sunitinib malate

A drug used to treat advanced renal cell carcinoma (a type of kidney cancer). It is also used as adjuvant therapy to treat renal cell carcinoma in patients who had surgery to remove the kidney and have a high risk that the cancer will come back. Sunitinib malate is also used to treat certain types of pancreatic cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) in some patients. It is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. Sunitinib malate blocks certain proteins, which may help keep cancer cells from growing. It may also prevent the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow. It is a type of tyrosine kinase inhibitor and a type of angiogenesis inhibitor. Sunitinib is the active ingredient of sunitinib malate. Also called SU011248, SU11248, and Sutent.