Precautions
Metastatic Breast Cancer. KADCYLA is a prescription medicine used to treat HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic breast cancer) after prior treatment with trastuzumab (Herceptin ®) and a taxane.
What kind of cancer is Kadcyla used to treat?
Kadcyla is used both for early breast cancer and for breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic). Kadcyla is usually given after other cancer medications have been tried without success. Kadcyla should not be used in place of Herceptin (trastuzumab). Do not use Kadcyla if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn baby.
What should I know about Kadcyla before taking it?
Its generic (non-branded name) is trastuzumab emtansine. You may hear it called Kadcyla, its brand name, or TDM1, its chemical name. Trastuzumab emtansine is a combination of two drugs: Trastuzumab (Herceptin), which belongs to a group of drugs called targeted (biological) therapies.
Is there a generic version of Kadcyla?
Kadcyla is made up of two cancer-fighting medicines: a HER2-targeted drug treatment and a chemotherapy drug. It is used for the treatment of patients with HER2+ breast cancer. Kadcyla is given as an intravenous (IV) infusion at a doctor’s office, clinic or hospital. When you receive Kadcyla, you are getting both medications at the same time.
What is Kadcyla made of?
Is Kadcyla immunotherapy or chemotherapy?
Official answer. Kadcyla is made up of two cancer-fighting medicines: a HER2-targeted drug treatment and a chemotherapy drug. It is used for the treatment of patients with HER2+ breast cancer. Kadcyla is given as an intravenous (IV) infusion at a doctor's office, clinic or hospital.
What type of treatment is Kadcyla?
KADCYLA is a prescription medicine used as an adjuvant (after surgery) treatment for HER2-positive early breast cancer when the patient has taken neoadjuvant (before surgery) treatment including a taxane and trastuzumab (Herceptin®) and there is cancer remaining in the tissue removed during surgery.
Is trastuzumab immunotherapy or chemotherapy?
These are active specific immunotherapy with Theratope and passive immunotherapy targeting the HER-2 receptor with trastuzumab (Herceptin). Trastuzumab has a proven efficacy as monotherapy as well as in combination with chemotherapeutic agents in HER-2-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer.
Is trastuzumab an immunotherapy?
Passive immunotherapy has provided several successful treatments for breast cancer. The current mainstay of passive immunotherapy includes trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1).
Does Kadcyla weaken your immune system?
Side effects This treatment affects the immune system. This may cause inflammation in different parts of the body which can cause serious side effects. They could happen during treatment, or some months after treatment has finished.
How long can you be on Kadcyla?
KADCYLA is given for 14 cycles in early breast cancer For HER2+ early breast cancer, KADCYLA is given every 3 weeks for 14 rounds of infusion—sometimes called "cycles"—unless the cancer comes back or side effects cause the treatment to be stopped sooner. Treatment with KADCYLA typically would last less than a year.
Is KADCYLA better than Herceptin?
Kadcyla Not Better Than Standard of Care as First Treatment for Advanced-Stage, HER2-Positive Disease, but Causes Fewer Side Effects. Kadcyla wasn't more effective than Herceptin plus a taxane chemotherapy as the first treatment for advanced-stage, HER2-positive breast cancer, but offered women better quality of life.
What is the difference between immunotherapy and chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy kills fast-growing cells—both cancerous and non-cancerous—in the body. Immunotherapy helps the immune system do a better job of identifying cancer cells so it can attack and kill them.
How long is chemo for HER2-positive?
Neoadjuvant therapy is typically administered for between 12 and 20 weeks, depending on the chosen regimen, and followed by surgery. When given as adjuvant chemotherapy following surgery, trastuzumab is given concurrently with chemotherapy, then continued for a total duration of 12 months.
What is HER2 immunotherapy?
Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab), which kills HER2-positive breast cancer cells by binding to the HER2 receptor and blocking cancer cells' ability to receive growth signals. Herceptin is also available as an injection, called Herceptin Hylecta.
What drugs are used for immunotherapy?
Examples of immune checkpoint inhibitors include:Atezolizumab (Tecentriq)Avelumab (Bavencio)Dostarlizumab (Jemperli)Durvalumab (Imfinzi)Ipilimumab (Yervoy)Nivolumab (Opdivo)Pembrolizumab (Keytruda)
Can HER2-positive be cured?
HER2-positive breast cancer is highly curable because of the availability of these HER2-targeted therapies, so we treat patients fairly aggressively upfront to reduce the risk of them experiencing a stage IV recurrence.
Is Kadcyla a monoclonal antibody?
KADCYLA is the first HER2-targeted treatment of its kind. It is made up of two cancer-fighting agents in one drug: The monoclonal antibody trastuzumab (the same antibody in Herceptin®)
Is Kadcyla adjuvant therapy?
FDA Expands Indication for Kadcyla to Include the Adjuvant Treatment of HER2-Positive Early Breast Cancer.
