While many patients can maintain a normal lifestyle for years after their diagnosis, others may find that they need some level of support. It is understandable that it may be difficult for you to ask for help, especially if you have been living independently, but the people around you will often be more than happy to do what they can. In fact, your family and friends may well be afraid to ask you how they can help!

Think about the areas of your life where you need assistance. You may realize that you need someone to go with you to your chemotherapy appointments, or maybe you find that you tire more easily and cannot keep up with the housecleaning, cooking, etc. Once you have determined your needs, you can work out a plan to meet them.

Building a support team

Build a group of people around you who can help support you emotionally and physically. In addition to having someone to talk to when you are feeling down, you may need assistance with everyday chores. There are several groups from which you can draw.

Friends and family

Make a list of items that you need help with and ask your friends and family to lend a hand. Some suggestions include:

• Picking up children from school
• Cooking meals
• Looking after the garden
• Getting you to the hospital
• Going with you for treatment
• Shopping

Even if you can perform these tasks yourself, getting someone else to do them can give you more time to look after yourself. Try to make your support team as large as possible to avoid "support fatigue."

Cancer support groups

You may find it helpful to join a local cancer support group, where you can talk with others going through the same experience. This website has a number of links to community pages where you can find support groups and exchange your experiences and opinions with other patients and caregivers. Volunteers are available to help you and you can obtain contact information from your doctor's office or your hospital's social services department.

Professional help

Doctors—Your oncologist and family doctor should be your main sources of advice. They have treated many patients with cancer and can offer reliable information on subjects such as pain relief, treatment options, and access to support agencies.

Nurses—Many regions have specialty cancer nurses who work in the community. Their practical approach can be invaluable, especially in the advanced stages of the disease.

Social services—Many local agencies can provide help for people who suffer from a disability, transporting them to the hospital or helping out at home.

Counselors—Some patients may seek professional counseling to help them come to terms with their condition. If you feel you may benefit from counseling, be sure to ask a healthcare professional for help in selecting the right specialist for your needs.

Clergy—Visiting the sick is an important responsibility of the clergy, from whom you can obtain a good deal of emotional support and access to many practical resources.

 

Patient Resources

Links
A listing of suggested links to additional Internet sites with helpful information for both patients and caregivers
Learn more...

Glossary
Definitions of medical terms used on this website
Learn more...

Reimbursement Assistance
Contact information for the Oncology @ Bayer Reimbursement Support Line
Learn more...

REACH Program
The REACH (Resources for Expert Assistance and Care Helpline) Program
provides help with understanding insurance coverage and finding other programs to financially assist patients receiving Nexavar.

NexConnect Program
Support for patients with liver cancer or kidney cancer treated with Nexavar
Learn more...

 

Nexavar Important Safety Information

Name of the medicinal product: Nexavar^® 200 mg film-coated tablets.

Qualitative and quantitative composition: 200 mg sorafenib (as tosylate)

Indication:

1. Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
2. Treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma who have failed prior interferon-alpha or interleukin-2 based therapy or are considered unsuitable for such therapy.

Contraindications: Hypersensitivity to sorafenib or to any of the excipients.

Warnings and Precautions: Hand-foot skin reaction and rash, usually CTC grade 1 and 2. Increased incidence of arterial hypertension (usually mild to moderate, early in the course of treatment). Blood pressure should be monitored regularly and treated as appropriate. Increased risk of bleeding. Increased incidence of cardiac ischaemia/infarction. Gastrointestinal perforation in less than 1%; sorafenib to be discontinued. Levels of sorafenib may be increased in patients with severe hepatic impairment. Infrequent bleeding events or elevations in INR have been reported in some patients taking warfarin concomitantly. Patients on such therapy should be monitored. Temporary treatment interruption and/or dose modification or discontinuation may be considered, depending on the severity of the observed adverse reactions. No formal studies on wound healing have been conducted. Temporary interruption of sorafenib therapy is recommended in patients undergoing major surgical procedures. Experience of use in the elderly is limited and cases of renal failure have been reported. High risk patients according to MSKCC prognostic group were not included in the phase III study in renal cell carcinoma and benefit-risk has not been evaluated in these patients. Caution is recommended when administering sorafenib with compounds that are metabolised/eliminated predominantly by the UGT1A1 (e.g. irinotecan) or UGT1A9 pathways. Caution is recommended when sorafenib is co-administered with docetaxel. The risk of reduced plasma concentrations of sorafenib should be considered before starting a treatment course with antibiotics.

