Side Effects of PARP Inhibitors
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/ Updated March 9th, 2022

Side Effects of PARP Inhibitors

Medically Reviewed: Dr. Whitfield Growdon Written by Dr. Ursula Matulonis
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
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Side Effects of PARP Inhibitors

  • The common side effects of all PARP inhibitors include: nausea, vomiting, fatigue, upset stomach and bone marrow issues.
  • Each of three types of PARP inhibitors–Niraparib, Rucaparib, and Olaparib–have side effects specific to them.
  • Most side effects typically improve over time ranging from several weeks to two months.
 
PARP inhibitors are an effective and promising treatment for ovarian cancers, but they still bring with them the risk of some side effects you should discuss with your doctor. We spoke to Dr. Ursula Matulonis, chief of gynecologic oncology at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, to learn more about these potential side effects.

Common PARP Inhibitor Side Effects

All PARP inhibitors are swallowed as a pill, and the timing and dosage of the drug varies based on which type of PARP inhibitor you’re prescribed. Regardless of which type, all PARP inhibitors share possible common side effects.

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The common side effects for all PARP inhibitors can include:

  • Nausea – To tackle this, doctors often give patients an anti-nausea medication to take home as well.
  • Vomiting
  • Fatigue
  • Upset Stomach – This includes possible diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain.
  • Various bone marrow-related side effects.
  • Side effects specific to the three individual PARP inhibitors now on the market. These can include heart palpitations.
One large category of side effects for PARP inhibitors are those related to bone marrow. This is because PARP inhibitors disrupt how cells try to repair damaged DNA, killing them. This is highly effective against tumor cells, but can also negatively affect bone marrow and blood cells as well. As Matulonis puts it, “The other side effects that are common to all women are bone-marrow suppression.”

Thus, common bone-marrow suppression related side effects include:

  • Drop in red and white blood cell counts – Since the bone marrow makes red and white blood cells, any interference from the medication can cause a drop in these types of cells. This can lead to problems with the immune system and can cause fatigue and light-headedness.
  • Drop in platelet count – platelets are helpful to blood clotting, so low platelet counts can cause excessive bleeding, easy bruising, and blood in the urine or stool.

Side Effects of Specific Inhibitors

According to Dr. Matulonis, each of three types of PARP inhibitors–Niraparib, Rucaparib, and Olaparib–all have side effects specific to them.

The side effects specific to Niraparib are:

  • Hypertension – This is high blood pressure.
  • Tachycardia – This is an increased heart rate and palpitations.
  • Headaches

The side effects specific to both Rucaparib and Olaparib are:

  • Impaired Liver Function
  • Poor Kidney Function – This is tested by measuring the blood levels of creatinine, a protein that the kidney helps flush out from the blood. If there are high levels of the protein, then that means the kidney isn’t functioning well.

According to Matulonis, the side effects typically improve over time ranging from several weeks to two months. “Typically, those side effects will start to improve over several weeks. And that can be over a month or two months.” Until then, patients will have to consider these side effects when making the decision to take PARP inhibitors, but Matulonis makes clear they aren’t terribly dangerous. “These aren’t necessarily dangerous things, but they do have to be monitored,” she says.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

Dr. Ursula Matulonis is the Chief of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Susan F. Smith Center for Women's Cancers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Read More

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