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With AFINITOR
AFINITOR is a prescription medicine used to treat advanced hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, along with the medicine exemestane, in postmenopausal women who have already received certain other medicines for their cancer.
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
Disease Background
Table of Contents
Section 1 Disease Background............................................... 7
What is metastatic breast cancer (MBC)?............................................................. 8 Can I be diagnosed with MBC if Ive never had breast cancer?............................ 9 What does it mean that my cancer is hormone receptor-positive (HR+)?............ 9 What are some potential treatment options for breast cancer?............................10 If the breast cancer has spread and is now metastatic, does hormonal therapy still work?....................................................................11 What makes AFINITOR different?.........................................................................12 Why might AFINITOR be the right choice?...........................................................14
Section 3
On Treatment Support...........................................37
What should I do if I miss a dose of AFINITOR?.................................................. 38 How might my healthcare team manage any side effects that I may experience while taking AFINITOR?.............................................. 40 What management approaches might my healthcare team recommend if I experience mouth sores?........................................................................... 42 What should I do if I experience lung or breathing problems during treatment?............................................................................................. 44 Will stopping or changing my AFINITOR dose impact the potential benefit of my treatment?............................................................................................. 46 Where can I find additional support and resources?............................................ 48
Starting AFINITOR
Section 2
On Treatment Support
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
Disease Background
This guide, together with conversations with your healthcare team, can help you learn more about Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) and the benefits of AFINITOR treatment.
Remember to always be open with your healthcare team about any questions, thoughts, or concerns. You are the central member of your team. Asking questions and talking openly about your concerns will help you understand your options and be confident about your decisions. By partnering with your healthcare team, you can help make sure you are empowered to take control of the next stage of your treatment. Living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is a journeya journey filled with many different emotions. You may feel anxious, restless, or uncertain of what to do. While many women have MBC, your journey and your challenges are unique to you and your life.
Starting AFINITOR
On Treatment Support
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
Disease Background
Disease Background
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
Disease Background
of primary breast cancer if the breast cancer metastasized, or spread beyond the breast, before the disease was detected
It is also possible for previously diagnosed and treated breast cancer
breast to another part of the body (such as the bones, liver, lungs, or brain)
Metastatic tumors form from the initial
Starting AFINITOR
tumor found in the breast, known as the primary tumor, and share similar characteristics
MBC is also referred to as stage 4
Brain
Bone
It is important to understand your type of cancer so you can partner with your healthcare team and be prepared for the next step in your treatment journey.
On Treatment Support
Liver
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
Disease Background
If the breast cancer has spread and is now metastatic, does hormonal therapy still work?
Over time, hormonal treatment may stop working, allowing cancer to
Local Therapy
Therapy for problematic tumors that have spread in one part of the body S urgery (such as lumpectomy, mastectomy) Radiation therapy
Systemic Therapy
Therapy given by mouth or directly into the bloodstream Hormonal therapy Targeted therapy Chemotherapy
Starting AFINITOR
Tumors can change, and sometimes taking just one medicine isnt
enough to treat them If you've been living with breast cancer for a while, you may be familiar with chemotherapy and hormonal therapy. You may have been treated with hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, or both, earlier in your journey. Metastatic breast cancer is different from earlier forms of disease and may require new types of medication.
Hormonal therapy is the most common treatment choice for postmenopausal women with HR+ MBC.
Hormonal therapy adds, blocks, or removes hormones to help slow
Be open with your healthcare team about your experiences and ask them questions to learn more. Your healthcare team will work alongside you to determine the best options for your next stage.
On Treatment Support
natural hormones
Hormonal therapy is also referred to as endocrine therapy
10
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
11
Disease Background
AFINITOR
Starting AFINITOR
AFINITOR:
Is different from both conventional hormonal therapy and
chemotherapy
Enhances hormonal therapy when hormonal therapy alone
target disease, and may help you stay on hormonal treatment longer before considering other therapies
Is taken once a day by mouth, whenever it is most convenient
for you
AFINITOR taken with exemestane is proven effective in giving you more time than exemestane alone without the disease progressing, or getting worse.
On Treatment Support
12
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
13
Disease Background
Starting AFINITOR
7.8
In the clinical trial, AFINITOR combined with exemestane lowered the risk of disease progression by more than half compared to exemestane alone*
55%
MONTHS
3.2
MONTHS
On Treatment Support
In the 18-month median follow-up analysis of the BOLERO-2 phase 3 clinical trial.
14
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
15
Disease Background
16
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
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Disease Background
Starting AFINITOR
10 mg
10 mg Once Daily
with food; for example, if you plan to take AFINITOR with a meal or snack, you must continue taking AFINITOR in this way of water
By taking AFINITOR every day as directed by your healthcare team, you have the best chance of slowing the progression of the disease.
