Cancer drugs A to Z list
Dasatinib is a . You pronounce dasatinib as da-sat-in-ib.
It is a treatment for chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML).
You might have dasatinib for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) which is Philadelphia chromosome positive, when other treatments are no longer working. It is not available on the NHS in England or Scotland at the moment. Your doctor can make an Individual Funding Request (IFR) if they think that a treatment is the best option for you.
You might also have dasatinib as part of a clinical trial.
Go to our clinical trials database to look for a clinical trial
Dasatinib is a type of cancer growth blocker called a (TKI). It works by blocking particular proteins on cancer cells that encourage the cancer to grow. This can help shrink the cancer or stop it growing.
You take dasatinib as tablets. You swallow them whole. You can take them with or without food.
If you’re taking medicines for indigestion (antacids), take them either 2 hours before or 2 hours after the dasatinib. These medicines can stop the body absorbing dasatinib. You should not take any other medicines that affect the production of stomach acid.
You should take the right dose, not more or less.
Talk to your healthcare team before you stop taking a cancer drug, or if you miss a dose.
You take dasatinib once a day.
You take dasatinib for as long as it is working, and the side effects aren’t too bad.
You have blood tests before and during your treatment. They check your levels of blood cells and other substances in the blood. They also check how well your liver and kidneys are working.
Side effects can vary from person to person. They also depend on what other treatments you're having.
Your doctor, nurse or pharmacist will go through the possible side effects. They will monitor you during treatment and check how you are at your appointments. Contact your advice line as soon as possible if:
you have severe side effects
your side effects aren’t getting any better
your side effects are getting worse
Early treatment can help manage side effects better.
We haven't listed all the side effects here. Talk to your healthcare team if you have any new symptoms that you think might be a side effect of your treatment.
Remember it is very unlikely that you will have all of these side effects. But you might have some of them at the same time.
These side effects happen in more than 10 in 100 people (more than 10%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
Increased risk of getting an infection is due to a drop in white blood cells. Symptoms include a change in temperature, aching muscles, cough, headaches, feeling cold and shivery, pain or a burning feeling when peeing, or generally feeling unwell. You might have other symptoms depending on where the infection is.
Infections can sometimes be life threatening. You should contact your advice line urgently if you think you have an infection.
You might be breathless and look pale due to a drop in red blood cells. This is called anaemia.
This is due to a drop in the number of platelets in your blood. These blood cells help the blood to clot when we cut ourselves. You may have nosebleeds or bleeding gums after brushing your teeth. Or you may have lots of tiny red spots or bruises on your arms or legs. This is known as petechiae.
You may have heavy bleeding (haemorrhage) from damaged blood vessels in the body. Call your advice line if you have any form of bleeding that's unusual for you. If you are losing a large volume of blood call 999 or go straight to Accident and Emergency (A&E).
Contact your advice line if you have diarrhoea. For example, in one day you have 2 or more loose bowel movements than usual. If you have a , you might have more output than normal. Your doctor may give you anti diarrhoea medicine to take home with you after treatment.
Try to eat small meals and snacks regularly. It’s best to try to have a healthy balanced diet if you can. You don’t necessarily need to stop eating foods that contain fibre. But if your diet is normally very high in fibre, it might help to cut back on high fibre foods such as beans, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, bran and raw vegetables.
Drink plenty to try and replace the fluid lost. Aim for 8 to 10 glasses per day.
Tell your healthcare team if you keep getting headaches. They can give you painkillers to help. You might also have tests to try and find out what is causing your headaches.
Fluid around the lungs is called a pleural effusion.
Skin problems include a skin rash, dry skin and itching. This usually goes back to normal when your treatment finishes. Your healthcare team can tell you what products you can use on your skin to help.
Contact your healthcare team if you experience any severe skin changes.
A build up of fluid may cause swelling in your arms, hands, ankles, legs, face and other parts of the body. Contact your healthcare team if this happens to you.
You might feel very tired and as though you lack energy.
Various things can help you to reduce tiredness and cope with it, for example exercise. Some research has shown that taking gentle exercise can give you more energy. It is important to balance exercise with resting.
Feeling or being sick is usually well controlled with anti sickness medicines. It might help to avoid fatty or fried foods, eat small meals and snacks and take regular sips of water. Relaxation techniques might also help.
It is important to take anti sickness medicines as prescribed even if you don’t feel sick. It is easier to prevent sickness rather than treat it once it has started.
You might feel some pain from your muscles and joints. Speak to your doctor or nurse about what painkillers you can take to help with this.
Tell your healthcare team straightaway if you get a high temperature. Ask them if you can take paracetamol to help lower your temperature.
Tell your treatment team if you have this. They can check the cause and give you medicine to help.
