| The most frequent adverse events of oxaliplatin in combination with 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid (5-FU/FA) were gastrointestinal (diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and mucositis), haematological (neutropenia, thrombocytopenia) and neurological (acute and dose cumulative peripheral sensory neuropathy). Overall, these adverse events were more frequent and severe with oxaliplatin and 5-FU/FA combination than with 5-FU/FA alone.The frequencies reported in the table below are derived from clinical trials in metastatic and adjuvant settings (having included 416 and 1108 patients respectively in the oxaliplatin + 5-FU/FA treatment arms) and from post marketing experience.Frequencies in this table are defined using the following convention: very common (>1/10), common (> 1/100, <1/10), uncommon (> 1/1000, < 1/100), rare (> 1/10000, < 1/1000), very rare (< 1/10000), not known (cannot be estimated from the available data).Further details are given after the table.| MedDRA Organ System Class | Very common | Common | Uncommon | Rare | | Infections and infestations* | - Infection
| - Rhinitis
- Upper respiratory tract infection
- Neutropenic sepsis
| | | | Blood and lymphatic system disorders* | - Anaemia
- Neutropenia
- Thrombocytopenia
- Leukopenia
- Lymphopenia
| -Febrile neutropenia
| | - Autoimmune thrombocytopenia
- Haemolytic anaemia
| | Immune system disorders* | - Allergy/allergic reaction+
| | | | | Metabolism and nutrition disorders | - Anorexia
- Hyperglycaemia
- Hypokalaemia
- Hypernatremia
| - Dehydration
| - Metabolic acidosis
| | | Psychiatric disorders | | - Depression
- Insomnia
| - Nervousness
| | | Nervous system disorders* | - Peripheral sensory neuropathy
- Sensory disturbance
- Dysgeusia
- Headache
| - Dizziness
- Motor neuritis
- Meningism
| | - Dysarthria
- Reversible Posterior Leukoencephalopathy syndrome (RPLS, or PRES)** (see section 4.4)
| | Eye disorders | | - Conjunctivitis
- Visual disturbance
| | - Visual acuity reduced transiently
- Visual field disturbance
- Optic neuritis
- Transient vision loss, reversible following therapy discontinuation
| | Ear and labyrinth disorders | | | - Ototoxicity
| - Deafness
| | Vascular disorders | | - Haemorrhage
- Flushing
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Hypertension
| | | | Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders | - Dyspnoea
- Cough
- Epistaxis
| - Pulmonary embolism
- Hiccups
| | - Interstitial lung disease, sometimes fatal
- Pulmonary fibrosis**
| | Gastointestinal disorders* | - Nausea
- Diarrhoea
- Vomiting
- Stomatitis/ mucositis
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
| - Rectal haemorrhage
- Dyspepsia
- Gastroesophageal reflux
- Gastrointestinal haemorrhage
| - Ileus
- Intestinal obstruction
| - Colitis including Clostridium difficile
diarrhoea
- Pancreatitis
| | Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders | - Skin disorder
- Alopecia
| - Skin exfoliation (i.e Hand and Foot syndrome)
- Rash erythematous
- Rash
- Hyperhidrosis
- Nail disorder
| | | | Musculoskeletal, connective tissue disorders | - Back pain
| - Arthralgia
- Bone pain
| | | | Renal and urinary disorders | | - Dysuria
- Micturition frequency abnormal
- Haematuria
| | | | General disorders and administration site conditions | - Fatigue
- Fever++
- Asthenia
- Pain
- Injection site reaction+++
| | | | | Investigations | - Hepatic enzyme increase
- Blood alkaline phosphatase increase
- Blood bilirubin increase
- Blood lactate dehydrogenase increase
- Weight increase(adjuvant setting)
| - Blood creatinine increase
- Weight decrease(metastatic setting)
| | | * See detailed section below** See section 4.4+ Very common allergies/allergic reactions, occurring mainly during infusion, sometimes fatal. Common allergic reactions include skin rash, particularly urticaria, conjunctivitis and rhinitis. Common anaphylactic or anaphylactoid reactions, include broncospasm, sensation of chest pain, angioedema, hypotension and anaphylactic shock.++ Very common fever, rigors (tremors) either from infection (with or without febrile neutropenia) or possibly from immunological mechanism.+++ Injection site reactions including local pain, redness, swelling and thrombosis have been reported. Extravasation may also result in local pain and inflammation which may be severe and lead to complications, including necrosis, especially when oxaliplatin is infused through a peripheral vein (see section 4.4).Blood and lymphatic system disorders | Incidence by patient (%), by grade | | Oxaliplatin and 5 FU/FA 85 mg/m²
every 2 weeks | Metastatic setting | Adjuvant setting | | | All grades | gr 3 | gr 4 | All grades | gr 3 | gr4 | | Anaemia | 82.2
| 3
| <1
| 75.6
| 0.7
| 0.1
| | Neutropenia | 71.4
| 28
| 14
| 78.9
| 28.8
| 12.3
