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Glossary

ABRAXANE and Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
What should I know about advanced non–small cell lung cancer?
What is ABRAXANE?
What is in ABRAXANE?
How does ABRAXANE work?
How are ABRAXANE and carboplatin given?
How often will I be given ABRAXANE?

Expectations & Side Effects of ABRAXANE
What should I expect when I come in for treatment?

What serious side effects may ABRAXANE cause?
What are the most common side effects of ABRAXANE?
What are some tips that your healthcare team may suggest to help with side effects?
How can I work with my healthcare team?

Financial Support and Resources
How can I find financial support for ABRAXANE?
As a caregiver, where can I find support and resources?
As a patient, where can I learn more? Support and resources
Where can I find information and support online?
Where can I find cultural resources?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions

ABRAXANE is a prescription medicine used to treat advanced non–small cell lung cancer, in combination with carboplatin, in people who cannot be treated with surgery or radiation.

Important Safety Information

WARNING – LOW WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNT (NEUTROPENIA)

Do not take ABRAXANE if your white blood cell count is below 1500 cells/mm³ (neutropenia), since you may be more likely to get a serious infection. While taking ABRAXANE, you must get regular blood tests to check for any problems that could develop
ABRAXANE contains albumin, a substance found in human blood. Do not substitute for or with other paclitaxel formulations

Who Should Not Receive ABRAXANE?

Do not receive ABRAXANE if:
- your white blood cell count is below 1500 cells/mm³
- you have had a severe allergic reaction to ABRAXANE

Serious Side Effects

ABRAXANE may cause serious side effects, including:
- decreased blood counts. ABRAXANE can cause a severe decrease in neutrophils (a type of white blood cell important in fighting against bacterial infections) and platelets (important for clotting and to control bleeding). Your doctor will check your blood cell count during your treatment with ABRAXANE and after you have stopped your treatment
- numbness, tingling, pain, or weakness in the hands or feet (neuropathy)
- allergic (hypersensitivity) reactions, which could be severe and sometimes fatal, have been reported with ABRAXANE

Other Risks

Treatment with ABRAXANE can make liver problems worse. If you have liver problems, your starting dose of ABRAXANE should be lowered or withheld
ABRAXANE contains albumin (human), a product of human blood

Risks to Pregnancy

If you are pregnant or become pregnant, ABRAXANE can harm your unborn baby. You should not become pregnant while taking ABRAXANE. Women who may become pregnant should use effective birth control (contraception). Talk to your doctor about the best way to prevent pregnancy while receiving ABRAXANE
If you are a man, you should not father a child during your treatment with ABRAXANE. ABRAXANE can harm the unborn baby of your partner

Other Possible Side Effects

The most common side effects of ABRAXANE include:
- hair loss
- numbness, tingling, pain, or weakness in the hands or feet
- abnormal heart beat
- tiredness
- joint and muscle pain
- changes in your liver function tests
- rash
- low red blood cell count (anemia). Red blood cells carry oxygen to your body tissues. Tell your doctor if you feel weak, tired, or short of breath
- nausea and vomiting
- infections. If you have a fever (temperature of greater than 100.4ºF) or other signs of infection, tell your doctor right away
- diarrhea
- loss of body fluid (dehydration)
- swelling in the hands or feet
Other side effects include vision problems, decreased appetite, kidney problems, constipation, and difficulty breathing
In some patients receiving ABRAXANE, severe heart and blood vessel side effects have occurred. These included chest pain, heart attack, fluid under the skin, blood clots in the veins or lungs, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart failure

Other Important Safety Information about ABRAXANE

You should contact your doctor if you have signs or symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, cough, or breathing difficulties that do not go away, or signs of an allergic reaction. Tell your doctor if you have any other medical conditions
Treatment with ABRAXANE can cause irritation where the medicine is injected (injection site reactions). You should be monitored by your doctor or nurse during and after you receive ABRAXANE to make sure no problems occur at the injection site. In some cases, these problems occurred 7 to 10 days after the medicine was injected
It is not known whether ABRAXANE interacts with other drugs, so be sure to tell your doctor about any medicines, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements you are taking
Since it is not known if ABRAXANE passes into human milk, you should discuss with your doctor if you should receive ABRAXANE or breastfeed
It is not known if ABRAXANE is safe or effective in children
ABRAXANE has not been adequately studied in people with severe kidney problems

These are not all the possible side effects of ABRAXANE. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Patient Information, and full Prescribing Information including Boxed WARNING.

Important Safety Information

ABRAXANE is a prescription medicine used to treat advanced non–small cell lung cancer, in combination with carboplatin, in people who cannot be treated with surgery or radiation.

