Medical Oncologist
Living with treatment
Work, Travel and Daily Life — on Alectinib
Being told you need long-term treatment is frightening — partly because of the medicine itself, and partly because of what you imagine it will do to your work, your travel plans and the ordinary texture of daily life. Most people on alectinib find they can continue far more of their normal life than they expected.
Medically reviewed by Dr. T. Raghavender Reddy, Medical Oncologist, MBBS · DM (Medical Oncology) · MD (Radiation Oncology) · Last reviewed August 2026
- Work continues for most people — Fatigue is the main reason some people adjust their hours, and it often improves after the first few weeks.
- Sun protection is non-negotiable — Alectinib makes your skin react to sunlight far faster than before. In the Indian climate, this needs to become a daily habit.
- Dose timing matters more than location — You can travel anywhere as long as you take your tablets at consistent times and carry enough supply.
- Tell your team before travelling far — Know who to contact if a side effect develops when you are away from your usual centre.
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Most people on alectinib continue with their regular work, travel and social life. The two adjustments that matter most are protecting your skin from sunlight — alectinib makes you burn faster and more severely — and taking your tablets at the same times each day, even when routines change.
Can you keep working while you are on alectinib?
Yes. Most people on alectinib continue in employment, including desk work, jobs that involve driving and roles with moderate physical demands. Fatigue is the most common reason people adjust their hours, and it tends to improve after the first few weeks.
If your job involves outdoor work or long hours in direct sun, talk to your oncologist before you return. Alectinib causes photosensitivity — your skin reacts to sunlight much more quickly than it used to — and outdoor workers need a specific plan before going back.
You are not required to tell your employer your diagnosis or your treatment. If you need adjustments — different hours, more rest breaks, working from home during peak sun hours — you can request them without explaining the medical reason.
Is it safe to travel while you are on alectinib?
Travel within India is generally fine. The practical requirements are carrying your tablets in their original labelled packaging, taking enough supply for the whole trip plus a few extra days, and protecting yourself from sun at airports, tourist sites and during outdoor journeys.
Tell your oncology team before you travel internationally or to a remote area. You need to know in advance who to contact if a side effect develops while you are away from your usual centre.
Heat and strong sunlight are more of a concern in India than in cooler countries. Peak summer travel and long outdoor journeys in direct sun need preparation — shade, covered clothing and a high-SPF sunscreen applied before you leave.
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Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
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Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
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Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
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Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
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Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
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How to protect your skin from sunlight on alectinib
Apply sunscreen every morning
Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 50 or above on all exposed skin before going outside, even on overcast or cloudy days.
Reapply throughout the day
Reapply every two hours if you are outdoors. Reapply more often if you have been swimming or sweating.
Cover up
Full-sleeved clothing and a wide-brimmed hat block UV before it reaches your skin. Tightly woven fabric provides better protection than thin or loosely woven cloth.
Avoid peak UV hours where you can
UV intensity is strongest between 10am and 4pm. Stay in shade during these hours where possible, or limit outdoor exposure to early morning or late afternoon.
Check your skin and report changes
Look for new redness, blistering, peeling or any skin change you would not expect. Report it to your team at your next visit, or sooner if it is spreading quickly or is painful.
Does alectinib affect driving, alcohol, exercise and social life?
Is it safe to drive on alectinib?
Most people on alectinib drive without any problem. The side effects that could affect driving are fatigue and occasional dizziness, which can result from a slowing of the heart rate that the medicine sometimes causes. Assess yourself honestly before getting behind the wheel. Do not drive if you feel unusually tired, light-headed or unsteady. If your team finds your heart rate is lower than expected at a routine check-up, they will advise you specifically about driving at that point.
Will it affect your social life and outdoor events?
You can socialise normally. The practical adjustment at outdoor events — weddings, festivals, family gatherings in gardens or open grounds — is the same sun protection you use at any other time: cover up, apply sunscreen before leaving home and stay in shade where possible. If an event runs into the evening, the UV risk is much lower than at midday. You do not need to avoid social occasions; you need to plan for sun exposure when they are outdoors.
Can you drink alcohol on alectinib?
Small amounts of alcohol are not specifically contraindicated with alectinib, but alcohol can worsen fatigue and place additional demand on the liver, which alectinib can also affect. If your liver function is being monitored as part of your treatment — which is standard — keeping alcohol to a minimum during that period is the sensible default. Ask your oncologist what is reasonable for your specific situation rather than applying a general rule.
Can you exercise while on alectinib?
Yes. Staying active tends to help with fatigue rather than worsen it, and ASCO guidance supports physical activity for people on targeted therapy for lung cancer. Light to moderate activity — walking, yoga, gentle swimming — is generally well tolerated. Any outdoor exercise needs the same sun protection as any other outdoor activity. If you notice breathlessness, chest discomfort or significant muscle pain during exercise, stop and report it to your team.
Are there food or supplement restrictions?
Alectinib should be taken with food; taking it on an empty stomach reduces how much your body absorbs. There are no specific dietary restrictions otherwise. If you are taking herbal supplements, Ayurvedic preparations or over-the-counter medicines, tell your treating team before continuing them — some can affect how your body processes targeted therapy drugs in ways that are not always predictable. Ask your pharmacist specifically about grapefruit, which can affect how certain medicines are broken down in the liver.
Did you know?
Photosensitivity — where the skin reacts to sunlight far faster than normal — is one of the most consistently reported side effects of alectinib in clinical studies. In high-UV conditions like much of India, the skin can react within a very short exposure that would previously have caused no reaction at all.
The fix is simple and inexpensive. It just has to be done every day.
Source: Alecensa (alectinib) prescribing information; ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines — ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer
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Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What do I do if I miss a dose while travelling?
If you remember the missed dose well before your next scheduled dose is due, take it as soon as you remember. If you are close to the time of your next dose, skip the missed one and continue with your normal schedule — never take two doses together to make up for a missed one. Setting a daily alarm on your phone for each of your two daily doses is the most reliable way to avoid this when your routine changes during travel.
Do I need to declare alectinib at airport security?
Yes. Carry your tablets in their original labelled packaging and keep a copy of your prescription or a letter from your oncologist. This makes security checks straightforward and avoids any question about what you are carrying, whether for domestic or international travel. Always keep your tablets in your hand luggage rather than checked baggage so that they are with you throughout the journey.
Can I take turmeric, Ayurvedic medicines or herbal supplements alongside alectinib?
Tell your treating team about everything you are taking before you start or continue any supplement — including turmeric in medicinal doses, Ayurvedic preparations, herbal teas or over-the-counter vitamins. Some preparations can affect how your body processes targeted therapy drugs in ways that are not always predictable, and your oncologist or pharmacist is the right person to assess that for you. Turmeric in ordinary cooking quantities is a different question from concentrated curcumin capsules or extracts.
Will my family be able to tell I am on treatment?
For many people, alectinib is less visibly disruptive than chemotherapy. Hair loss is not a typical effect. Fatigue and mild swelling in the face or limbs are what family members most commonly notice. You are not required to tell anyone what you are taking. If family members do notice something, being able to explain honestly what is normal for your treatment — so they do not imagine the worst — tends to reduce anxiety for everyone in the household.
Is it safe to go to temples, large gatherings or crowded places?
Yes. Alectinib is a targeted therapy, not chemotherapy, and it does not typically suppress the immune system the way chemotherapy does. There is no general restriction on attending temples, religious gatherings, family events or crowded places. If your treatment plan includes anything that does affect immunity, your team will tell you. For outdoor gatherings in the sun, the usual sun protection advice applies just as it would anywhere else.