Cancer drugs A to Z list
Durvalumab and tremelimumab are cancer drugs. Durvalumab is pronounced dur-val-yoo-mab. It is also called Imfinzi. And you pronounce tremelimumab as treh-meh-lim-you-mab. It is also called Imjudo.
Durvalumab and tremelimumab is a treatment for a type of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC is a type of primary liver cancer. This means the cancer started in the liver and hasn’t spread there from another cancer elsewhere.
You might have durvalumab and tremelimumab as a first treatment for HCC that either:
has spread to other parts of the body (advanced cancer)
cannot be removed with surgery (unresectable cancer)
You may also have it as part of a for kidney cancer.
Find out more about treatment for liver cancer
Durvalumab and tremelimumab are both a type of called a checkpoint inhibitor. Immunotherapy stimulates the body's to fight cancer cells. Checkpoint inhibitors do this by blocking certain proteins on cells. These proteins stop the immune system from attacking the cancer cells. Durvalumab blocks a protein called PD-L1. And tremelimumab blocks a protein called CTLA-4. Read more about immunotherapy
You have durvalumab and tremelimumab as a drip into your bloodstream (intravenously). You might have treatment through a long plastic tube that goes into a large vein in your chest. The tube stays in place throughout the course of treatment. This can be a:
central line
PICC line
portacath
You might have treatment through a thin short tube (a cannula) that goes into a vein in your arm. You have a new cannula each time you have treatment. Find out more about having cancer drugs into your vein
You have durvalumab and tremelimumab as cycles of treatment. This means you have the drugs and then a rest to allow your body to recover.
You have durvalumab every 28 days (4 weeks) for as long as the treatment is working and you are not experiencing too many side effects. You only have tremelimumab once.
You have the treatment in the following way:
• You have tremelimumab as a drip (infusion) into your bloodstream over 1 hour. • You have durvalumab as a drip into your bloodstream over 1 hour.
• You have no treatment.
You then start cycle 2.
• You have durvalumab as a drip into your bloodstream over 1 hour.
• You have no treatment.
You then start a new cycle of treatment.
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).
You may also have an ECG (echocardiogram) to check your heart before you start treatment.
Side effects can vary from person to person. They also depend on what other treatment you are having.
Your doctor, pharmacist or nurse 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
Early treatment can help manage side effects better.
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:
This treatment can cause a rash with raised or flat spots. Your skin may also be dry and inflamed. People with white skin can get red patches. People with brown or black skin can have darker or lighter patches. A rash can also be itchy.
Rarely you can get blisters on your skin. Or inside places such as your mouth and back passage (rectum).
Tell your doctor or nurse if you have a skin rash. They can prescribe medicine to stop the itching and soothe your skin.
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.
Occasionally your bowel may also become inflamed and swollen. This can be serious.
Tell your doctor or nurse if you have this. They can check for the cause of the pain and give you medicine to help.
You might have liver changes picked up on blood tests. Occasionally your liver may get inflamed (hepatitis). You may not get any symptoms with this. But if you do, they can include tiredness, feeling or being sick, abdominal pain and yellowing of the whites of the eyes and skin (jaundice). It is important to remember that skin colour changes can be less noticeable on black or brown skin.
You have regular blood tests to check for any changes in the way your liver is working.
Tell your doctor or nurse straight away if you get symptoms of hepatitis.
High temperature (fever, shivering or chills) can happen with this treatment. This is because it can affect your body’s ability to control temperature. Having a fever with this treatment doesn’t always mean you have an infection. But you should call your advice line, as an infection can be serious if not treated quickly.
The level of your thyroid hormones may drop (hypothyroidism). You may feel tired or cold, gain weight, feel sad or depressed, or your voice may deepen.
Occasionally you may get inflammation of the thyroid gland. Or your thyroid hormone levels may go up. This can cause symptoms such as feeling your heart beating fast (palpitations), anxiety and weight loss.
You have regular blood tests to check your thyroid hormone levels.
It is important to tell your doctor or nurse if you have a cough. You may or may not bring up phlegm (sputum) with it.