Important Safety Information

WARNING – LOW WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNT (NEUTROPENIA)

Do not take ABRAXANE if your white blood cell count is below 1500 cells/mm³ (neutropenia), since you may be more likely to get a serious infection. While taking ABRAXANE, you must get regular blood tests to check for any problems that could develop
ABRAXANE contains albumin, a substance found in human blood. Do not substitute for or with other paclitaxel formulations

Who Should Not Receive ABRAXANE?

Do not receive ABRAXANE if:
- your white blood cell count is below 1500 cells/mm³
- you have had a severe allergic reaction to ABRAXANE

Serious Side Effects

ABRAXANE may cause serious side effects, including:
- decreased blood counts. ABRAXANE can cause a severe decrease in neutrophils (a type of white blood cell important in fighting against bacterial infections) and platelets (important for clotting and to control bleeding). Your doctor will check your blood cell count during your treatment with ABRAXANE and after you have stopped your treatment
- numbness, tingling, pain, or weakness in the hands or feet (neuropathy)
- allergic (hypersensitivity) reactions, which could be severe and sometimes fatal, have been reported with ABRAXANE

Other Risks

Treatment with ABRAXANE can make liver problems worse. If you have liver problems, your starting dose of ABRAXANE should be lowered or withheld
ABRAXANE contains albumin (human), a product of human blood

Risks to Pregnancy

If you are pregnant or become pregnant, ABRAXANE can harm your unborn baby. You should not become pregnant while taking ABRAXANE. Women who may become pregnant should use effective birth control (contraception). Talk to your doctor about the best way to prevent pregnancy while receiving ABRAXANE
If you are a man, you should not father a child during your treatment with ABRAXANE. ABRAXANE can harm the unborn baby of your partner

Other Possible Side Effects

The most common side effects of ABRAXANE include:
- hair loss
- numbness, tingling, pain, or weakness in the hands or feet
- abnormal heart beat
- tiredness
- joint and muscle pain
- changes in your liver function tests
- rash
- low red blood cell count (anemia). Red blood cells carry oxygen to your body tissues. Tell your doctor if you feel weak, tired, or short of breath
- nausea and vomiting
- infections. If you have a fever (temperature of greater than 100.4ºF) or other signs of infection, tell your doctor right away
- diarrhea
- loss of body fluid (dehydration)
- swelling in the hands or feet
Other side effects include vision problems, decreased appetite, kidney problems, constipation, and difficulty breathing
In some patients receiving ABRAXANE, severe heart and blood vessel side effects have occurred. These included chest pain, heart attack, fluid under the skin, blood clots in the veins or lungs, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart failure

Other Important Safety Information about ABRAXANE

You should contact your doctor if you have signs or symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, cough, or breathing difficulties that do not go away, or signs of an allergic reaction. Tell your doctor if you have any other medical conditions
Treatment with ABRAXANE can cause irritation where the medicine is injected (injection site reactions). You should be monitored by your doctor or nurse during and after you receive ABRAXANE to make sure no problems occur at the injection site. In some cases, these problems occurred 7 to 10 days after the medicine was injected
It is not known whether ABRAXANE interacts with other drugs, so be sure to tell your doctor about any medicines, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements you are taking
Since it is not known if ABRAXANE passes into human milk, you should discuss with your doctor if you should receive ABRAXANE or breastfeed
It is not known if ABRAXANE is safe or effective in children
ABRAXANE has not been adequately studied in people with severe kidney problems

These are not all the possible side effects of ABRAXANE. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Patient Information, and full Prescribing Information including Boxed WARNING.

Glossary

What do all these terms mean?

Facing the challenge of advanced cancer can be hard enough without the confusion of medical terms. It is important that you understand the language of cancer so that you can take an active role in your treatment. Always ask your healthcare team to explain things simply if there is something you don’t understand.

Advanced cancer

Cancer that has spread to other places in the body.

Albumin (al-BYOO-min)

A type of protein found in the blood.

Anemia (uh-NEE-mee-uh)

A condition in which the number of red blood cells is below normal. Red blood cells carry oxygen to your body tissues. Anemia can make you feel tired, weak, and short of breath.

Blood cell count

The number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in a sample of blood.

Carboplatin (KAR-boh-pla-tin)

A chemotherapy medicine prescribed to treat cancer. It can be used alone or with other chemotherapies.

Chemotherapy (KEE-moh-THAYR-uh-pee)

Medicines used to keep cancer cells from growing or to kill cancer cells.

Colloidal (kuh-LOY-dul) oatmeal

Fine powder made from ground oats added to bath water to soothe dry, itchy skin.

Dehydration (dee-hy-DRAY-shun)

Loss of too much water and needed fluids from the body. May be caused by vomiting, diarrhea, or fever.

