Gemzar.com for Patients and Caregivers – Information from Eli Lilly & Company About Treatment with GEMZAR for Ovarian Cancer

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Treatment with GEMZAR

GEMZAR in the Treatment of Ovarian Cancer

GEMZAR is a chemotherapy drug used to treat certain kinds of cancer. GEMZAR works by stopping the process that cells use to divide and repair themselves, leading to cell death.

Women who were treated with GEMZAR and carboplatin experienced significantly longer time before their disease progressed and had more tumor responses compared to women treated with carboplatin alone.* In the clinical trial, the following things were noted:

The women who were given the combination of GEMZAR with carboplatin had almost 3 months longer from the time they started therapy until their tumor came back than the women who were given just carboplatin alone (8.6 months versus 5.8 months).
47.2% of the women who received GEMZAR with carboplatin had their tumors shrink as compared to 30.9% of the women who received carboplatin alone.¹

Information About Ovarian Cancer

GEMZAR is approved to be given with carboplatin (another chemotherapy medication) for the treatment of women whose ovarian cancer has come back at least 6 months after they have been treated with a platinum-based chemotherapy. Use the links below to get a better understanding of ovarian cancer and your treatment options.

Learn About Treatment Options
These worksheets and guides can be helpful when considering therapy for ovarian cancer.

Treatment Options Worksheet
Questions to consider about your treatment.

Making Therapy Decisions
Choosing your healthcare team and therapies.

Starting Chemotherapy
Understanding side effects and choices involved.

GEMZAR for Ovarian Cancer

GEMZAR (gemcitabine HCl) in combination with carboplatin is indicated for the treatment of patients with advanced ovarian cancer that has relapsed at least 6 months after completion of platinum-based therapy. Find out more about GEMZAR and the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Reference

GEMZAR (gemcitabine HCl for injection) [package insert]. Indianapolis, IN: Eli Lilly and Company; 2006.

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Copyright © 2008 Eli Lilly and Company. All rights reserved. This site is intended for U.S. residents age 18 and over. For more information about cancer, contact your doctor or other healthcare professional. GEMZAR® is a registered trademark of Eli Lilly and Company. GC 28281

About GEMZAR

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 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 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).

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.

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 non-prescription 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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