About Tarceva

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Taking Tarceva

Tarceva is a pill you take once a day, every day. It‘s a targeted therapy given in combination with a traditional chemotherapy drug, gemcitabine.

Tarceva (erlotinib) is a targeted treatment. It works differently from many traditional chemotherapies. Tarceva affects certain cell activities. Tarceva is designed to block tumor cell growth by targeting the protein in your body called Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 1 (HER1/EGFR). HER1/EGFR is present on the surface of some cancer cells and some normal cells. This protein is important for cell growth in certain cancers, such as pancreatic cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.

What Is Tarceva?

Tarceva is a pill you take by mouth to treat your advanced pancreatic cancer.

Tarceva in combination with gemcitabine is prescribed for patients who have not received previous chemotherapy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer, pancreatic cancer that cannot be surgically removed or that has spread to distant body organs..

How Tarceva May Work

Unlike normal healthy cells, cancer cells grow and multiply out of control. Targeted treatments affect certain cell activities in cancer cells and some healthy cells. These treatments are designed to slow the growth of cancer cells and may shrink tumors in some patients.

Researchers are continuing to learn more about the different ways targeted treatments affect cancer cells. Ask your doctor if this treatment is right for you.

While researchers know Tarceva affects the signals that lead to cancer cell growth, they are continuing to study exactly how Tarceva works.

What you may experience

Targeted treatments affect everyone differently. Before you begin your treatment, ask your cancer care team what side effects you may experience and how you can manage them.

Call your doctor right away if you have these signs or symptoms

• Severe or persistent diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite or vomiting
• Eye irritation
• Onset or worsening of unexplained shortness of breath or cough
  • These may be a sign of a serious lung condition called Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD). Although not common, ILD has occurred in some patients taking Tarceva.
• Rash and other changes in your skin