Frequently Asked Questions

As an ovarian cancer patient or caregiver, you must have many questions — as well you should, since the disease and its treatment is so complex.

Below are several frequently asked questions. We hope that the responses provided can ease some of your concerns, and encourage conversations with your healthcare team.

So please click on a question you'd like answered from the list below. You'll then receive the answer, and have the option to ask another question.

Why me?
How does GEMZAR fight ovarian cancer?
How is GEMZAR given?
What are the common side effects?
When should I call my healthcare team?
How can I find help to pay for my treatment?

Why Me?

"Why me?" is a question most people diagnosed with cancer ask themselves. Although lifestyle decisions such as smoking and alcohol intake can increase the risk for ovarian cancer, the disease can strike any woman at any time.

But you are not alone in this journey. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 22,430 new cases of ovarian cancer in this country in 2007.¹

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How does GEMZAR fight ovarian cancer?

GEMZAR is a chemotherapy drug used to treat certain kinds of cancer, such as recurrent ovarian cancer. The scientific (or generic) name for GEMZAR is gemcitabine HCl (for injection). Chemotherapy consists of treatment with one or more anticancer drugs that kill cancer cells. GEMZAR works by stopping the process that cells use to divide and repair themselves, leading to cell death.

GEMZAR is indicated in combination with carboplatin (another type of chemotherapy) for the woman with ovarian cancer that has returned at least 6 months after the patient had finished platinum-based therapy.

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How is GEMZAR given?

GEMZAR should be administered only by a qualified healthcare professional. GEMZAR for the treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer is usually given twice in a 21-day treatment cycle (on Day 1 and Day 8). This means that, on your first day of treatment, you will receive GEMZAR in combination with another drug — carboplatin, the platinum agent. During your next week of treatment, you will receive GEMZAR alone. Each treatment cycle usually includes a week when you receive no chemotherapy at all — this rest week is a normal part of your treatment.

Your doctor or nurse will give you GEMZAR by mixing it into a solution and giving it through a needle into a vein — called intravenous infusion (IV). This will take about 30 minutes. Any other drugs given with GEMZAR will generally be given by IV either before or after GEMZAR.

You will have regular blood tests before and during your treatment with GEMZAR plus carboplatin. You and your doctor will usually decide before each treatment whether you should continue treatment or change dose according to what benefits you have received from previous treatments, and what side effects you may have experienced. Your doctor may ask you to return for follow-up visits after you receive GEMZAR therapy, so he or she can monitor how you are doing.

If you have questions about how GEMZAR is given, please be sure to discuss them with your healthcare team.

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What are the common side effects?

Side effects you and your healthcare team should monitor include: low white blood cell count (neutropenia/leukopenia); low red blood cell count (anemia); and low platelet count (thrombocytopenia).

Some additional side effects you'll want to monitor include: gastrointestinal upset, including nausea and/or vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation; hair loss (alopecia); fatigue (tiredness); nerve damage (neuropathy); and mouth, lip, or throat sores (stomatitis, pharyngitis).

For more information about side effects please click here.

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When should I call my healthcare team?

You are probably attuned to changes in your body now more than ever. You must never take these changes for granted. According to The American Cancer Society, as a person living with cancer, you should alert your healthcare team right away if you notice any changes in your body or experience any of the following symptoms during your chemotherapy treatment²:

A fever of 100.5°F or greater
Bleeding or unexplained bruising
A rash or allergic reaction such as swelling or severe itching or wheezing
Intense chills
Pain or soreness at the chemotherapy injection site or catheter site
Unusual pain including intense headaches
Shortness of breath
Prolonged diarrhea or vomiting
Bloody stool or blood in your urine

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How can I find help to pay for my treatment?

"PatientOne" is the Lilly Oncology program that addresses financial, access, and claim issues for patients who are candidates for GEMZAR^® (gemcitabine HCl for injection). Patients that can be helped include:

Call 1-866-4PatOne and let us know what you need. Live specialists are available Monday-Friday, 9 am-7 pm EST.

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Learn more about GEMZAR and Chemotherapy.

References:

American Cancer Society. How Many Women Get Ovarian Cancer? Available at: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/…. Accessed March 3, 2008.
The American Cancer Society. When Do I Call My Doctor? Available at:
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_1_7X_When_Do_I_Call_My_Doctor.asp.
Accessed March 14, 2007.

About GEMZAR

GEMZAR is indicated in combination with cisplatin (another type of chemotherapy) for the first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced (stage IIIA or stage IIIB) or metastatic (stage IV or cancer that has spread) non-small cell lung cancer for whom surgery is not possible.

GEMZAR in combination with paclitaxel is approved by the FDA for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer after they have received another type of chemotherapy called an anthracycline, unless their medical condition did not allow them to receive an anthracycline.

GEMZAR is indicated as a single agent (given alone) as the first-line treatment for patients with locally advanced (stage II or stage III when surgery is not an option) or metastatic (stage IV) adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. GEMZAR is also indicated for patients previously treated with 5-FU (another type of chemotherapy).

Important Safety Information

GEMZAR may not be appropriate for some patients.

If you are allergic to GEMZAR, tell your doctor you should not receive it. GEMZAR can suppress bone marrow function. There have been rare reports of serious kidney or liver toxicity with GEMZAR treatment, sometimes fatal. Serious lung toxicity has also been reported, sometimes fatal. If you think you are pregnant, are planning to be pregnant, or are nursing, please tell your healthcare team. GEMZAR may harm your unborn or nursing baby.

If you have had prior kidney or liver problems or impairment, please tell your healthcare professional. GEMZAR may not be right for you. GEMZAR has not been shown to work in children. Tell your doctor if you are taking other medicines, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements.

There is a risk of side effects associated with GEMZAR therapy. The most common side effects are low blood cell counts (red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets); fever; infection; hair loss; tiredness; nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea; rash; shortness of breath; muscle aches; and numbness or tingling in your toes or fingers. These are not all of the side effects of GEMZAR. If you have any side effect that bothers you or that doesn't go away, be sure to talk with your healthcare professional. Call your healthcare professional right away if you have fever or chills. These symptoms could mean you have an infection.

You will have regular blood tests before and during your treatment with GEMZAR. Your doctor may adjust your dose of GEMZAR or delay your treatment based on the results of your blood test and on your general condition.

For more information about all of the side effects of GEMZAR, please talk with your healthcare team, see the complete Prescribing Information, or call 1-800-545-5979.

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