What is the mechanism of action of Kadcyla?
Kadcyla's mechanism of action The drug is a mixture of trastuzumab antibody and DM1 chemotherapy. The drug works by inhibiting HER2 receptor signalling. The drug also gets rid of HER2 extracellular domain present in the human breast cancer cells.
Does Kadcyla have chemo in it?
Kadcyla (chemical name: T-DM1 or ado-trastuzumab emtansine) is a combination of Herceptin and the chemotherapy medicine emtansine.
What is tdm1 chemotherapy?
T-DM1 chemotherapy refers to treatment with Kadcyla, which is a targeted treatment that may be used to treat HER2-positive breast cancer in women w...
How long can you take Kadcyla?
For HER2+ early-stage breast cancer, Kadcyla is given as an intravenous (IV) injection every 3 weeks for a total of 14 cycles. For HER2+ metastatic...
Is Kadcyla a chemotherapy drug? How does it work?
Kadcyla is made up of two cancer-fighting medicines: a HER2-targeted drug treatment and a chemotherapy drug. It is used for the treatment of patien...
What is Kadcyla?
Kadcyla ( ado-trastuzumab emtansine) is a cancer medicine that interferes with the growth and spread of cancer cells in the body.
How often is kadcyla given?
Kadcyla is usually given once every 3 weeks. Your doctor will determine how long to treat you. You may need frequent medical tests to be sure this medicine is not causing harmful effects. Your cancer treatments may be delayed based on the results.
What is T-DM1 chemotherapy?
T-DM1 chemotherapy refers to treatment with Kadcyla, which is a targeted treatment that may be used to treat HER2-positive breast cancer in women who meet certain criteria. The chemical name for Kadcyla is T-DM1 (also called ado-trastuzumab emtansine) and it is a combination of two medicines: trastuzumab which is a targeted treatment and DM1 which is a cytotoxic agent (also known as mertansine). Trastuzumab targets HER2-expressing breast cancer cells and delivers DM1 directly to them. Continue reading
How long does it take to get kadcyla?
Tell your caregivers if you feel any burning, pain, or swelling around the IV needle when Kadcyla is injected. Kadcyla is usually given once every 3 weeks.
Can kadcyla cause liver problems?
You may need to have a negative pregnancy test before starting this treatment. Kadcyla can harm your liver. Call your doctor at once if you have upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
Can you take Kadcyla while pregnant?
Do not use Kadcyla if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn baby or cause birth defects. Use effective birth control to prevent pregnancy while you are using this medicine and for at least 7 months after your last dose.
Can cancer treatments be delayed?
Your cancer treatments may be delayed or permanently discontinued if you have certain side effects.
What is kadcyla used for?
KADCYLA is a prescription medicine used to treat HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic breast cancer) after prior treatment with trastuzumab (Herceptin ®) and a taxane. Prior treatment could have been for the initial treatment of breast cancer or for the treatment of cancer that had spread to other parts of the body.
What are the additional possible serious side effects of KADCYLA?
Signs of lung problems may include trouble breathing, cough, tiredness, and fluid in the lungs
How long does it take for kadcyla to leak?
If this happens, it is more likely to happen within 24 hours of the infusion.
How long after kadcyla can you use birth control?
Birth control should be used while you receive KADCYLA and for 7 months after your last dose of KADCYLA
How to contact Genentech about kadcyla?
Nosebleeds. You are encouraged to report side effects to Genentech and the FDA. You may contact Genentech by calling 1-888-835-2555. You may contact the FDA by visiting www.fda.gov/medwatch or calling 1-800-FDA-1088. Talk to a healthcare professional for more information about the benefits and risks of KADCYLA.
What are the side effects of kadcyla?
Liver problems. Pain that affects the bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Bleeding. Low platelet count . Headache. Weakness, numbness, and pain in the hands and feet. Joint pain. The most common side effects seen in people taking KADCYLA for metastatic breast cancer are: Tiredness.
How long after kdcyla can you breastfeed?
You should not breastfeed during treatment and for 7 months after the last dose of KADCYLA.
How is kadcyla given?
How Kadcyla Is Given: Kadcyla™ is given through an infusion into a vein (intravenous, IV) The amount of Kadcyla™ that you will receive depends on many factors, including your weight, your general health or other health problems, and the type of cancer or condition being treated.
What are the side effects of Kadcyla?
Some severe but rare possible side effects of Kadcyla™ include: Liver problems (liver failure)
Why is targeted therapy important?
Targeted therapy is the result of about 100 years of research dedicated to understanding the differences between cancer cells and normal cells. To date, cancer treatment has focused primarily on killing rapidly dividing cells because one feature of cancer cells is that they divide rapidly. Unfortunately, some of our normal cells divide rapidly too, causing multiple side effects.
What is chemocare.com?
