About Tarceva

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Taking Tarceva

Tarceva is a once-a-day pill. You should not take Tarceva with food. Taking Tarceva with food may increase your chances of developing side effects.

What Is Tarceva?

Tarceva (erlotinib) is a pill you take by mouth to treat your cancer.

Tarceva is prescribed for patients with advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) who have received at least one previous chemotherapy regimen.

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.

Tarceva is a targeted cancer treatment. Unlike many other traditional chemotherapies, Tarceva affects certain cell activities. Tarceva is designed to block tumor cell growth by targeting the protein in your body called the Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 1 (HER1/EGFR). This protein is important for cell growth in NSCLC.

If your tumor has not responded or if you have progressed after traditional chemotherapy, your oncologist may prescribe a targeted treatment like Tarceva.

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.

Researchers are continuing to learn more about how Tarceva works.

Benefits of targeted treatments

Many of the targeted treatments like Tarceva are pills. Taking pills by mouth is a convenient way to receive your cancer treatment. And while all cancer treatments have side effects, you may experience fewer or different side effects when taking a targeted treatment.

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