Gemcitabine (jem-CY-tuh-been)

A chemotherapy medicine prescribed to treat cancer. It can be used alone or with other chemotherapies.

Hereditary (huh-RED-i-ter-ee)

A term for a condition that is passed through the genes from parent to offspring.

Infusion (in-FYOO-zhun)

A way of giving medicine that allows it to pass directly into the bloodstream. Also called intravenous (IN-truh-VEE-nus), or IV, infusion.

Invasive (in-VEY-siv) cancer

Cancer that grows into (invades) normal tissues in or beyond where it began.

Malignant (muh-LIG-nuhnt) tumor

A tumor that invades and destroys nearby tissue and may spread to other parts of the body.

Metastatic (meh-tuh-STA-tik)

Cancer that has spread from one part of the body to another. Also known as advanced or stage 4 cancer.

Microtubules (MY-kroh-TOO-byools)

Proteins that help cells divide.

Mutation (myoo-TEY-shuhn)

A defect in the genes.

Neuropathy (nor-AH-puh-thee)

Numbness, tingling, pain, or weakness in the hands or feet that may be caused by chemotherapy, injury, infection, or conditions such as diabetes or kidney failure. Also known as peripheral (peh-RIH-feh-rul) neuropathy.

Neutropenia (noo-troh-PEE-nee-uh)

A condition in which the number of neutrophils is below normal.

Neutrophils (NOO-troh-fils)

A type of white blood cell that helps fight infection.

Paclitaxel (PAK-li-TAK-sel)

A medicine used to treat cancer.

Pancreas (PAN-kree-uhs)

An organ found behind your stomach that helps the body digest food and provides energy for the body’s activities.

Platelet (PLAYT-let)

A type of cell found in the blood that helps slow or stop bleeding.

Sepsis (SEP-sis)

The presence of bacteria or toxins in the blood or tissues.

Solvents

Chemicals that help dissolve a medicine so that it can be given by infusion.

Systemic therapy (sis-TEH-mik THAYR-uh-pee)

Medicines that travel through the bloodstream to reach cells in many parts of the body.

Tumor (TOO-mer)

An abnormal mass of tissue. Not all tumors are cancerous.

Wondering what to do first?

Learning more about your condition

Where to Turn for Help

Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC)

1-855-807-6386

Metastatic Breast Cancer Network (MBCN)

1-888-500-0370

Advanced BC.org

608-828-8852

Services Provided

Connection to a dedicated community of support and information for people with MBC offering:

Advice from experts
Telephone support
Patient stories
Booklets and newsletters
Referrals to resources
Conference and webinars

Connecting with other patients and support groups on the Internet, by phone, or in person

Where to Turn for Help

To get one-on-one support by phone

ABCD Helpline

1-800-977-4121

Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) Helpline

1-888-753-5222

SHARE Breast Cancer Helpline

1-866-891-2392

Services Provided

Telephone helplines that match you with a trained volunteer who is living with MBC

Young Survival Coalition Survivor Link

1-877-972-1011

E-mail:

resourcelinks@youngsurvival.org

Services Provided

One-on-one peer support for women aged 40 and under with breast cancer

MetaVIVOR

Services Provided

Information to help you find—or set up—a support group, or connect with the MBC community through Facebook and social media

CancerCare^®

1-800-813-4673

Services Provided

Free counseling and support groups led by oncology social workers to help you manage the emotional and practical challenges of cancer

To find a support group in your area

Cancer Support Community

1-888-793-9355

Services Provided

Referrals to local chapters than run support groups

BCMets.org

Breastcancer.org Discussion Boards

Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) Foundation

Services Provided

Online discussion forums for people with MBC

Seeking help for anxiety or depression due to cancer-related health issues

Where to Turn for Help

American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS) Helpline

1-866-276-7443

Services Provided

Referrals to professional counselors who are skilled at helping people manage cancer-related distress

Getting advice on how to talk with your healthcare team

Where to Turn for Help

Open to Options^®

1-888-793-9355

Services Provided

A free professional counseling program that helps prepare you to make informed treatment decisions

Understanding your type of cancer and treatment options

Where to Turn for Help

National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Information Service

1-800-422-6237

American Cancer Society

1-800-227-2345

National Institutes of Health Senior Health

Services Provided

Easy-to-understand information and treatment guidelines for all types and stages of cancer

Choosing an insurance plan or paying for coverage

Where to Turn for Help

Health Insurance Marketplace

1-800-318-2596

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

1-800-633-4227

Services Provided

Information to help you access healthcare coverage through Medicare, Medicaid, or the Affordable Care Act

Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF)

1-800-532-5274

Services Provided

Free Web chats, webinars, search tools, and guides to help uninsured and underinsured patients find resources to help ease the burden of paying for treatment

Seeking information about financial or legal issues related to cancer

Where to Turn for Help

Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF)