Chemocare.com is designed to provide the latest information about chemotherapy to patients and their families, caregivers and friends. For information about the 4th Angel Mentoring Program visit www.4thangel.org
Is Kadcyla safe after therapy?
Kadcyla™ side effects are often predictable in terms of their onset, duration, and severity. Kadcyla™ side effects will improve after therapy is complete. Kadcyla™ side effects may be quite manageable. There may be options to minimize or prevent the side effects of Kadcyla™.
Can you get pregnant while taking Kadcyla?
For both men and women: Use contraceptives, and do not conceive a child (get pregnant) while taking Kadcyla™. Barrier methods of contraception, such as condoms, are recommended. Verify pregnancy status prior to treatment initiation. Effective contraception should be used during therapy and for 6 months after treatment.
Is Kadcyla a taxane?
Kadcyla™ is used as a single agent to treat HER2-positive, metastatic breast cancer who previously received trastuzumab and a taxane, separately or in combination. Patients should have either: Received prior therapy for metastatic disease, or.
Where to give Trastuzumab emtansine?
Trastuzumab emtansine is given intravenously (into a vein). This will usually be as an infusion (drip) either in the back of the hand or lower arm, although other intravenous methods may be used depending on factors such as how easy it is for your chemotherapy team to find suitable veins, and your preferences.
Does trastuzumab kill cancer cells?
It also helps the body’s immune system to destroy cancer cells. When the trastuzumab attaches to the proteins, it delivers emtansine directly into the breast cancer cells. The emtansine can destroy the cancer cells but leave normal cells relatively unharmed which means there are usually fewer side effects. 4.
Does Trastuzumab affect blood cells?
Trastuzumab emtansine can temporarily affect the number of blood cells in the body. You’ll have regular blood tests to check your blood count. Blood is made up of red cells, white cells and platelets. If the number of blood cells is too low, your next cycle of treatment may be delayed or the dose of chemotherapy reduced.
What is the purpose of immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy uses our immune system to attack the cancer.
What is the name of the drug that is used to treat HER2 positive breast cancer?
Trastuzumab emtansine is a combination of 2 drugs - trastuzumab and emtansine. It is also known by its brand name, Kadcyla (pronounced cad-sigh-lah]. It is a treatment for HER2 positive breast cancer that has come back or spread to other parts of the body.
How does Atezolizumab work?
Atezolizumab is a type of immunotherapy drug. It works by helping the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells. You might also hear it called a monoclonal antibody or checkpoint inhibitor.
What type of antibody is used to attach to proteins on or in cancer cells?
It's a monoclonal antibody. Monoclonal antibodies attach to proteins on or in cancer cells.
What is the best treatment for breast cancer?
They can help to control the growth of breast cancer cells and slow it down. You may have one of these drugs together with a type of hormone therapy.
Why are chemotherapy and other drugs being combined?
The drugs are being combined with chemotherapy or other types of drugs to see if they improve how well they work as a treatment.
Can immunotherapy be used on breast cancer?
Not all the targeted and immunotherapy drugs will be suitable for you. You may only be able to have a particular drug if other drugs haven ’t worked, or your breast cancer cells have certain receptors.
What is immunotherapy medicine?
In general, immunotherapy medicines can be divided into two main groups: Active immunotherapies, which stimulate your immune system to respond to the cancer. Cells from a cancer are examined in the lab to find antigens specific to that tumor.
What is the purpose of immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy medicines use the power of your body’s immune system to attack cancer cells.
How does immunotherapy work?
This self-defense system works to keep you from getting sick. Immunotherapy uses substances — either made naturally by your body or man-made in a lab — to boost the immune system to: stop or slow cancer cell growth. stop cancer cells from spreading to other parts of the body. be better at killing cancer cells.
How does immunotherapy help with breast cancer?
Targeted immunotherapy medicines to treat breast cancer are: These targeted immunotherapy medicines treat breast cancer by targeting specific receptors on breast cancer cells. In addition, these medicines can also help fight breast cancer by alerting the immune system to destroy cancer cells.
What is the chemical name for Keytruda?
Keytruda (chemical name: pembrolizumab) Tecentriq (chemical name: atezolizumab) Keytruda is used in combination with chemotherapy to treat unresectable locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative, PD-L1-positive breast cancer. Unresectable means that it can't be removed with surgery.
Why are cytokines considered non-specific immunotherapy?
Cytokines are considered non-specific immunotherapy medicines because they don’t respond to a particular target on most cancer cells. Instead, they boost the immune system in a more general way. This general boost can still lead to a better immune response to cancer. In many cases, cytokines are given after or at the same time as another cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
Do immunotherapies stimulate the immune system?
Passive immunotherapies don’t stimulate your immune system to actively respond the way active immunotherapies do. Immune checkpoint inhibitors and cytokines are examples of passive immunotherapies. Because immunotherapy medicines help your immune system to kill cancer, the process can take a long time.
