In the fight against advanced prostate cancer, patients and their loved ones often feel limited in their treatment options. However, hope is on the horizon in the form of immunotherapy.
Chemotherapy, radiation, and oral medication have been the standard prostate cancer treatments for years, but for some patients, these methods may offer only temporary relief. However, PROVENGE, the first FDA-approved cellular therapy for advanced prostate cancer, is giving new hope to patients and their families.
PROVENGE (sipuleucel-T) is an immunotherapy that utilizes a patient’s own immune cells to fight prostate cancer. The process involves collecting immune cells through leukapheresis, a procedure similar to donating blood. These cells are then activated to identify and target prostate cancer cells when infused through IV back into the patient. Full treatment consists of three cycles, about two weeks apart.
A beacon of hope
This approach to treatment has shown promising results for patients like Euvon, a Stage IV metastatic prostate cancer patient who has undergone PROVENGE therapy.
“Having my blood extracted from me … morphed into fighting agents … and put back inside of me so that my blood and my immune system could fight the fight that my body was made to fight, made all the sense in the world,” he said.
For patients like Euvon, immunotherapy offers a beacon of hope in their fight against advanced prostate cancer. PROVENGE has no contraindications. This means patients do not have to wait for traditional treatments to fail before trying immunotherapy.
“When Euvon was on the standard medication, it stopped working after about a year,” said Euvon’s wife, Janet. “He didn’t qualify for chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery. He was too far advanced. PROVENGE sounded really positive. We could hope for a future because it was less invasive.”
With the success stories of patients like Euvon, and the support of healthcare providers and the FDA, it is clear PROVENGE provides a unique mechanism in fighting prostate cancer by unlocking the power of the entire immune system to extend patients’ lives.
Unfortunately, many patients are not aware of the availability and benefits of this treatment. Increased awareness about immunotherapy for the treatment of prostate cancer may help prolong lives and offer hope to the hundreds of thousands of families affected by prostate cancer each year. Talk to your doctor to determine if PROVENGE is right for you.
To learn more, visit provenge.com
INDICATION
PROVENGE® (sipuleucel-T) is a prescription medicine used to treat certain men with advanced prostate cancer. PROVENGE is an established cellular immunotherapy and is customized to each individual by using his own immune cells.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Before receiving PROVENGE®, tell your doctor about any medical conditions, including heart or lung problems, or if you have had a stroke.
Tell your doctor about any medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription drugs, vitamins, or dietary supplements.
The most common side effects of PROVENGE include chills, fatigue, fever, back pain, nausea, joint ache, and headache. These are not all the possible side effects of PROVENGE treatment.
PROVENGE is made from your own immune cells, which are collected during a process called leukapheresis. The cells are processed, returned, and then infused back into the patient through an IV (intravenous) infusion about 3 days later. This process is completed in 3 cycles, about 2 weeks apart. Each infusion takes approximately 1 hour and requires 30 minutes of post-infusion monitoring.
PROVENGE infusion can cause serious reactions. Tell your doctor right away if you:
Have signs of a heart attack or lung problems, such as trouble breathing, chest pains, racing or irregular heartbeats, high or low blood pressure, dizziness, fainting, nausea, or vomiting
Have signs of a stroke, such as numbness or weakness on one side of the body, decreased vision in one eye, or difficulty speaking
Develop symptoms of thrombosis which may include: pain and/or swelling of an arm or leg with warmth over the affected area, discoloration of an arm or leg, shortness of breath, chest pain that worsens or deep breathing
Have signs of infection such as a fever over 100°F, redness or pain at the infusion or collection sites
Tell your doctor about any side effect(s) that concerns you or does not go away. For more information, talk with your doctor.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
To report an adverse event, please email our Pharmacovigilance department at [email protected], or fax adverse event details to 833-464-0123. Please provide details pertaining to the adverse event and provide contact information so that our Pharmacovigilance team may contact you with any questions.
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