Is perjeta a chemotherapy?
Drug Type:
Perjeta™ is an anti-cancer ("antineoplastic" or "cytotoxic") chemotherapy drug. This medication is classified as an "antineoplastic agent and a monoclonal antibody".
You should receive a total of 1 year (up to 18 cycles) of treatment with PERJETA and Herceptin. This includes any PERJETA and Herceptin you may have been given before surgery. Your treatment may be stopped sooner if your side effects become too difficult to manage or if the cancer comes back.
The most common side effects of PERJETA when given with Herceptin and docetaxel for treatment of breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic) are diarrhea, hair loss, low levels of white blood cells with or without fever, nausea, feeling tired, rash, and damage to the nerves (numbness, tingling ...
Pertuzumab and trastuzumab do not usually cause people to lose their hair. Any hair loss caused by chemotherapy should be temporary and in most cases your hair will begin to grow back once your chemotherapy has ended.
The most common side effects of Perjeta in combination with trastuzumab and chemotherapy include hair loss, rash, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, nerve damage (tingling, numbness, or pain in hands and feet), low red blood cell count, and low white blood cell count.
PERJETA® (pertuzumab) is a prescription medicine approved for use in combination with Herceptin® (trastuzumab) and docetaxel in people who have HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread to different parts of the body (metastatic) and who have not received anti-HER2 therapy or chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer ...
Pertuzumab is a targeted cancer drug and is also known by its brand name Perjeta. It also used to be called Omnitarg.
PERJETA is given every 3 weeks as an IV infusion
PERJETA is given as an intravenous (IV) infusion, which means that medication is administered directly into the bloodstream through a vein. PERJETA and Herceptin® (trastuzumab) are given back-to-back at the same visit.
Perjeta (chemical name: pertuzumab) is a HER2 inhibitor targeted therapy. Perjeta works against HER2-positive breast cancers by blocking the cancer cells' ability to receive growth signals.
Perjeta belongs to a class of drugs called Antineoplastics, Anti-HER2; Antineoplastics, Monoclonal Antibody. It is not known if Perjeta is safe and effective in children.
Does PERJETA cause muscle pain?
Some people being treated with Perjeta experience side effects such as muscle or joint pain, chills, and rash that should be immediately brought to the attention of the healthcare provider administering treatment.
PERJETA is given with another targeted treatment called Herceptin. Both treatments are designed to fight cancer cells that have too many HER2 receptors, but in different ways. Since normal cells also have HER2 receptors (just not as many), PERJETA and Herceptin can also affect healthy cells.
Bottom line: How long Herceptin lasts in your body varies between patients from 5.5 days to 176 days.
PERJETA is typically given every 3 weekson the same day as Herceptin and docetaxel, during the same visit. When you are receiving treatment, PERJETA, Herceptin, and docetaxel will be given one at a time. PERJETA and Herceptin will be given first (they can be given in any order).
For the treatment of HER2+ early breast cancer, Perjeta treatment is usually continued for one year (up to 18 cycles) along with Herceptin treatment. These medications are given in the clinic on the same day.
PERJETA may cause heart problems, including those without symptoms (such as reduced heart function) and those with symptoms (such as congestive heart failure). Receiving PERJETA during pregnancy can result in the death of an unborn baby and birth defects.
Hair loss (alopecia)Headache. Low levels of red blood cells. Low levels of white blood cell (with or without a fever) Low platelet counts (platelets are needed for blood clotting)
Official answer. Perjeta (generic name: pertuzumab) is considered a targeted cancer therapy, which is different from chemotherapy.
No. In general, Medicare prescription drug plans (Part D) do not cover this drug.
About 15 percent of women with early breast cancer have tumors that respond to Herceptin, also called trastuzumab. Such tumors are particularly aggressive, because they have high levels of a protein called HER2, which promotes cancer growth. The drug significantly increases survival in those women.
Does PERJETA cause itching?
Some patients may develop a rash, scaly skin, or red itchy bumps. Use an alcohol-free moisturizer on your skin and lips; avoid moisturizers with perfumes or scents. Your oncology care team can recommend a topical medication if itching is bothersome.
Chemistry and manufacturing
Pertuzumab is an immunoglobulin G1 with a variable region against the human HER2 protein, a human-mouse monoclonal 2C4 heavy chain, disulfide bound with a human-mouse monoclonal 2C4 κ-chain. It is manufactured recombinantly in CHO cells.
due to anaphylactic reactions during Perjeta infusion. swelling (fluid retention) in your legs or arms. Tell a doctor or nurse straight away, if you notice any of the side effects above.
Can you tell me what this means? Answer From Karthik Giridhar, M.D. HER2-positive breast cancer is a breast cancer that tests positive for a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). This protein promotes the growth of cancer cells.
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.