Medical Oncologist
Sunitinib side effects
Mouth Sores, Taste Loss and Yellow Skin — on Sunitinib
Yellow skin on sunitinib often comes from the drug itself and is harmless. Mouth sores and taste changes are common. The question this page helps you answer is which symptoms need same-day attention and which you can manage at home.
Medically reviewed by Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy, Medical Oncologist, MBBS (Gold Medal) · DNB · DM (Medical Oncology, Gold Medal) · Last reviewed August 2026
- Yellow skin is usually the drug — Sunitinib has a yellow pigment that can colour your skin. If your eyes stay white and your urine is pale, this is not jaundice.
- Yellow eyes are different — Yellowing of the whites of your eyes, or dark urine, signals liver stress and needs urgent review the same day.
- Mouth sores can be managed — Most mouth sores on sunitinib are mild and respond to simple care at home. Severe sores that stop you swallowing need same-day contact.
- Taste changes affect eating — Food tasting metallic or bland is common. Keeping nutrition up matters, and your team can help if eating becomes very difficult.
17+
Cancer Specialists
on Panel
on Panel
96.9%
Breast Cancer
Survival Rate*
Survival Rate*
15,000+
Patients
Treated
Treated
4.8★
Google Rating
(800+ reviews)
(800+ reviews)
Mouth sores and taste changes are common on sunitinib and are usually manageable at home. Yellow skin discolouration is often caused by the drug's own pigment and is harmless if your eyes stay white and your urine is pale. The urgent signs are yellow whites of the eyes or dark urine, which can indicate liver stress and need same-day review.
How do you grade how serious your symptoms are?
| Symptom | Manage at home | Call your team today | Go to hospital now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mouth sores | Small ulcers, mild soreness, still eating and drinking | Large or spreading sores, eating is difficult, drinking reduced | Cannot swallow any fluid or saliva |
| Bleeding | None | Gums bleed slightly when brushing | Active bleeding that does not stop |
| Yellow skin | Skin yellow, eyes white, urine pale — likely the drug's pigment | Deepening colour, uncertain whether eyes are affected | Whites of eyes are yellow, or urine is dark |
| Taste changes | Food tastes metallic, bland or different from usual | Eating very little because nothing is tolerable, losing weight | — |
| Fever | None | Any fever alongside mouth sores | High fever and unable to swallow fluids |
| Typically starts | Mouth sores often appear in the first weeks of each cycle. Yellow skin can develop at any point during treatment. | — | — |
Meet the Specialists
17+ senior cancer specialists. One panel for your case.
Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Hematologist
Interventional Radiologist
Dr. Mohammed Imran
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
Surgical Oncologist
Want a specific doctor for your case? Mention them when booking.
Book Free ConsultationBook an appointment with our specialist
Share your name and number — we'll call you back within 30 minutes to schedule your consultation.
You do not have to work this out alone
A 45-minute consultation with a specialist who treats this every week.
What can you do at home for mouth sores and taste changes?
- Rinse with salt water or a baking soda rinse several times a day — avoid alcohol-based mouthwashes, which worsen soreness.
- Choose soft, moist foods: scrambled eggs, yoghurt, daal, porridge, and well-cooked rice are easier than dry or crunchy foods.
- Let hot food and drinks cool before eating — heat makes mouth sores more painful.
- Avoid spicy, acidic, or very salty food while sores are present.
- Keep sipping fluids throughout the day to stay hydrated, even if only in small amounts.
- Try cold or room-temperature foods if heat makes taste worse — some people find cold food more tolerable.
- Check your mouth daily with a torch. If sores are spreading, getting deeper, or you see white patches, call your team.
- Tell your team everything you are using in your mouth, including herbal rinses or home remedies — some can interact with the drug or slow healing.
What do people ask most about mouth sores and yellow skin on sunitinib?
Is yellow skin on sunitinib the same as jaundice?
Usually not. Sunitinib contains a yellow pigment that can deposit in the skin and give it a yellow or orange tint. This is harmless and fades when treatment pauses or stops. True jaundice, caused by liver dysfunction, yellows the whites of the eyes and is often accompanied by dark urine and pale stools. The eyes are the key check: if they are white and your urine is its normal pale colour, the yellowing is most likely the drug. If your eyes are affected, that changes everything — call or go to hospital the same day rather than waiting.
Will my sense of taste come back?
For most people, taste changes are temporary and improve during treatment breaks or after sunitinib stops. Sunitinib is often given in cycles with planned off weeks, and many people notice some improvement in taste during those periods. There is no reliable way to predict exactly how long changes will last for any individual. In the meantime, eating well still matters: even if food is less enjoyable, your body needs nutrition to tolerate treatment. Tell your team if you are struggling to eat enough — there are ways to help with this.
