Cancer drugs A to Z list
Temozolomide is a type of chemotherapy. You pronounce it as teh-moh-zol-oh-mide.
It is a treatment for:
certain types of brain tumour such as glioblastoma and astrocytoma
neuroendocrine cancer
cancer
Find out more about your cancer type
Temozolomide is a type of chemotherapy drug called an .
These drugs work by interfering with the in cancer cells. The cells can’t divide into 2 new cells so the cancer can’t grow.
Temozolomide comes as a capsule that you take once a day. You should take it at the same time each day.
You should swallow the capsule whole with a glass of water and on an empty stomach. For example, you can take the capsule an hour before you plan to eat a meal.
Whether you have a full or empty stomach can affect how much of a drug gets into your bloodstream.
You should take the right dose, not more or less.
Talk to your healthcare team before you stop taking a cancer drug, or if you have missed a dose.
You have temozolomide as cycles of treatment. This means that you have the drug then a rest to allow your body to recover.
You might have temozolomide on its own or with radiotherapy.
You can have up to 12 cycles of treatment with temozolomide.
You take temozolomide once a day.
You don’t take any treatment.
You then start a new treatment cycle.
You usually take temozolomide once a day for 6 weeks. How often you take temozolomide may depend on your radiotherapy schedule. Your doctor will tell you more about how you will have it.
You take temozolomide for as long as it’s working, and you are not experiencing too many side effects.
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).
Side effects can vary from person to person. They also depend on what other treatments you're having.
Your doctor, nurse or pharmacist will go through the possible side effects. They will monitor you 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:
You might lose your appetite for various reasons while having cancer treatment. Sickness, taste changes or tiredness can put you off food and drinks.
Tell your healthcare team if you keep getting headaches. They can give you painkillers to help.
Feeling or being sick is usually well controlled with anti sickness medicines. It might help to avoid fatty or fried foods, eat small meals and snacks and take regular sips of water. Relaxation techniques might also help.
It is important to take anti sickness medicines as prescribed even if you don’t feel sick. It is easier to prevent sickness rather than treat it once it has started.
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.
is easier to sort out if you treat it early. Drink plenty and eat as much fresh fruit and vegetables as you can. Try to take gentle exercise, such as walking. Tell your healthcare team if you think you are constipated. They can give you a if needed.
Tiredness and weakness (fatigue) can happen during and after treatment. Doing gentle exercises each day can keep your energy up. Don't push yourself, rest when you start to feel tired and ask others for help.
Tell your doctor if you have any fits, twitching or jerking of your limbs.
Tell your doctor or nurse if you have this.
You could lose all your hair. This includes your eyelashes, eyebrows, underarms, legs and sometimes pubic hair. Your hair will usually grow back once treatment has finished but it is likely to be softer. It may grow back a different colour or be curlier than before.
A rash can also be itchy. Tell your doctor or nurse if you have a skin rash. They can prescribe medicine to stop the itching and soothe your skin.
You might have loss of speech or problems understanding written or spoken words.
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:
a drop in the levels of red blood cells which can cause breathlessness and looking pale (anaemia)
increased risk of getting an infection due to a drop in white blood cells. Symptoms include a change in temperature, aching muscles, headaches, feeling cold and shivery and generally unwell. Infections can sometimes be life threatening. Depending on your treatment schedule you might have antibiotics to take to prevent infection (prophylactic antibiotics)
bruising or bleeding due to a drop in the number of platelets in your blood, this can include nosebleeds or bleeding gums after brushing your teeth an allergic reaction that can cause a rash, shortness of breath, redness or swelling of the face and dizziness. Some allergic reactions can be life threatening
a swollen face
high blood sugar levels
confusion, anxiety and memory loss
low mood (depression)
difficulty sleeping
shaking (tremor)
sleepiness and dizziness
numbness or tingling usually in your fingers and toes
taste changes
difficulty speaking and concentrating
difficulty breathing, a cough or an infection in your lungs
pain in different parts of your body such as your back, muscles, joints and tummy (abdomen)
muscle weakness or aching and painful muscles
fever and flu like symptoms
feeling unwell
oral thrush
hearing changes such as ringing in your ears (tinnitus) and hearing loss
eye pain or blurred or loss of vision
difficulty swallowing or a sore throat
indigestion or heartburn
difficulty controlling your bladder (incontinence)
a build up of fluid in your arms and legs
weight changes – you might gain or lose weight
liver changes that are usually mild and unlikely to cause any problems
problems with balance or coordination
bleeding or a blood clot
high blood pressure
radiation injury - if you’re having temozolomide with radiotherapy for a brain tumour, there is a risk of damage to the brain tissue. Your doctor will discuss this with you
These side effects happen in fewer than 1 in 100 people (less than 1%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
a small risk of developing another cancer some years after treatment such as leukaemia
changes to the levels of minerals and salts in your body
seeing or hearing things (hallucinations)
a brain infection which can be fatal
behavioural changes or mood swings
a fast, racing or pounding heartbeat (palpitations)
wound infections
reactivated hepatitis B infection
hot flushes
difficulty controlling your bowels
pain when peeing
yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (jaundice) or severe liver problems that can be life threatening
increased sweating
skin sensitivity to sunlight
a severe skin reaction that may start as tender red patches which leads to peeling or blistering of the skin. You might also feel feverish and your eyes may be more sensitive to light. This is serious and could be life threatening
breast pain
feeling thirsty or a dry mouth
piles (haemorrhoids)
a blocked nose
changes to the lung tissue that can cause cough and breathlessness – rarely this can be life threatening
changes to the colour of your tongue
a change in your sense of smell
vaginal itching or bleeding
problems with your teeth
shivering
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 do not list these interactions on this page. 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 if you have any other medical conditions or allergies.
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. Women must not become pregnant for at least 6 months after the end of treatment. Men should not get someone pregnant for at least 3 months after treatment.
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.
You may not be able to become pregnant or get someone pregnant after treatment with this drug. Talk to your doctor before starting treatment if you think you may want to have a baby in the future.
Men might be able to store sperm before starting treatment. And women might be able to store eggs or ovarian tissue. But these services are not available in every hospital, so you would need to ask your doctor about this.
Don’t breastfeed during this treatment because the drug may come through into your breast milk.
If you are having tests or treatment for anything else, always mention your cancer treatment. For example, if you are visiting your dentist.
Do not have live vaccines while you’re having treatment and for up to 12 months afterwards. For some people, it may be longer than this. The length of time you need to avoid live vaccines depends on the treatment you’ve had.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist how long you should avoid live vaccinations.
In the UK, live vaccines include rubella, mumps, measles, chickenpox, BCG, and yellow fever. You can usually have non-live vaccines. But they might not give you as much protection as usual. These include the:
flu vaccine, as an injection
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 this treatment and possible side effects go to the electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC) website. You can find the patient information leaflet on this website.
You can report any side effect you have to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as part of their Yellow Card Scheme.
Last reviewed: 02 Oct 2026
Next review due: 02 Oct 2029
There are many different types of brain tumours. They are usually named after the type of cell they develop from.
Neuroendocrine cancers develop in cells of the neuroendocrine system. They can develop in different parts of the body including the lungs, stomach, pancreas and bowel.
Adrenal glands are small glands that make important hormones that help the body work properly. Read about the different types of cancer that can develop in the adrenal glands.
Chemotherapy is a standard treatment for some types of cancer. It uses anti cancer drugs to destroy cancer cells.
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.
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.
