Xgeva (denosumab) is a brand-name prescription medication. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved it to:
- help prevent bone problems in adults who have:
- bone metastasis from cancerous tumors
- treat giant cell tumors of the bone (non-cancerous tumors that can grow very quickly) in adults and certain children*
- treat high blood calcium levels in certain adults due to cancer*
Xgeva is a biologic drug that belongs to a group of drugs called RANK ligand inhibitors. It’s only available as a brand-name medication. Currently, there’s no
Xgeva comes as a solution that’s given as a subcutaneous injection by a healthcare professional.
For information about Xgeva dosage, including its strength and how to take it, keep reading. For a comprehensive look at Xgeva, see this article.
* For more information on the conditions Xgeva is prescribed to treat, see our comprehensive article on the drug.
Dosage summary
Below is a summary of the form, strength, and typical dosage of Xgeva. (For more details, see the “Xgeva dosage” section below.) Your doctor will determine the dosage that’s best for you.
| Xgeva form | Strength | Typical dosage |
| subcutaneous injection | 120 milligrams (mg) per 1.7 milliliters (mL) of solution | 120 mg every 4 weeks (with additional doses depending on your condition) |
This article describes typical dosages for Xgeva provided by the drug’s manufacturer. Your doctor will prescribe the Xgeva dosage that’s right for you. Always follow the dosing schedule prescribed by your doctor.
Your doctor will prescribe the correct Xgeva dosage for you based on your condition. You should always take the Xgeva dosage that your doctor recommends.
Xgeva form
Xgeva comes as a solution in a single-dose vial. A healthcare professional administers it as a subcutaneous injection.
Xgeva strength
Xgeva comes in one strength of 120 milligrams (mg) per 1.7 milliliters (mL) of solution (120 mg/1.7 mL).
Typical dosage
The most common dosage frequency for Xgeva is a 120-mg injection every 4 weeks. However, you may receive additional doses during the first month of treatment, depending on your condition.
The following information describes dosages that are commonly used or recommended. Your doctor will determine the best dosage to fit your needs.
Below is a summary of the approved uses and typical dosage of Xgeva:
| Condition | Xgeva dosage |
| bone problems with multiple myeloma* | 120 mg every 4 weeks |
| bone metastasis from cancerous tumors* | 120 mg every 4 weeks |
| giant cell tumor of the bone* | 120 mg every 4 weeks and 120 mg on day 8 and day 15 of the first month of treatment |
| high blood calcium levels due to cancer | 120 mg every 4 weeks and 120 mg on day 8 and day 15 of the first month of treatment |
* For this condition, your doctor may prescribe vitamin D and calcium supplements with Xgeva to help prevent or treat low blood calcium levels. Xgeva can cause low calcium levels as a side effect. (For more information, see this article.)
Children’s dosage
Xgeva is approved to treat giant cell tumor of the bone in children who are at least 12 years old and are skeletally mature adolescents. This means the child’s bones have finished growing.
Children receive a 120 mg dose every 4 weeks at the doctor’s office or clinic. They receive an additional dose of 120 mg on days 8 and 15 during the first month of treatment. This is the same as the dosage for adults with this condition.
Long-term use
Xgeva is meant to be used as a long-term treatment. If you and your doctor determine that Xgeva is safe and effective for you, you’ll likely take it long term.
If your doctor has prescribed you Xgeva, you may have questions about it. Below are some common questions about the drug.
How long does Xgeva stay in your system?
Xgeva starts working in your body after it’s injected. Its effects continue for about 4 weeks afterward. At that point, about half of the drug remains in your system. This is when you’ll usually receive the next dose to maintain the drug’s effect.
If you don’t receive another dose of Xgeva, the amount of drug in your body will reduce by half after another 4 weeks. This continues until there is no more drug in your body. The drug stays in your body for about 140 days.
Other factors can affect how quickly your body gets rid of medications, such as Xgeva. These include how well your kidneys and liver work and your diet and body weight.
What’s Xgeva’s dosage for breast cancer?
Xgeva is not approved to treat breast cancer. However, it is approved to treat bone metastasis (cancer that’s spread to the bones). This includes metastatic breast cancer.
If you have bone metastasis due to breast cancer, your doctor may prescribe 120 mg of Xgeva once every 4 weeks. For this use, your doctor may recommend taking vitamin D and calcium supplements with Xgeva to treat or help prevent low blood calcium levels. Xgeva can cause low calcium levels as a side effect. (For more information, see this article.)
If you have questions about Xgeva for metastatic breast cancer, talk with your doctor. Or see this list of breast cancer articles.
Xgeva comes as a solution that a healthcare professional administers as a subcutaneous injection.
To receive your Xgeva injections, you’ll go to your doctor’s office or clinic. A healthcare professional will inject Xgeva under your skin in the upper arm, upper thigh, or belly.
For more information about receiving Xgeva, talk with your doctor.
You will receive your dose of Xgeva at your doctor’s office or a clinic. So, it’s important to go to all of your scheduled appointments. If you miss an appointment, reschedule it as soon as you remember.
To help make sure that you don’t miss an appointment, try using a medication reminder. This can include keeping track of your appointments on a paper calendar or your phone. You could also download a reminder app on your phone.
The dosages in this article are typical dosages provided by the drug manufacturer. If your doctor recommends Xgeva for you, they will prescribe the dosage that’s right for you. Always follow the dosage that your doctor prescribes for you.
If you have questions about the dosage of Xgeva that’s right for you, talk with your doctor.
Besides learning about dosage, you may want other information about Xgeva. These additional articles might be helpful to you:
- More about Xgeva. For information about other aspects of the drug, refer to this article.
- Side effects. To learn about the side effects of Xgeva, see this article. You can also look at the drug’s prescribing information.
- Drug comparison. To find out how Xgeva compares with Zometa, read this article.
- Details about cancer. To learn about cancer, see our online hub, as well as our list of related articles.
Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.
