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Ask the Experts


Darlene Christmon, RN, BSN, Breast Oncology Nurse

Darlene is an oncology nurse who treats women with metastatic breast cancer. In this interview, she answers questions about HER2+ metastatic breast cancer and treatment with TYKERB.

  1. What is TYKERB?
  2. How does TYKERB work?
  3. How do I take TYKERB?
  4. How will I know if TYKERB is working?
  5. What are some of the common side effects of TYKERB?
  6. Are there serious side effects of TYKERB?
  7. What should I do if I experience side effects?
  8. What do I do if I experience diarrhea?
  9. What do I do if I experience rash?
  10. When should I contact my doctor’s office?
  11. What is the Tykerb® CARES program?

1. What is TYKERB?

TYKERB is an oral tablet. It's a targeted therapy for women whose advanced or metastatic breast cancer is HER2-positive (HER2+), and who have previously had a taxane, anthracycline, and Herceptin®.1 It is FDA-approved for use with Xeloda®.1

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2. How does TYKERB work?

TYKERB is a small molecule drug that works within the cell. It's a targeted therapy that helps to slow the cancer growth in women whose cancer is HER2+.1

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3. How do I take TYKERB?

Take TYKERB exactly as your doctor has told you to. TYKERB is normally taken in combination with Xeloda. When you take TYKERB, it's taken with 5 tablets usually in the morning on an empty stomach one hour before or one hour after meals. Xeloda recommendations and dosing will be given to you by your doctor.1

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4. How will I know if TYKERB is working?

Your doctor will order tests to monitor your cancer growth to see if it's responding to therapy. Those tests will be looking to see if your cancer is growing, remaining stable or shrinking while you're taking TYKERB.

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5. What are some of the common side effects of TYKERB?

The most common side effects that women experienced when taking TYKERB and Xeloda in combination were diarrhea and rash. Diarrhea for some women was reported to be severe. Other symptoms that women experienced were nausea, skin changes, dry nails, fatigue, and vomiting.1 These are not all of the possible side effects of TYKERB. Patients should talk to their doctor for more information.

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6. Are there serious side effects of TYKERB?

Some women when taking TYKERB will experience serious side effects. Serious side effects of TYKERB include heart problems, liver problems, lung problems and severe diarrhea. Call your doctor right away if you have palpitations, persistent cough, shortness of breath, or severe diarrhea.

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7. What should I do if I experience side effects?

Notify your doctor immediately if you experience side effects while taking TYKERB and Xeloda. Your healthcare team will tell you how to manage any side effects that you are experiencing.

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8. What do I do if I experience diarrhea?

Your nurse or doctor will have instructed you at the first sign of bowel changes to notify their office. They may also recommend taking over-the-counter diarrhea medication.8 Things you can do at home to manage the diarrhea are dietary changes. Those dietary changes can be things like the bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast, or the BRAT diet. Drink a lot of fluids since you may have lost a lot of water during the course of diarrhea. Also decrease the intake of high fatty foods.8

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9. What do I do if I experience rash?

The rash usually appears as red bumps on the chest or back, but may occur anywhere. On occasion, that rash can be accompanied by itching. At the first sign of rash, you want to notify your healthcare team. To help take care of your skin while you're taking TYKERB, keep your skin well hydrated using lotion and protect your skin from the sun with sun block.

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10. When should I contact my doctor’s office?

Follow your doctor's instructions on when to notify them. If you experience any side effects, you should notify your doctor's office immediately. You want to notify your doctor's office at the first sign of changes in your bowel movements. Also, if you experience shortness of breath or irregular heartbeat, you should notify your doctor's office immediately.

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11. What is the Tykerb® CARES program?

The GlaxoSmithKline Tykerb® CARES program helps provide information for reimbursement and insurance coverage, patient education, and tips for sticking with your therapy. All the services of this program are free. For more information about participating in the program, contact your nurse or doctor's office.

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Check out GlaxoSmithKline's Tykerb® CARES support program to help patients and the healthcare providers who treat them.


Questions about treatment with TYKERB?
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Indication

TYKERB is indicated in combination with Xeloda® (capecitabine) for the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer whose tumors overexpress HER2 and who have received prior therapy including an anthracycline, a taxane, and Herceptin® (trastuzumab).

Important Safety Information

Some women may develop liver damage while taking TYKERB. The cause of this damage is not known. In some cases, liver damage may be severe and may cause death. Your doctor should test your liver before and during treatment with TYKERB to check for signs of liver damage. You should contact your doctor if you have itching, yellow eyes or skin, dark urine, pain in your right upper side of your belly or feel very tired. If you develop liver damage during your treatment, your doctor may tell you to stop taking TYKERB. Before taking TYKERB, tell your doctor if you have liver problems. You may need a lower dose of TYKERB.

Before taking TYKERB, tell your doctor if you have heart problems. As with other treatments for HER2-positive advanced or metastatic breast cancer, there have been reports of changes in how the heart pumps blood through the body and how the heart beats. Call your doctor right away if you are short of breath, have rapid heartbeats (palpitations), or feel very tired.

Some people taking TYKERB have reported diarrhea. In some cases, diarrhea can be severe. Call your doctor right away if you have diarrhea. It is important to manage diarrhea with medicine as soon as it begins. Severe diarrhea may need to be treated with electrolytes and fluids given by mouth or by vein. Treatment with TYKERB may have to be delayed for a while or stopped completely.

If you have a dry cough or have shortness of breath, talk with your doctor. These may be signs of inflammation in the lungs.

Women should not become pregnant when taking TYKERB because the unborn baby may be harmed.

The most common side effects reported by patients taking TYKERB and Xeloda were diarrhea; vomiting; feeling sick to your stomach (nausea); feeling tired; red, painful hands and feet; and rash.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines and herbal and dietary supplements.

Because TYKERB is currently indicated to be taken with another medicine called Xeloda, be sure to talk with your doctor about any medicines and supplements that should be avoided when taking Xeloda.

Please see complete US Prescribing Information for TYKERB.

Herceptin is a registered trademark of Genentech, Inc.
Xeloda is a registered trademark of Roche Laboratories Inc.

Photos are for illustrative purposes only.