On Treatment Support
18
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
19
10 mg Once Daily
Disease Background
Be sure to discuss the following with your healthcare team before starting therapy with AFINITOR:
Other medications you may be taking while taking AFINITOR
Starting AFINITOR
On Treatment Support
20
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
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Disease Background
Don't forget
Taking AFINITOR and exemestane consistently and regularly, as directed by your healthcare team, will give you a stronger chance of controlling disease progression.
The following suggestions may be helpful reminders to staying on track with your treatment journey:
Schedule taking your medication as part of
<
You may also want to consider joining a local support group and pairing with someone else who is also undergoing treatment for metastatic breast cancer. Please refer to pages 48-49 of this guide for a list of resources for additional support.
Starting AFINITOR
Speaking with a buddy who is on a similar journey can help you stay motivated with your treatment plan.
On Treatment Support
22
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
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Disease Background
called pneumonitis)
High blood sugar levels (also called hyperglycemia)
If you experience any changes in how you feel, reach out to your healthcare team.
Using a daily journal or log can help you note changes in how you feel and record any potential side effects you may experience. Partner with your healthcare team to learn more and identify possible treatmentrelated side effects early. You may be concerned that talking with your healthcare team about any side effects you may experience means stopping your treatment with AFINITOR, but that isn't always the case. Open communication helps your healthcare team to better help you in properly managing your side effects.
<
Starting AFINITOR
Common side effects that have been reported during AFINITOR treatment include:
Mouth ulcers and sores (also called stomatitis) Rash Feeling weak or tired Diarrhea Nausea Loss of appetite
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On Treatment Support
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
25
Disease Background
Starting AFINITOR
Talk to your healthcare team to learn more. They may offer some tips to help prevent or manage mouth sores, such as:
Using a special mouthwash or mouth gel that does not contain
On Treatment Support
26
*BOLERO-2, a phase 3 clinical trial of AFINITOR, along with the medicine exemestane, for the treatment of advanced hormone receptor-positive, HER2- negative breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have already received certain other medicines for their cancer.
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
27
Disease Background
Starting AFINITOR
Share any changes in how you feel with your healthcare team as soon as possible. Maintaining open communication during your treatment journey is important to help identify and manage potential side effects appropriately.
On Treatment Support
28
*BOLERO-2, a phase 3 clinical trial of AFINITOR, along with the medicine exemestane, for the treatment of advanced hormone receptor-positive, HER2- negative breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have already received certain other medicines for their cancer.
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
29
Disease Background
Starting AFINITOR
On Treatment Support
This is an example of the type of rash that patients may experience while being treated with AFINITOR.
*BOLERO-2, a phase 3 clinical trial of AFINITOR, along with the medicine exemestane, for the treatment of advanced hormone receptor-positive, HER2- negative breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have already received certain other medicines for their cancer.
30
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
31
Disease Background
Speak to your healthcare team immediately if you experience any of the following:
Lung or breathing problems, especially cough,
Starting AFINITOR
be from infection
Swelling of the feet or ankles, blood in your
urine, vomiting, nausea, or diarrhea; these could be signs of developing kidney failure
Your healthcare team will do tests to check
On Treatment Support
32
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
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Disease Background
Starting AFINITOR
and blister foil; throw away all AFINITOR tablets that are out of date or no longer needed
Do not use any pack that appears damaged
On Treatment Support
34
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
35
Disease Background
On Treatment Support
36
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
37
Disease Background
on treatment support
What should I do if I miss a dose of AFINITOR?
It is very important to maintain a consistent schedule when taking AFINITOR and to take your medication as prescribed. If you do miss a dose:
Take your next dose as scheduled at your usual time the
Remember, set a schedule and make taking your AFINITOR tablets part of your daily routine.
Be sure to speak with your healthcare team before starting any new medications. Please refer to pages 18-23 for important reminders for your treatment journey with AFINITOR.
Starting AFINITOR
next day
Do not take two doses to make up for a missed dose Call your healthcare team if you are unsure or have
additional questions
<
On Treatment Support
Using a calendar or a daily reminder may help keep you from missing an AFINITOR dose.
38
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
39
Disease Background
Possible approaches
Your healthcare team may use one of the following approaches to help you best manage possible side effects:
Temporary break in taking AFINITOR until your side effect
gets better
Temporary change to a lower AFINITOR dose until your side
Starting AFINITOR
It is important to remember that dose changes and management of side effects are part of all cancer therapies.
Often, managing side effects is needed so you can get the most possible benefit from your treatment.
Review the list of common possible side effects on pages 24-25 of this guide and speak with your healthcare team to learn more about the management strategies for each.
On Treatment Support
40
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
41
Disease Background
Management approaches
stomatitis
What management approaches might my healthcare team recommend if I experience mouth sores?
During treatment, some patients may experience mouth sores, also called stomatitis, a very common side effect of AFINITOR. In a clinical trial,* half of the patients that experienced mouth sores during treatment with AFINITOR saw symptoms within the first 2 weeks of therapy.
