Cancer and Chemotherapy Support
Below is a list of links to support groups and advocacy organizations your patients may find helpful.
Patient advocacy and community support
The Cancer Support Community- Emotional and social support for people affected by cancer. One of the largest professionally led networks of cancer support worldwide. The organization includes community-based centers and online services run by trained and licensed professionals. www.cancersupportcommunity.org
Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF)- PAF is the leading direct patient services organization in the country with a mission to eliminate obstacles for patients trying to access quality healthcare. www.patientadvocate.org
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS)- The NCCS advocates for quality cancer care for all Americans and provides tools that empower people affected by cancer to advocate for themselves. www.canceradvocacy.org
National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN)- The NCCN is an alliance of 21 of the world's leading cancer centers. It serves as an authoritative source of comprehensive cancer care information that strives to ensure the quality of cancer care and advance clinical research. www.nccn.org
Indication
Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim) is indicated to decrease the incidence of infection, as manifested by febrile neutropenia, in patients with nonmyeloid malignancies receiving myelosuppressive anti-cancer drugs associated with a clinically significant incidence of febrile neutropenia.
Neulasta is not indicated for the mobilization of peripheral blood progenitor cells for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Important Safety Information
Do not administer Neulasta to patients with a history of serious allergic reactions to pegfilgrastim or Filgrastim.
Splenic rupture, including fatal cases, can occur following the administration of Neulasta. Evaluate for an enlarged spleen or splenic rupture in patients who report left upper abdominal or shoulder pain after receiving Neulasta.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) can occur in patients receiving Neulasta. Evaluate patients who develop fever and lung infiltrates or respiratory distress after receiving Neulasta for ARDS. Discontinue Neulasta in patients with ARDS.
Serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, can occur in patients receiving Neulasta. The majority of reported events occurred upon initial exposure. Allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, can recur within days after the discontinuation of initial anti-allergic treatment. Permanently discontinue Neulasta in patients with serious allergic reactions.
Severe sickle cell crises can occur in patients with sickle cell disorders receiving Neulasta. Severe and sometimes fatal sickle cell crises can occur in patients with sickle cell disorders receiving Filgrastim, the parent compound of pegfilgrastim.
The granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) receptor, through which pegfilgrastim and Filgrastim act, has been found on tumor cell lines. The possibility that pegfilgrastim acts as a growth factor for any tumor type, including myeloid malignancies and myelodysplasia, diseases for which pegfilgrastim is not approved, cannot be excluded.
Bone pain and pain in extremity occurred at a higher incidence in Neulasta-treated patients as compared with placebo-treated patients.
© 2011 Amgen Inc. All rights reserved.