Lung Cancer Treatment Options
Topics
- Types of Lung Cancer
- Stages of Lung Cancer
- Lung Cancer Treatment Options
- Factors Affecting Your Prognosis
- Science Behind Targeted Treatments
Related Links
More than one choice
Tarceva (erlotinib) is a maintenance and second- and third-line therapy and is one of many treatment options for advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). Which treatment approach works best for you depends on several factors. For this reason, your treatment will probably include one or more of the following options included in this section.
| Treatment | How Does It Work? | When May This Treatment Be Used? |
| Surgery | Removes the tumor. This can be done if the tumor is small and has not spread to other areas of your body. |
You should be in good overall health to have surgery. Surgery can be the first step in your treatment plan. It may be performed in patients with Stage I-III. |
| Radiation | Uses high-energy X-ray beams to shrink the tumor. Radiation may destroy cancer cells remaining after surgery. Radiation is frequently used in conjunction with other treatments. |
This may be done before surgery to make it easier to remove the tumor. Radiation can also be done after surgery. This treatment may be used in Stage II-III. However, it can also be used to shrink tumors in advanced NSCLC (Stage IV) to ease pain. Your overall health may not be good enough for you to have surgery. Or, the cancer may have spread to other areas in your body. If so, radiation treatment may be used instead of surgery. |
| Chemotherapy | Drugs used to destroy or slow the growth of cancer cells. One or more chemotherapy drugs may be given at a time. |
Chemotherapy may be used with radiation to help shrink the tumor before surgery. It may be used after surgery or radiation to destroy any cancer cells that may have been left behind. |
| Targeted Therapy | Designed to affect only certain cancer cell activities. Helps slow the tumor growth and destroy cancer cells. |
May be used in combination with chemotherapy in first-line treatment or alone in second/third-line treatment. |
Taking a closer look at therapy for NSCLC
Chemotherapy agents
If chemotherapy is the right treatment for you, your healthcare provider has many different drugs to choose from. These drugs can be used alone or mixed together. Platinum-based chemotherapy may be used first. Common examples of platinum-based agents are carboplatin and cisplatin. Talk with your healthcare provider about what other types of chemotherapy may be used.
To help get the most out of your chemotherapy, your healthcare providers may add a taxane drug to your platinum-based chemotherapy. Common examples of taxanes are paclitaxel and docetaxel. There may be other drugs than the ones listed here. Talk with your healthcare providers about your treatment.
How chemotherapy is given for lung cancer
These drugs are usually given to you through a needle put into your vein (intravenously). A nurse may give them to you in the doctor's office or in the hospital. You usually will not have to stay in the hospital overnight for treatment.
How often you receive treatment (regimen) depends on the mix of chemotherapy drugs used. How well you respond to the drugs may also influence how long your treatment lasts.
Chemotherapy is given in cycles that include time off from the drugs. This allows your body to rest from the powerful effects of chemotherapy.
Targeted therapies
Targeted therapies are sometimes used alone or with chemotherapy.
Targeted therapy is a medicine or drug that tries to stop tumor growth by blocking important areas within or around the tumor. Attacking these "targets" essential to tumor growth can ultimately inhibit the cancer's progress.
Clinical trials
You may want to talk to your healthcare provider about clinical trials that might be right for you.
Tarceva is prescribed for patients with advanced-stage Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) whose cancer has not spread or grown after initial treatment with certain types of chemotherapy. (Maintenance treatment)
Tarceva is prescribed for patients with advanced-stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) whose cancer has spread or grown after receiving at least 1 chemotherapy regimen. (2nd/3rd-line treatment)
Tarceva is not meant to be used at the same time as certain types of chemotherapy for NSCLC.
There have been reports of serious adverse events involving the lungs in a small number of patients taking Tarceva. These events have included death in some patients. The medical name for these types of events is interstitial (in-tur-STISH-ul) lung disease-like events (or ILD-like events).
Liver and/or kidney problems (including deaths) have been reported in some patients taking Tarceva. Let your healthcare provider (HCP) know if you have a history of liver or kidney disease.
Some patients taking Tarceva have developed a hole in the lining of their stomach or intestines (including deaths). It may happen more in patients who are taking certain other medicines or who have had certain stomach or intestinal diseases.
Some patients taking Tarceva have developed serious skin conditions. Some patients have died from these conditions.
Some patients taking Tarceva have developed eye irritation and damage to the cornea. The cornea is the clear part of the eyeball that covers the colored part of the eye and the pupil. Other eye problems such as abnormal eyelash growth, dry eyes, or changes in eyesight have also been reported. Patients should tell their HCP about eye problems that get worse, including eye pain.
Women should not become pregnant while on treatment with Tarceva. If you are already pregnant or become pregnant while taking Tarceva, you should talk with your HCP about the benefits and risks of continuing to take 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
Some patients taking Tarceva have experienced difficulty with blood clotting, and bleeding events, including gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal bleeding. Patients taking blood thinners (Coumadin®, warfarin or other coumarin-derivatives) should be monitored regularly.
Certain medicines and herbal supplements can affect how Tarceva works in the body. 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. Tarceva may also affect other medications you are taking.
In addition, grapefruit and grapefruit juice have an effect on how Tarceva works. 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. Talk with your HCP about how to quit smoking. If you continue to smoke, you should talk to your HCP before taking Tarceva.
The most common side effects in patients who took Tarceva were generally mild to moderate rash and diarrhea. You may also have other changes in your skin.
The rash from Tarceva therapy may appear on your upper body or face. Typically rash occurs within 8 days of starting treatment, but it may occur any time during treatment with Tarceva.
The rash is not an allergic reaction. It may look like acne or dry skin. It is not acne. Talk to your HCP if a rash occurs.
Typically, diarrhea may develop within 12 days of starting Tarceva.
Hair and nail changes have been seen with 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.