Occasionally the cough could be due to inflammation of the lungs or an infection such as pneumonia. Rarely you can get scarring of the lung tissue, making it less flexible.
You may have swelling of your hands and legs due to a build up of fluid (oedema).
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:
an allergic reaction during the infusion and up to 24 hours afterwards - tell your nurse immediately if you have symptoms such as a rash, shortness of breath, flushing or dizziness
flu-like symptoms such as headaches, aching muscles, a high temperature or runny nose
tooth infection or infections in your mouth including
your might stop working properly - this can make you feel tired, sick or dizzy. If they stop working suddenly you can feel very ill and will need medical attention. You may need medicine such as . Call your healthcare team straight away
higher levels of produced by the pancreas
inflammation of the pancreas – doctors call this pancreatitis
night sweats
pain or burning when peeing
higher levels of a waste product made by the muscles (creatinine) in your blood - this can be a sign that your kidneys are not working well
pain in your muscles
an infection in your upper airways or throat - symptoms include sneezing, runny or blocked nose, a sore throat, swollen glands at the back of your throat (tonsils) or losing your voice
These side effects happen in fewer than 1 in 100 people (less than 1%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
lower levels of hormones made by the
inflammation of different parts of the body including the pituitary gland, brain or the lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis), heart muscle or kidneys
a drop in the number of in your blood - you may have nosebleeds or bleeding gums after brushing your teeth. Or you may have lots of tiny red spots or bruises on your arms or legs (known as petechiae)
a high amount of sugar in your blood due to your body not making enough of the hormone insulin – doctors call this diabetes
a hole (perforation) in your bowel
conditions that cause muscle weakness
inflammation of the bladder not caused by an infection
a condition called polymyalgia rheumatica – this causes pain and stiffness in your hips, shoulders and neck
a hoarse or weak voice
swelling of the joints (arthritis)
diabetes insipidus – a condition where you are very thirsty and pee a lot due to a problem with a hormone called antidiuretic hormone. Diabetes insipidus is not related to the type of diabetes that causes high sugar levels in your blood
immune system attacking the nervous system (Guillain-Barre syndrome) - causes numbness, weakness and pain in the body. Go to A&E if you have any numbness or are unable to move
inflammation of the clear surface of the eye (cornea) - some of the symptoms can include redness, pain, blurred vision, discharge from the eye, difficulty opening the eyelid, and sensitivity to light
You may get inflammation of the spinal cord causing problems walking, bladder and bowel problems and numbness. But there isn't enough information to work out how often this side effect might happen.
Find out more about durvalumab on the individual drug page
Tremelimumab is a new drug in cancer treatment. So, there is limited information available at the moment about possible rare and longer term effects that it may cause. Tell your doctor if you notice anything that is not normal for you.
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.
It is not known whether this treatment affects in people. 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 get someone pregnant while you are having treatment and for at least 3 months afterwards. Talk to your doctor or nurse about effective contraception before starting treatment. Let them know straight away if you or your partner become pregnant while having treatment.
Don’t breastfeed for at least 3 months after treatment with tremelimumab.
It is not known whether durvalumab comes through into the breast milk. Doctors usually advise that you don’t breastfeed during this 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 each drug and the possible side effects go to the electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC) website. You can find patient information leaflets for each drug on this website.
You can report any side effect you have to the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as part of their Yellow Card Scheme.
Last reviewed: 24 Mar 2026
Next review due: 24 Mar 2029
There are different targeted and immunotherapy drugs for liver cancer. These include cabozantinib and atezolizumab.
Immunotherapy uses our immune system to fight cancer. It works by helping the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells.
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.
Our clinical trials aim to find out if a new treatment or procedure is safe, is better than the current treatment or helps you feel better.
There are different types of cancer that start in the liver. The most common type is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
About Cancer generously supported by Dangoor Education since 2010. Learn more about Dangoor Education
Search our clinical trials database for all cancer trials and studies recruiting in the UK.
Connect with other people affected by cancer and share your experiences.
Questions about cancer? Call freephone 0808 800 40 40 from 9 to 5 - Monday to Friday. Alternatively, you can email us.