| | Thrombocytopenia | 71.6
| 4
| <1
| 77.4
| 1.5
| 0.2
| | Febrile neutropenia
| 5.0
| 3.6
| 1.4
| 0.7
| 0.7
| 0.0
| | Neutropenic sepsis
| 1.1
| 0.7
| 0.4
| 1.1
| 0.6
| 0.4
|
Post-marketing experience with frequency unknown Haemolytic uraemic syndromeImmune system disorders | Incidence by patient (%), by grade | | Oxaliplatin / 5 FU/FA85 mg/m² every 2 weeks | Metastatic Setting | Adjuvant Setting | | | All grades | gr 3 | gr 4 | All grades | gr 3 | gr 4 | | Allergic reactions/ Allergy
| 9.1
| 1
| <1
| 10.3
| 2.3
| 0.6
|
Nervous system disorders The dose limiting toxicity of oxaliplatin is neurological. It involves a sensory peripheral neuropathy characterised by dysaesthesia and/or paraesthesia of the extremities with or without cramps, often triggered by the cold. These symptoms occur in up to 95% of patients treated. The duration of these symptoms, which usually regress between courses of treatment, increases with the number of treatment cycles.The onset of pain and/or a functional disorder are indications, depending on the duration of the symptoms, for dose adjustment, or even treatment discontinuation (see section 4.4).This functional disorder includes difficulties in executing delicate movements and is a possible consequence of sensory impairment. The risk of occurrence of persistent symptoms for a cumulative dose of 850 mg/m² (10 cycles) is approximately 10% and 20% for a cumulative dose of 1020 mg/m² (12 cycles). In the majority of cases, the neurological signs and symptoms improve or totally recover when treatment is discontinued. In the adjuvant setting of colon cancer, 6 months after treatment cessation, 87% of patients had no or mild symptoms. After up to 3 years of follow up, about 3% of patients presented either with persisting localized paresthesias of moderate intensity (2.3%) or with paresthesias that may interfere with functional activities (0.5%).Acute neurosensory manifestations (see section 5.3) have been reported. They start within hours of administration and often occur on exposure to cold. They usually present as transient paresthesia, dysesthesia and hypoesthesia. An acute syndrome of pharyngolaryngeal dysesthesia occurs in between 1% - 2%, and is characterised by subjective sensations of dysphagia or dyspnoea/feeling of suffocation, without any objective evidence of respiratory distress (no cyanosis or hypoxia) or of laryngospasm or bronchospasm (no stridor or wheezing); Although antihistamines and bronchodilators have been administered in such cases, the symptoms are rapidly reversible even in the absence of treatment. Prolongation of the infusion helps to reduce the incidence of this syndrome (see section 4.4). Occasionally other symptoms that have been observed include jaw spasm/muscle spasms/muscle contractions involuntary/muscle twitching/myoclonus, coordination abnormal/gait abnormal/ ataxia/ balance disorders, throat or chest tightness/ pressure/ discomfort/pain. In addition, cranial nerve dysfunctions may be associated with above mentioned events, or also occur as an isolated event such as ptosis, diplopia, aphonia/dysphonia, hoarseness, sometimes described as vocal cord paralysis, abnormal tongue sensation or dysarthria, sometimes described as aphasia, trigeminal neuralgia/facial pain/eye pain, decrease in visual acuity, visual field disorders.Other neurological symptoms such as dysarthria, loss of deep tendon reflex and Lhermitte's sign were reported during treatment with oxaliplatin. Isolated cases of optic neuritis have been reported.Post marketing experience with frequency unknown ConvulsionGastrointestinal disorders | Incidence by patient (%), by grade | | Oxaliplatin/ 5 FU/FA85 mg/m² every 2 weeks | Metastatic setting | Adjuvant setting | | | All grades | gr 3 | gr 4 | All grades | gr 3 | gr 4 | | Nausea
| 69.9
| 8
| <1
| 73.7
| 4.8
| 0.3
| | Diarrhoea
| 60.8
| 9
| 2
| 56.3
| 8.3
| 2.5
| | Vomiting
| 49.0
| 6
| 1
| 47.2
| 5.3
| 0.5
| | Mucositis/ Stomatitis
| 39.9
| 4
| <1
| 42.1
| 2.8
| 0.1
| Prophylaxis and/or treatment with potent antiemetic agents is indicated.Dehydration, paralytic ileus, intestinal obstruction, hypokalemia, metabolic acidosis and renal impairment may be caused by severe diarrhoea/emesis particularly when combining oxaliplatin with 5 fluorouracil (5 FU) (see section 4.4).Hepato-biliary disorders Very rare (< 1/10,000): Liver sinusoidal obstruction syndrome, also known as veno-occlusive disease of liver, or pathological manifestations related to such liver disorder, including peliosis hepatitis, nodular regenerative hyperplasia, perisinusoidal fibrosis. Clinical manifestations may be portal hypertension and/or increased transaminases.Renal and urinary disorders Very rare (< 1/10,000): Acute tubular necrosis, acute interstitial nephritis and acute renal failure. | |