Glossary
A-C|D-F|G-I|J-L|M-O|P-R|S-U|V-Z
1st-line therapy (or treatment)
The first type of treatment given for a disease such as cancer.
2nd-line therapy (or treatment)
Treatment given when the first treatment does not work or stops working.
3rd-line therapy (or treatment)
Treatment given when both the first and second treatments don't work or stop working.
A-C
Anemic
Feeling weak and tired because of a low red blood cell count.
Appeals
Requests for reconsideration if you've been initially denied insurance coverage.
Benign
Not cancerous.
Cancer
General word for cells that grow, divide, and organize in an uncontrolled way. Cancer cells form tumors.
Carcinoma
A form of cancer that develops in tissues covering or lining organs. The most common form of cancer.
Chemotherapy
Drugs used to stop cancer cells from multiplying. Chemotherapy is described as 1st-line, 2nd-line, or 3rd-line, depending on the stage of cancer being treated. Chemotherapy may be taken orally or injected into a vein.
D-F
Fatigue
Feeling tired.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Government organization responsible for assuring the safety and effectiveness of drugs, food, and other products.
G-I
Genentech® Access to Care Foundation
The Genentech® Access to Care Foundation was established to help qualified patients with unmet medical needs to receive proper medical treatment. The Genentech® Access to Care Foundation may be available to help those who are not able to obtain Tarceva for financial reasons.
HER1/EGFR
Protein molecule found on the surface of some cells. Abnormal functioning of HER1/EGFR can cause cancer.
Interstitial lung disease (ILD)
A lung condition in which the tissue between the air sacs of the lungs becomes inflamed or damaged.
Intravenously (IV)
Injected into a vein.
J-L
Lymph fluid
Liquid circulating throughout your body that picks up germs and carries them to the lymph nodes.
Lymph nodes
Pea-shaped nodules found throughout your body. They help rid the body of infection by collecting germs found in lymph fluid.
M-O
Mail-order pharmacy
A pharmacy that will ship prescribed medication directly to your address.
Maintenance therapy (or treatment)
Treatment given to maintain a patient in stable condition.
Malignant
Cancerous.
Metastasis
Spread of cancer from one part of the body to another.
Metastatic
Cancer that has spread from one part of the body to another.
NSCLC
Non-small cell lung cancer. The most common type of lung cancer.
Oncologist
Doctor who specializes in treating cancer.
P-R
Platinum-based chemotherapy
Drugs containing small amounts of the metal platinum used to destroy cancer cells by stopping their ability to reproduce. Also kills other healthy cells.
Pleura
Thin layer of tissue lining the lungs and chest cavity.
Prognosis
Outlook for recovery.
Radiation
Treatment that uses high-energy X-ray beams to shrink a tumor. May be used alone or with surgery and chemotherapy.
Regimen
How often you receive treatment. In chemotherapy, a regimen usually includes time off from treatment so your body can rest.
Resectable
When a tumor can be removed with surgery.
S-U
Specialty pharmacy
Although specific services vary, specialty pharmacies may provide services such as prescription delivery, therapy starter kits, therapy education, on-call pharmacists, answering questions about therapy, and providing disease education.
Staging
Measurement of how far cancer has spread. Indicated by stage numbers 0-IV. The lower the stage, the better the outlook.
Tarceva Access Solutions®
Tarceva Access Solutions provides coverage and reimbursement support, patient assistance, and informational resources for both patients and their healthcare providers.
Targeted treatment
A kind of therapy that affects certain signals needed for cancer cells to grow. It may also impact healthy cells.
Taxane
A chemotherapy drug that interferes with cell division. Often used in combination with platinum compounds.
Therapy
Treatment.
Tyrosine kinase inhibitor
A drug that interferes with cell communication and growth and may prevent cancer tumor growth.
Unresectable
Not capable of being resected.
V-Z
White blood cells
Cells that help the body fight infection and disease.
- Tarceva in combination with gemcitabine is prescribed for patients with advanced-stage pancreatic cancer whose cancer has spread, grown, or cannot be surgically removed and who have not received previous chemotherapy.
Everyone reacts differently to Tarceva therapy. So it’s important to know what the side effects are. Although some people may have a life-threatening side effect, most do not.
Your doctor will stop treatment if any serious side effects occur. Be sure to contact your healthcare team if you have symptoms related to these side effects.
-
Interstitial lung disease (ILD)-like events
Problems occurring in the lungs (including deaths). Tarceva may need to be stopped if new or unexplained serious symptoms of shortness of breath, cough, and fever occur. -
Liver and/or kidney problems
Some events have included death. Let your healthcare provider (HCP) know if you have a history of liver or kidney disease. -
Gastrointestinal (GI) perforation
A hole that develops in your stomach or intestine. Some events have included death. -
Serious skin conditions
Some events have included death. -
Bleeding and clotting problems
Heart attack or stroke in patients receiving Tarceva plus gemcitabine for advanced pancreatic cancer. -
Eye disorders
Eye irritation and damage to the cornea. -
Bleeding events when taking warfarin
Some events have included death. Tell your doctor if you are taking warfarin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). -
Pregnancy problems
You should not become pregnant while on treatment with Tarceva. DO NOT breast-feed while receiving treatment with Tarceva.
Call your HCP right away if you have these signs or symptoms:
- New or worsening skin rash
- Serious or ongoing diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite, or vomiting
- New or worsening shortness of breath or cough
- Eye irritation
The most common side effects are fatigue (feeling tired), rash, nausea, loss of appetite, and diarrhea.
It is important that you tell your HCP about all of the medicines and herbal supplements you are taking.
- DO NOT start taking any new medicines or herbal supplements before talking with your HCP.
- DO NOT eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while on treatment with Tarceva, except under the care of your HCP.
Smoking may affect how well Tarceva works for you.
- If you smoke, you should stop smoking before starting treatment with Tarceva.
- If you continue to smoke, you should talk to your HCP before taking Tarceva.
Always let your HCP know if you have any side effects, and ask about the best way to handle them.
Tarceva is not right for everyone. Ask your HCP if once-daily Tarceva is right for you.
You may report side effects to the FDA at 1 (800) FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. You may also report side effects to Genentech at 1 (888) 835-2555.