Undesirable effects: Very common: lymphopenia, hypophosphataemia, haemorrhage (incl. gastrointestinal, respiratory tract, cerebral), hypertension, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, rash, alopecia, hand-foot syndrome (palmar plantar erythrodysaesthesia syndrome), erythema, pruritus, fatigue, pain (mouth, abdominal, bone, tumour, headache), increased amylase and lipase. Common: leucopenia, neutropenia, anaemia, thrombocytopenia, anorexia, depression, peripheral sensory neuropathy, tinnitus, hoarseness, constipation, stomatitis (including dry mouth and glossodynia), dyspepsia, dysphagia, dry skin, dermatitis exfoliative, acne, skin desquamation, arthralgia, myalgia, renal failure, erectile dysfunction, asthenia, fever, influenza like illness, weight decrease, transient increase in transaminases. Uncommon: folliculitis, infection, hypersensitivity reactions (including skin reactions and urticaria), hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, hyponatraemia, dehydration, reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy, myocardial ischaemia and infarction, congestive heart failure, hypertensive crisis, rhinorrhea, gastro oesophageal reflux disease, pancreatitis, gastritis, gastrointestinal perforations, increase in bilirubin, jaundice, cholecystitis, cholangitis, eczema, erythema multiforme, keratoacanthoma / squamous cell cancer of the skin, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, gynaecomastia, increase in alkaline phosphatase, INR abnormality, prothrombin level abnormality. On prescription only.

Date of Revision of the Text: July 2009. Please note! For current prescribing information refer to the package insert and /or contact your local Bayer Schering Pharma Organisation. Bayer Schering Pharma AG, 13342 Berlin, Germany.

 

INDICATIONS & USAGE

NEXAVAR is an anticancer medicine used to treat a certain type of liver or kidney cancer called:

• hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), when it cannot be treated with surgery
• renal cell carcinoma (RCC, a type of kidney cancer).

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION ABOUT NEXAVAR

NEXAVAR may cause birth defects or death of an unborn baby. Avoid becoming pregnant while taking NEXAVAR and for at least 2 weeks after stopping your treatment. Men and women should use birth control during and at least 2 weeks after NEXAVAR therapy. Call your doctor right away if you become pregnant. Do not breastfeed while taking NEXAVAR as this medication may be passed through breast milk.

Before starting NEXAVAR, tell your doctor if you have: allergies; heart problems or chest pain; bleeding or bruising problems; high blood pressure; or kidney or liver problems. NEXAVAR may interact with certain other medicines so tell your doctor about all medicines you take including prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements. It is especially important to tell your doctor if you take warfarin (Coumadin).

NEXAVAR may cause serious side effects, including:

• decreased blood flow to the heart and heart attack Get emergency help if you have chest pain, shortness of breath, feel lightheaded or faint, have nausea or vomiting, or you are sweating a lot.
• bleeding problems. Tell your doctor if you have any bleeding or easy bruising while taking NEXAVAR.
• high blood pressure. Your blood pressure should be checked every week during the first 6 weeks of starting therapy and then regularly, thereafter. If your blood pressure is high, it may need to be treated.
• a skin problem called hand-foot skin reaction. This causes redness, pain, swelling or blisters on the palms of your hands and soles of your feet. Your doctor may change your dose or stop treatment for a while.
• perforation of the bowel. Tell your doctor right away if you get high fever, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain.
• wound healing problems. If you have a surgical or dental procedure, tell your doctor you are taking NEXAVAR. Your treatment may be stopped until after your surgery or until your wound heals.

Other side effects with NEXAVAR can include: rash, redness, itching or peeling skin; hair thinning or loss; diarrhea; nausea/vomiting; mouth sores; weakness; loss of appetite; numbness, tingling or pain in hands and feet; abdominal pain; tiredness; or weight loss. Tell your doctor if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.

Please see full Prescribing Information

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.