Question

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice should be avoided when taking all of the following oral chemotherapy agents EXCEPT?

1) Imbruvica (ibrutinib)
2) Gleevec (imatinib)
3) Sutent (sunitinib)
4) Zytiga (abiraterone acetate)

Answer 1

Grapefruit should be avoided with many oral chemotherapy agents due to interactions but Zytiga (abiraterone acetate) is an exception and does not require avoidance of grapefruit.

Step-by-step explanation:

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice are known to interact with various oral chemotherapy agents, but not all of them. Among the options provided, the chemotherapy agents that should be avoided with grapefruit are Imbruvica (ibrutinib), Gleevec (imatinib), and Sutent (sunitinib). However, Zytiga (abiraterone acetate) is the exception here as current guidelines do not include it on the list of medications affected by grapefruit. In general, grapefruit can alter the metabolism of many drugs, potentially leading to increased blood levels and adverse effects. For instance, grapefruit components interfere with enzymes such as CYP3A4 that metabolize drugs, resulting in decreased drug breakdown and higher risk of side effects. This is why it's important to avoid grapefruit when taking certain medications unless otherwise directed by a healthcare provider.