Can I use a numbing gel or over-the-counter rinse for the pain?
Some over-the-counter rinses and gels are safe, and some are not. Alcohol-based mouthwashes, for example, dry and irritate already sore tissue and should be avoided. Do not assume that something sold in a pharmacy is automatically safe to use during cancer treatment. Ask your oncology team or a pharmacist at your treatment centre before using any new product. Salt water and baking soda rinses are generally a sound first step — mild, effective at keeping the mouth clean, and unlikely to cause further irritation.
What if my mouth sores keep coming back every cycle?
Recurring mouth sores that affect your ability to eat or drink are something your team needs to know about, even if each episode feels manageable. Your oncologist may adjust your dose, the cycle schedule, or recommend a specific rinse or gel to use preventively at the start of each cycle. There are prescription options that are more effective than home remedies for moderate-to-severe mucositis. Reporting the pattern rather than coping with it quietly gives your team the information they need to make that decision.
Do taste changes mean the drug is working?
No. Taste changes are a side effect caused by sunitinib's effect on rapidly dividing cells in the taste buds. They are not a signal that the drug is working against your cancer. Whether treatment is working is assessed by scans and clinical review, not by side effects. People who experience few side effects can still respond well, and those with significant side effects are not necessarily responding better. We do not yet have a reliable side-effect marker that predicts response to sunitinib.
Explore 75 more Kidney, Ovarian & Sarcoma Targeted Medicines topics
Drug Deep Dive: Sunitinib (Sutent)
- Diet and Nutrition While on Sunitinib
- Drug, Food and Supplement Interactions With Sunitinib
- Fertility, Pregnancy and Contraception on Sunitinib
- Hand-Foot Skin Reaction on Sunitinib: Prevention From Day One
- How Does Sunitinib Work? The Multi-Kinase Angiogenesis Inhibitor Explained
- How Long Does Sunitinib Take to Work?
- How Long Will You Stay on Sunitinib?
- Mouth Sores, Taste Loss and Yellow Skin Discolouration on Sunitinib
- Sunitinib (Sutent, Sunitix): The Complete Patient Guide
- Sunitinib After Kidney Surgery and for GIST: Two Different Settings
- Sunitinib Myths: Hair Colour Change, Dose Cuts and 'Weaker Treatment'
- Sunitinib Price in India: Brand, Generic and Monthly Cost
- Sunitinib Side Effects: The Complete List and Timeline
- Sunitinib Success Rate and Survival: An Honest Look at the Numbers
- Sunitinib and Immunotherapy: Where Combinations Fit in Kidney Cancer
- Sunitinib in Elderly Patients and Those With Other Illnesses
- Sunitinib vs Pazopanib vs Cabozantinib for Kidney Cancer
- Taking Sunitinib: Food, Timing and What to Do If You Miss a Dose
- Tests and Monitoring While You Are on Sunitinib
- The 4-Weeks-On, 2-Weeks-Off Sunitinib Schedule and the 2/1 Alternative
- Thyroid Failure and Fatigue on Sunitinib: The Test to Repeat Every Cycle
- When Sunitinib Stops Working: Resistance and What Comes Next
- Who Is Eligible for Sunitinib? Kidney Cancer, GIST and Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours
- Will Insurance or a Government Scheme Pay for Sunitinib?
- Work, Travel and Daily Life on Sunitinib
Drug Deep Dive: Olaparib (Lynparza)
- Adjuvant Olaparib After Early Breast Cancer Surgery
- Anaemia and Extreme Fatigue on Olaparib
- Blood Cancer Risk After Long-Term Olaparib: How Real Is It?
- Diet and Nutrition While on Olaparib
- Drug, Food and Supplement Interactions With Olaparib
- Fertility, Pregnancy and Contraception on Olaparib
- How Does Olaparib Work? The PARP Inhibitor Explained
- How Long Does Olaparib Take to Work?
- How Long Will You Stay on Olaparib?
- Maintenance Olaparib: Taking a Drug When There Is No Visible Cancer
- Nausea on Olaparib: Managing the Most Common Side Effect
- Olaparib (Lynparza, Olanib): The Complete Patient Guide
- Olaparib Myths: 'Only for BRCA', 'It's Chemo', 'It Causes Cancer'
- Olaparib Price in India: Brand, Generic and Monthly Cost
- Olaparib Side Effects: The Complete List and Timeline
- Olaparib Success Rate and Survival: An Honest Look at the Numbers
- Olaparib With Bevacizumab or Hormone Therapy: Combination Regimens
- Olaparib in Elderly Patients and Those With Other Illnesses
- Olaparib vs Niraparib vs Talazoparib: Comparing PARP Inhibitors
- Taking Olaparib: Food, Timing and What to Do If You Miss a Dose
- Tests and Monitoring While You Are on Olaparib
- When Olaparib Stops Working: Resistance and What Comes Next
- Who Is Eligible for Olaparib? BRCA-Mutated Ovarian, Breast, Prostate and Pancreatic Cancer
- Will Insurance or a Government Scheme Pay for Olaparib?