These side effects happen in between 1 and 10 out of every 100 people (between 1 and 10%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
a serious reaction to an infection (sepsis) - signs can include feeling very unwell, not passing urine, being sick, a very high or very low temperature or shivering - contact your advice line straight away if you have any of these symptoms
numbness or tingling in fingers or toes
indigestion and heartburn
loss or increase of appetite
sore mouth and ulcers
hair loss
dizziness
ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
eye problems such as dry eyes or blurred vision
aching and stiff muscles and joints
difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
depression
general weakness or lack of strength
weight changes
feeling very cold, shaky and shivery (chills)
high blood pressure
flushing
high uric acid levels in the blood
feeling very sleepy
heart problems symptoms might include fast or irregular heartbeat, sudden fainting, chest pain, feeling sick and cough. Tests might show there is fluid around the heart. Call 999 or go to A&E straight away if you develop chest pain
lung problems such as infection, fluid in the lung and a cough
inflammation of the large bowel (colitis) and stomach lining
swollen or bloated tummy
difficulty passing poo (constipation)
sweating more than usual
twitching or jerky muscle movement (muscle spasm) or muscle weakness
bleeding in the stomach or bowel
high blood pressure in the vessels leading from the heart to the lungs - symptoms include being short of breath, tiredness, feeling faint, dizzy or chest pain
taste changes
These side effects happen in fewer than 1 in 100 people (fewer than 1%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
confusion or memory changes
low levels of thyroid hormones which can make you feel tired, unable to cope with the cold and you might get muscle cramps. Rarely you may have high levels of thyroid hormones
lack of fluid in the body (dehydration)
changes to the levels of chemicals in your blood due to the breakdown of tumour cells (tumour lysis syndrome) - you can have blood tests to check for this
anxiety or emotional changes
loss of interest in sex
hearing loss
balance changes
feeling that the world is spinning (vertigo)
liver changes - including the flow of bile from your liver being reduced or blocked
growth of breast tissue in men (gynecomastia)
changes to periods
swollen glands (lymph nodes) in the body
high levels of a fatty substance called cholesterol in the blood
fainting
trembling and shaking (tremor)
watery or sticky eyes, you might also be sensitive to the light
vision changes
low blood pressure
blood clots that can be life threatening; signs are pain, redness and swelling where the clot is. Feeling breathless can be a sign of a blood clot in the lung. Contact your advice line or doctor straight away if you have any of these symptoms
inflammation of different parts of the body including the pancreas, food pipe, liver, gallbladder, bottom layers of skin, muscles, joints, tendons and veins
difficulty swallowing
fluid build up in the tummy (ascites) or chest
bone loss
kidney problems such as weeing more often and protein in your urine. You might also have changes to kidney blood tests
an allergic reaction that can cause a rash, shortness of breath, redness or swelling of the face and dizziness - some allergic reactions can be life threatening, alert your nurse or doctor if notice any of these symptoms
a bleed inside the brain or spinal cord
stomach ulcer
sore or tear at the opening to the outside of the body at the end of the bowel (anus)
nail problems
redness, swelling, and pain on the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet
damaged muscle tissue releasing proteins, salts and minerals into the blood – this can be serious
stroke or mini stroke
seizures (fits)
asthma
muscle tightness in the airways – symptoms are wheezing or coughing
feeling generally unwell
There isn't enough information to work out how often these side effects might happen. You might have one or more of them. They include:
if you have had hepatitis B before it could come back
scarring of the lungs
bleeding from the digestive system – this can be life threatening
a severe skin reaction that may start as tender red patches which leads to peeling or blistering of the skin. You might also feel feverish and your eyes may be more sensitive to light. This is serious and could be life threatening
We have more information about side effects and tips on how to cope with them.
Read more about how to cope with side effects
Cancer drugs can interact with medicines, herbal products, and some food and drinks. We are unable to list all the possible interactions that may happen. An example is grapefruit or grapefruit juice which can increase the side effects of certain drugs.
Tell your healthcare team about any medicines you are taking. This includes vitamins, herbal supplements and over the counter remedies. Also let them know about any other medical conditions or allergies you may have.
This treatment might harm a baby developing in the womb. It is important not to become pregnant or get someone pregnant while you're having treatment and for some time afterwards. Talk to your healthcare team to find out more.
Talk to your doctor or nurse about effective contraception before starting treatment. Let them know straight away if you or your partner falls pregnant while having treatment.
It is not known whether this treatment affects in people. Talk to your doctor before starting treatment if you think you may want to have a baby in the future.
It is not known whether this drug comes through into the breast milk. Doctors usually advise that you don’t breastfeed during this treatment.
If you are having tests or treatment for anything else, always mention your cancer treatment. For example, if you are visiting your dentist.
Don’t have immunisations with live vaccines while you’re having treatment and for up to 12 months afterwards. The length of time depends on the treatment you are having.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist how long you should avoid live vaccinations.
In the UK, live vaccines include rubella, mumps, measles, BCG, and yellow fever.
You can usually have:
other vaccines, but they might not give you as much protection as usual
the flu vaccine (as an injection)
the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about the best time to have a vaccine in relation to your cancer treatment.
You can be in contact with other people who have had live vaccines as injections. If someone has had a live vaccine by mouth or nasal spray there may be a small risk the vaccine virus can be passed onto you if your is weakened.
Your healthcare team will let you know if you need to take any precautions if you are in close contact with someone who has had a live vaccine.
Read more about immunisations and cancer treatment
For further information about this treatment and possible side effects go to the electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC) website. You can find the patient information leaflet on this website.
You can report any side effect you have to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as part of their Yellow Card Scheme.
Last reviewed: 14 Sept 2023
Next review due: 14 Sept 2026
CML starts in the white blood cells called granulocytes. It often develops slowly and treatment can keep it under control for many years. Find out more.
Cancer drugs have side effects and these can vary from person to person. But there are things that you can do to help you cope.
Coping with cancer can be difficult. There is help and support available. Find out about the emotional, physical and practical effects of cancer and how to manage them.
Targeted cancer drugs work by ‘targeting’ the differences that help a cancer cell to survive and grow. There are many different types of targeted drugs.
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