Can I stop taking Cabozantinib at will once I start taking it?

Cabozantinib is an oral multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor that is widely used to treat a variety of solid tumors such as advanced renal cell carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and medullary thyroid cancer. Because it inhibits tumor growth and angiogenesis by inhibiting VEGFR, MET, AXL and other signaling pathways, it needs to maintain a certain blood concentration to continue to exert its anti-tumor effect. Once you start taking cabozantinib, it is not recommended to stop taking it at will. Unauthorized interruption may lead to disease progression or even rebound acceleration.

In clinical practice, some patients may consider discontinuing medication due to side effects such as hypertension, diarrhea, hand-foot syndrome, etc. However, at this time, dosage reduction, intermittent discontinuation of medication, or adjustment of supportive treatment should be conducted under the guidance of a doctor based on the severity of adverse reactions, rather than the patient deciding to discontinue medication on his own. Unauthorized discontinuation of the drug may break the drug's control over the tumor and lead to short-term worsening of the condition, especially in patients with active tumors.

In addition, cabozantinib is a chronic oral anti-cancer drug that often needs to be taken for a long time to maintain the therapeutic effect. Even if the patient's tumor shrinks or his condition stabilizes after taking the medication, he should not stop taking the medication hastily. In most cases, doctors will consider changing drugs or terminating treatment only when the tumor continues to progress or the side effects are intolerable. Therefore, drug management during treatment should be strictly implemented in accordance with professional medical instructions, imaging and laboratory examinations should be performed regularly, and efficacy and safety should be dynamically evaluated.
In short, cabozantinib cannot be stopped at will during treatment. If discomfort or side effects occur, you should communicate with your doctor in time and adjust the plan scientifically. In targeted tumor therapy, regular medication and close follow-up are the keys to ensuring efficacy and prolonging survival. Patients should fully understand the characteristics of the drug to avoid treatment failure or disease relapse due to personal judgment.
Reference: https://www.drugs.com/