- Work, Travel and Daily Life on Olaparib
Drug Deep Dive: Pazopanib (Votrient)
- Diarrhoea and Blood Pressure Rise on Pazopanib
- Diet and Nutrition While on Pazopanib
- Drug, Food and Supplement Interactions With Pazopanib
- Fertility, Pregnancy and Contraception on Pazopanib
- Hair Turning White and Skin Lightening on Pazopanib
- How Does Pazopanib Work? The Multi-Kinase Angiogenesis Inhibitor Explained
- How Long Does Pazopanib Take to Work?
- How Long Will You Stay on Pazopanib?
- Liver Toxicity on Pazopanib: Why LFTs Are Checked Every Two Weeks
- Pazopanib (Votrient, Pazonib): The Complete Patient Guide
- Pazopanib Combinations: Why It Is Usually Given Alone
- Pazopanib Myths: Hair Colour, Liver Damage and Stopping Early
- Pazopanib Price in India: Brand, Generic and Monthly Cost
- Pazopanib Side Effects: The Complete List and Timeline
- Pazopanib Success Rate and Survival: An Honest Look at the Numbers
- Pazopanib for Soft Tissue Sarcoma: What It Can and Cannot Do
- Pazopanib in Elderly Patients and Those With Other Illnesses
- Pazopanib in Kidney Cancer vs Sarcoma: Two Different Treatment Goals
- Pazopanib vs Sunitinib: Comparing Toxicity and Quality of Life
- Taking Pazopanib on an Empty Stomach: Why the Timing Rule Exists
- Tests and Monitoring While You Are on Pazopanib
- When Pazopanib Stops Working: Resistance and What Comes Next
- Who Is Eligible for Pazopanib? Kidney Cancer and Soft Tissue Sarcoma
- Will Insurance or a Government Scheme Pay for Pazopanib?
- Work, Travel and Daily Life on Pazopanib
Next step
Still not sure what applies to you?
Send your reports across and a senior medical oncologist will go through what they mean, what is known, and what the options actually are.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Is yellow skin on sunitinib dangerous?
Yellow skin caused by the drug's own pigment is harmless. The check is simple: look at the whites of your eyes. If they are white and your urine is its normal pale colour, the yellowing is most likely the drug and does not need urgent action. If the whites of your eyes are yellow, or your urine is dark, that suggests liver involvement and needs same-day review. Tell your team about any skin colour change at your next visit so it is recorded, even if you are not worried about it.
How do I know if my mouth sores are bad enough to call?
The key question is whether you can still drink. If sores are painful but you can swallow fluids and stay hydrated, you can usually manage at home and mention it at your next check-in. If drinking has become difficult, call the same day. If you cannot swallow at all, have a fever, or see active bleeding, treat it as urgent and go to hospital rather than waiting for a callback. When in doubt, call — your team would rather hear from you than have you wait too long and deteriorate.
What foods help when everything tastes wrong?
When taste is altered, temperature and texture often matter more than flavour. Cold or room-temperature foods can be easier than hot ones. Tart or sharp flavours — tamarind, lemon, curd — sometimes cut through metallic taste better than bland foods. Eating small amounts frequently can help if large meals feel overwhelming. If you are losing weight or struggling significantly with eating, ask your team about a referral to a dietitian who works with cancer patients. Taste changes that affect nutrition are a clinical problem, not just an inconvenience.
Can I use home remedies or herbal rinses for mouth sores?
Salt water and baking soda rinses are well-established and safe. Other home remedies vary. Some herbal preparations that seem gentle can interact with sunitinib or introduce bacteria into already damaged tissue. The important rule is to tell your team about anything you are putting in your mouth — do not assume that something natural or traditional is automatically safe during treatment. A rinse that helped with ordinary mouth ulcers in the past may behave differently when the mucosal lining is already affected by a targeted drug.
Will the dose need to change because of mouth sores?
Possibly. NCCN guidance for sunitinib includes dose modification for mucositis that significantly affects eating, drinking, or quality of life. Whether a change is right for you depends on how severe the sores are, how well your cancer is responding, and how you are tolerating the drug overall. Your oncologist weighs all of these together. Reporting the problem clearly and early — what the sores look like, whether you can eat and drink, and how long they have lasted — is what allows that decision to be made well.