Cancer drugs A to Z list
Lorlatinib is a treatment for non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
You have lorlatinib if the cancer has a change () in the called anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). Your doctor will check for this change before you start treatment. This is also known as an ALK positive NSCLC.
You might have lorlatinib if you have:
had treatment with an ALK targeted drug before and your cancer has started to grow again (progressed)
not previously been treated with an ALK targeted drug
Find out more about targeted treatment for metastatic NSCLC
Lorlatinib is a type of targeted drug called a . Tyrosine kinases are proteins that cells use to signal to each other to grow. They act as chemical messengers. Blocking these signals helps to slow or stop the cancer from growing.
There are several different tyrosine kinases. Lorlatinib works by blocking the ALK gene change.
Find out more about cancer growth blockers
You take lorlatinib as tablets that you swallow. You swallow the tablets whole with a glass of water. You can take them with or without food. You should not chew, crush or split the tablets before swallowing.
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 lorlatinib once a day, at the same time each day.
You continue taking lorlatinib for as long as it is working and you are not experiencing too many side effects.
You have blood tests before and during your treatment. They check your levels of 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, nurse, or pharmacist 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
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:
You might be breathless and look pale due to a drop in red blood cells. This is called anaemia.
This treatment can cause high levels of fats such as cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood.
These are usually picked up on blood tests. You will have regular tests to check the levels of fats in your blood. Your doctor might prescribe medicines to lower these levels in your blood.
You might have mood changes, including feeling very low (depressed), extremely happy and excited (euphoric), or you might have mood swings. Other mental health changes may include feeling irritable, anxious and panicky, angry, aggressive or having changes to your personality.
Less commonly, you might hear or see things that appear to be real but only exist in your mind (hallucinations) or you might believe something is true or real while it is false or unreal (delusions).
Talk to your healthcare team or anyone you trust if you have any of these mental health changes and find it hard to cope.
Read about mental health and cancer
You might fall asleep during the day (hypersomnia), have problems falling and staying asleep at night (insomnia) or feel drowsy.
It is important not to use machinery when feeling sleepy or drowsy. Speak to your doctor or nurse if you have sleeping problems. They can give advice on what to do.
This treatment may cause changes to your ability to think, keep your attention or remembering things.
Talk to your healthcare team if you notice any of these changes.
Numbness or tingling in fingers or toes is often temporary and can improve after you finish treatment.
You might experience pain, an unpleasant feeling or nothing when touching something. Or you might experience a pricking or burning sensation without being touched. Other nerve changes include a feeling of insects crawling under your skin, nerve pain or weak muscles.
Tell your doctor if you're finding it difficult to walk, write or complete fiddly tasks such as doing up buttons.
Tell your healthcare team if you keep getting headaches. They can give you painkillers to help.
This treatment may cause double, blurred or loss of vision. Other changes may include seeing a flash of light or something floating. Your eyes might be sensitive to bright light or you might be less able to make out shapes and details of objects from a distance.
Lung changes include difficulty breathing or having a cough.
Less commonly, you might have inflammation of the lung tissue (pneumonitis) making it hard for the lungs to get enough oxygen.
Let your healthcare team know of any breathing problems straightaway.
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 . 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.
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.
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 an increase in the levels of digestive enzymes called lipase and amylase. These enzymes are made by an organ called the . Lipase helps to digest fats and amylase carbohydrates. You will have regular tests to measure your levels of these enzymes.
Rarely, you might have inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Symptoms include tummy (abdominal) pain, a high temperature,, feeling or being sick, or diarrhoea
You might have liver changes that are usually mild and unlikely to cause symptoms. They usually go back to normal when treatment finishes.
You have regular blood tests to check for any changes in the way your liver is working.
You might notice skin changes, such as a rash. Tell your healthcare team of any skin changes they can tell you what best to use on your skin.
You may get pain in your muscles, joints, bones, tendons and ligaments.
The levels of a substance called creatine phosphokinase found in muscles might go up. You have blood tests to check on your levels.
Tell your doctor or nurse if you are in pain, they can give you painkillers to help.
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.
This treatment might make you feel dizzy. You might also feel dizzy when standing or moving around. Or it might feel like the world is spinning.
Don’t drive or operate machinery if you have this.
You may gain weight while having this treatment. You may be able to control it with diet and exercise. Tell your healthcare team if you are finding it difficult to control your weight.
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:
high blood sugar levels (hyperglycaemia). Symptoms might include feeling very thirsty, a dry mouth, peeing very often, feeling tired, blurred vision, losing weight without trying, and repeated infections
changes in the way you speak such as difficulty speaking, slow or slurred speech. Tell your healthcare team if you have this
a change in your heart rhythm. Symptoms may include fainting or like your about to faint, chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or feeling very tired. You will have regular during treatment with this drug
We have more information about side effects and tips on how to cope with them.
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.
Men might not be able to father a child after treatment with this drug. Talk to your doctor before starting treatment if you think you may want to have a baby in the future.
You might be able to store sperm before starting treatment. But these services are not available in every hospital, so you would need to ask your doctor about this.
It is not known whether this treatment affects fertility in women. Talk to your doctor before starting treatment if you think you may want to have a baby in the future.
This treatment may harm a baby developing in the womb. It is important not to become pregnant or father a child while you are having treatment.
Women must not become pregnant for at least 5 weeks after the end of treatment. Men should not get someone pregnant for at least 14 weeks after treatment.
Talk to your doctor or nurse about effective contraception before starting treatment. Let them know straight away if you or your partner becomes pregnant while having treatment.
It is not known whether this drug comes through into the breast milk. Doctors usually advise that you don’t breastfeed for 1 week after your last 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.
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: 25 Mar 2026
Next review due: 25 Mar 2029
Lung cancer starts in the windpipe (trachea), the main airway (bronchus) or the lung tissue. Cancer that starts in the lung is called primary lung cancer.
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. They are one of the main treatments for some cancers.
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