1-800-532-5274

Cancer Legal Resource Center

1-866-843-2572

Services Provided

Free professional information about health insurance, medical debt, disability, or job-related issues

Getting help with non-medical bills while being treated for MBC

Where to Turn for Help

The Pink Fund

1-877-234-7465

Services Provided

Offers short-term aid for basic living expenses to patients with breast cancer who have lost income during active treatment

Getting help with the cost of transportation to and from treatment

Where to Turn for Help

CancerCare^® Get You There

1-800-813-4673

Services Provided

Grants to patients with MBC to cover the cost of transportation to and from treatment

American Cancer Society

1-800-227-2345

Services Provided

Referrals to local and national groups that provide funding for travel and other out-of-pocket expenses related to treatment

Getting information on pain or side effects of treatment to discuss with your healthcare team

Where to Turn for Help

Breastcancer.org

CancerCare^®

1-800-813-4673

National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Information Service

1-800-422-6237

Services Provided

Practical information about pain and/or side effects of cancer treatment

Learning how to cope with hair loss and skin changes

Where to Turn for Help

Look Good Feel Better

1-800-395-5665

Services Provided

Free workshops offering makeup, beauty, and skin care tips to women in treatment for cancer

Lining up home care or help for older adults

Where to Turn for Help

Eldercare Locator

1-800-677-1116

Services Provided

Free referrals to community services for older adults and their families

Organizing help from friends and family

Where to Turn for Help

MyLifeLine.org

CaringBridge^®

Services Provided

Websites and mobile apps that allow you to set up a free, private online network for giving and receiving help

Getting support for caregivers

Where to Turn for Help

Cancer Support Community

1-888-793-9355

CancerCare^®

1-800-813-4673

Family Caregiver Alliance

caregiver.org 1-800-445-8106

Services Provided

Support groups, information, advice, and referrals to resources for local and long-distance caregiving

Site Map

Important Safety Information

WARNING – LOW WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNT (NEUTROPENIA)

Who Should Not Receive ABRAXANE?

Serious Side Effects

Other Risks

Risks to Pregnancy

Other Possible Side Effects

Other Important Safety Information about ABRAXANE

Important Safety Information

Important Safety Information

WARNING – LOW WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNT (NEUTROPENIA)

Who Should Not Receive ABRAXANE?

Serious Side Effects

Other Risks

Risks to Pregnancy

Other Possible Side Effects

Other Important Safety Information about ABRAXANE

Glossary

What do all these terms mean?

Advanced cancer

Albumin (al-BYOO-min)

Anemia (uh-NEE-mee-uh)

Blood cell count

Carboplatin (KAR-boh-pla-tin)

Chemotherapy (KEE-moh-THAYR-uh-pee)

Colloidal (kuh-LOY-dul) oatmeal

Dehydration (dee-hy-DRAY-shun)

Gemcitabine (jem-CY-tuh-been)

Hereditary (huh-RED-i-ter-ee)

Infusion (in-FYOO-zhun)

Invasive (in-VEY-siv) cancer

Malignant (muh-LIG-nuhnt) tumor

Metastatic (meh-tuh-STA-tik)

Microtubules (MY-kroh-TOO-byools)

Mutation (myoo-TEY-shuhn)

Neuropathy (nor-AH-puh-thee)

Neutropenia (noo-troh-PEE-nee-uh)

Neutrophils (NOO-troh-fils)

Paclitaxel (PAK-li-TAK-sel)

Pancreas (PAN-kree-uhs)

Platelet (PLAYT-let)

Sepsis (SEP-sis)

Solvents

Systemic therapy (sis-TEH-mik THAYR-uh-pee)

Tumor (TOO-mer)

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Financial Assistance and Educational Resources for:

ABRAXANE and Advanced (Metastatic) Pancreatic Cancer

ABRAXANE and Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

ABRAXANE and Advanced (Metastatic) Breast Cancer

Celgene Patient Support® for:

ABRAXANE and Advanced (Metastatic) Pancreatic Cancer

ABRAXANE and Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

ABRAXANE and Advanced (Metastatic) Breast Cancer

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ABRAXANE - Prescribing Information

FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

Wondering what to do first?

Learning more about your condition

Where to Turn for Help

Connecting with other patients and support groups on the Internet, by phone, or in person

Where to Turn for Help

Seeking help for anxiety or depression due to cancer-related health issues

Where to Turn for Help

Getting advice on how to talk with your healthcare team

Where to Turn for Help

Understanding your type of cancer and treatment options

Where to Turn for Help

Choosing an insurance plan or paying for coverage

Where to Turn for Help

Seeking information about financial or legal issues related to cancer

Where to Turn for Help

Celgene Patient Support^® for: