. Check your temperature often and tell your health care provider right away if you have a fever. 

Cabazitaxel is usually prescribed with other medicines, such as prednisone. Tell your health care provider if you miss any doses of prednisone or other medicines they tell you to take while using cabazitaxel.

People who are 65 and older can be at greater risk for side effects from cabazitaxel. Talk to your health care provider about your risks if you are in this age group.

What should I tell my health care provider before using cabazitaxel?

Tell your health care provider about all of your health conditions and any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using. This will help them determine if cabazitaxel is right for you.

In particular, make sure that you discuss any of the following.

Other Medicines and Supplements. Cabazitaxel may interact with other medicines and supplements. Before using cabazitaxel, tell your health care provider about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using. See the Interactions section for more details.

Current and Past Health Conditions. Tell your health care provider if you have any of the following.

  • Liver or kidney problems
  • Lung problems
  • Stomach or bowel problems, such as ulcers or bleeding

Past Radiation. Tell your health care provider if you have received radiation treatments in the past. You may have a higher risk of certain side effects, such as stomach and bladder problems. Your health care provider will help determine if cabazitaxel is right for you.

Pregnancy. It is not known if or how cabazitaxel could affect pregnancy or harm a fetus. People who can become pregnant are not usually prescribed cabazitaxel. Tell your health care provider if your partner is pregnant or planning to become pregnant. If your partner can become pregnant, it is recommended to use birth control (such as condoms) during cabazitaxel treatment and for four months after your last dose. 

Breastfeeding. It is not known if cabazitaxel passes into breast milk. People who can breastfeed are not usually prescribed cabazitaxel. Tell your health care provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

Interactions

Does cabazitaxel interact with foods or drinks?

Your health care provider may suggest limiting or avoiding grapefruit while using cabazitaxel. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may increase the levels of cabazitaxel in your blood, raising the risk of side effects.

It is unknown if drinking alcohol will affect cabazitaxel, but heavy drinking can slow your immune response and make it harder for your body to fight cancer.

Does cabazitaxel interact with other medicines (drug interactions)?

Always tell your health care provider about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using.

In particular, make sure that you discuss if you are using any of the following before using cabazitaxel.

  • Itraconazole (Sporanox, Tolsura), ketoconazole, or voriconazole (Vfend), which are medicines used for fungal infections
  • Clarithromycin, which is a medicine used for bacterial infections
  • Rifampin (Rifadin), which is a medicine commonly used to treat an infection called tuberculosis
  • A protease inhibitor, such as atazanavir (Reyataz),  nelfinavir (Viracept), or ritonavir (Norvir), which is a medicine commonly used to treat HIV
  • A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and others, which is in many prescription and OTC products for pain, swelling, and fever
  • A blood thinner, which is a medicine used to treat or prevent blood clots
  • An antiplatelet medicine, such as aspirin/dipyridamole, cilostazol, clopidogrel (Plavix), or ticagrelor (Brilinta), which is a medicine used to prevent blood clots

Many other medicines may alter the blood levels of cabazitaxel. Tell your health care provider about all medicines that you take or have recently taken.

This may not be a complete list of medicines that can interact with cabazitaxel. Always check with your health care provider.

Does interact with other drugs you are taking?

Enter your medication into the WebMD interaction checker

Overdose/Missed Dose

What should I do if I accidentally use too much cabazitaxel?

If you or someone else has used too much cabazitaxel, get medical help right away, call 911, or contact a Poison Control center at 800-222-1222.

What should I do if I miss a dose of cabazitaxel?

Cabazitaxel is given by a health care provider in a hospital or clinic. If you miss an appointment to get your cabazitaxel dose, call to make another appointment as soon as possible.