Cancer drugs A to Z list
Glofitamab is a . It's a treatment for diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) that has had at least 2 or more and has either:
come back (relapsed DLBCL)
not gone away (refractory DLBCL)
You might have glofitamab as part of a .
Glofitamab is a type of called a .
Glofitamab works by binding to your body’s immune cells and the cancerous cells. When they meet it creates a link. This link helps stimulate the to attack and produce chemicals to kill the cancer cells.
You have glofitamab as a drip into your bloodstream (intravenously).
You might have treatment through a long plastic tube that goes into a large vein in your chest. The tube stays in place throughout the course of treatment. This can be a:
central line
PICC line
portacath
You might have treatment through a thin short tube (a cannula) that goes into a vein in your arm. You have a new cannula each time you have treatment.
Read more about having cancer drugs into your vein
You have glofitamab as cycles of treatment. This means you have the drug and then a rest to allow your body to recover.
Each cycle lasts 3 weeks (21 days). You usually have up to 12 cycles.
Before your first treatment with glofitamab you have another drug called obinutuzumab. You have this drug to help lower the risk of getting a side effect called cytokine release syndrome. Cytokines are a group of proteins in the body that play an important part in boosting the immune system. Glofitamab stimulates the immune system to make large amounts of cytokines.
Find out more about obinutuzumab
The following is an example of how you have glofitamab.
You have cycle 1 in the following way:
You have obinutuzumab as a drip into your bloodstream over a few hours.
You have no treatment.
You have glofitamab as a drip into your bloodstream over 4 hours.
You have no treatment.
You have glofitamab as a drip into your bloodstream over 4 hours.
You have no treatment.
You then start cycle 2 of treatment.
You have cycle 2 and 3 in the following way:
You have glofitamab as a drip into your bloodstream over 4 hours.
You have no treatment.
You then start cycle 4 of treatment.
You have cycle 4 to 12 in the following way:
You have glofitamab as a drip into your bloodstream over 2 hours.
You have no treatment.
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.
Before treatment starts you may have a blood test to check for viruses such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV. This is called a viral screen.
It’s important for your doctor to know if you have had any of these viruses. This is because this treatment can weaken your and can cause the virus to become active again (reactivation).
Side effects can vary from person to person. They also depend on what other treatment you are having.
Your doctor, pharmacist or nurse will go through the possible side effects. They will monitor you closely 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:
This is an immune system reaction to the drug. It can cause symptoms and make your cancer worsen for a short time. This usually happens in the first cycle of treatment.
Your healthcare team monitor you closely while having your first treatment. Some of the symptoms can include sore and swollen lymph nodes, chest pain, difficulty breathing and pain at the site of the tumour.
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.
Cytokines are a group of proteins in the body that play an important part in boosting the immune system. This treatment stimulates the immune system to make large amounts of cytokines. This can cause symptoms which can be severe. Some of the symptoms include fever, chills, a headache, difficulty breathing, and dizziness.
Your doctors and nurses monitor you closely. Depending on how severe your symptoms are you might need treatment with a monoclonal antibody called tocilizumab to control it. You might also have .
Your blood tests might show you have low levels of phosphate, magnesium, calcium and potassium.
Less commonly your sodium level might drop. You have regular blood tests to check your levels of minerals and salts.
Tell your healthcare team if you keep getting headaches. They can give you painkillers to help.
is easier to sort out if you treat it early. Drink plenty and eat as much fresh fruit and vegetables as you can. Try to take gentle exercise, such as walking. Tell your healthcare team if you think you are constipated. They can give you a laxative if needed.
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.
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.
This treatment can cause a skin rash. 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.
Tell your healthcare team straightaway if you get a high temperature. Ask them if you can take paracetamol to help lower your temperature.
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:
sepsis - a serious reaction to an infection. Signs can include feeling very unwell, not passing urine, slurred speech or confusion, breathlessness, mottled or discoloured skin, extreme shivering or muscle pain. Call 999 or go to accident and emergency (A&E) immediately if you have any of these symptoms
brain changes (neurological side effects) - symptoms can include shaking (tremor), disorientation, fits (seizures) difficulties with your writing or speech
changes to the levels of chemicals in your blood due to the breakdown of tumour cells (tumour lysis syndrome) - you have regular blood tests to check for this
feeling confused
feeling very sleepy (somnolence) - do not drive or operate machinery
feeling shaky or trembling (tremor)
bleeding from the stomach or gut – symptoms might include black poo or vomiting up blood
changes to how well your liver is working – symptoms can include yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes
This treatment can cause swelling or inflammation of the . This is called myelitis. Symptoms can include feeling numb or muscle weakness.
This side effect happens in fewer than 1 in 100 people (less than 1%).
This is a new drug in cancer treatment. So there is limited information available at the moment about possible rare and longer term effects that it may cause. Tell your doctor if you notice anything that is not normal for you.
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.
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 unknown whether this treatment may or may not harm a baby developing in the womb. It is important not to become pregnant or get someone pregnant while you are having treatment and for 2 months afterwards. Let your team know straight away if you become pregnant while having treatment.
Talk to your doctor or nurse about effective contraception you can use during treatment. Ask how long you should use it before starting treatment and after treatment has finished.
It is not known whether these drugs come through into the breast milk. Doctors usually advise that you don’t breastfeed during this treatment and for 2 months afterwards.
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: 18 Feb 2025
Next review due: 18 Feb 2028
Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a type of high grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). DLBCL grows quickly and your treatment starts soon after diagnosis.
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are a type of cancer treatment. They may be called a type of targeted cancer drug or immunotherapy. But they can work in both ways. 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.
There are many cancer drugs, cancer drug combinations and they have individual side effects.
About Cancer generously supported by Dangoor Education since 2010. Learn more about Dangoor Education
Search our clinical trials database for all cancer trials and studies recruiting in the UK.
Connect with other people affected by cancer and share your experiences.
Questions about cancer? Call freephone 0808 800 40 40 from 9 to 5 - Monday to Friday. Alternatively, you can email us.