Depending on the type of mouth sores and how you are feeling, your healthcare team may recommend the following management approaches:
Use a special mouthwash or mouth gel that does not contain
Starting AFINITOR
Products containing alcohol, peroxide, iodine, or thyme may worsen mouth sores. Talk to your healthcare team to learn more about ways to help improve symptoms of stomatitis.
On Treatment Support
42
*BOLERO-2, a phase 3 clinical trial of AFINITOR, along with the medicine exemestane, for the treatment of advanced hormone receptor-positive, HER2- negative breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have already received certain other medicines for their cancer.
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
43
Disease Background
Management approaches
noninfectious pneumonitis
What should I do if I experience lung or breathing problems during treatment?
If you experience lung or breathing problems while taking AFINITOR, it may be related to a condition called noninfectious pneumonitis. In a clinical trial,* half of the patients that experienced pneumonitis during treatment with AFINITOR saw symptoms within the first 4 months of therapy. Speak to your healthcare team if you feel changes in your lungs or breathing, including a cough, coughing up blood, chest pain, or shortness of breath. These symptoms may be a sign of a serious side effect.
corticosteroid
A break in taking AFINITOR for a
Starting AFINITOR
period of time
On Treatment Support
44
*BOLERO-2, a phase 3 clinical trial of AFINITOR, along with the medicine exemestane, for the treatment of advanced hormone receptor-positive, HER2- negative breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have already received certain other medicines for their cancer.
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
45
Disease Background
Dose modifications
Starting AFINITOR
different types of cancer treatments and is an approach that may allow patients to stay on treatment longer
Often, temporary changes in your medication dose is the best
Of the patients in a clinical trial* who modified their AFINITOR dose and resumed the 10-mg dose, about 3 out of every 4 were able to do so in 2 weeks.
approach to help you stay on AFINITOR for as long as possible and get the most from your therapy
Speak with your healthcare team to learn more about changes
in your AFINITOR dose as well as other management strategies for potential side effects
On Treatment Support
46
*BOLERO-2, a phase 3 clinical trial of AFINITOR, along with the medicine exemestane, for the treatment of advanced hormone receptor-positive, HER2- negative breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have already received certain other medicines for their cancer.
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
47
Disease Background
The below list of support groups and national organizations may also be helpful to you and your family to learn more about living with breast cancer.
These groups and organizations are independent from Novartis. Novartis has no control over, and is not responsible for, any information provided by these entities.
48
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
49
Disease Background
Starting AFINITOR
How is metastatic breast cancer (MBC) different from earlier stages of the disease?
How will I know if the treatment is working? What are the possible treatment options for MBC? How have my goals for therapy changed from my earlier treatment goals? On Treatment Support
50
Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
51
Disease Background
Important Safety Information Patients should not take AFINITOR if they are allergic to AFINITOR or to any of its ingredients. Patients should tell their healthcare provider before taking AFINITOR if they are allergic to sirolimus (Rapamune ) or temsirolimus (Torisel ). AFINITOR can cause serious side effects, which can even lead to death. If patients experience these side effects, they may need to stop taking AFINITOR for a while or use a lower dose. Patients should follow their healthcare providers instructions. Serious side effects include: Lung or Breathing Problems: In some patients, lung or breathing problems may be severe and can even lead to death. Patients should tell their healthcare provider right away if they have any of these symptoms: new or worsening cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, difficulty breathing, or wheezing. Infections: AFINITOR may make patients more likely to develop an infection, such as pneumonia, sepsis, or a bacterial, fungal, or viral infection. Viral infections may include reactivation of hepatitis B in people who have had hepatitis B in the past. In some people these infections may be severe and can even lead to death. Patients may need to be treated as soon as possible. Patients should tell their healthcare provider right away if they have a temperature of 38.1C or above, chills, or do not feel well. Symptoms of hepatitis B or infection may include the following: fever, chills, skin rash, joint pain and inflammation, tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea, pale stool or dark urine, yellowing of the skin, or pain in the upper right side of the stomach.
Kidney Failure: Patients taking AFINITOR may develop kidney failure. In some people this may be severe and can even lead to death. Patients should have tests to check their kidney function before and during their treatment with AFINITOR. Before taking AFINITOR, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you:
Have or have had kidney problems Have or have had liver problems Have diabetes or high blood sugar Have high blood cholesterol levels Have any infections Previously had hepatitis B Are scheduled to receive any vaccinations. You should not receive
Starting AFINITOR
a live vaccine or be around people who have recently received a live vaccine during your treatment with AFINITOR. If you are not sure about the type of vaccine, ask your healthcare provider
Have other medical conditions Are pregnant or could become pregnant. AFINITOR can cause
harm to your unborn baby. You should use effective birth control while using AFINITOR and for 8 weeks after stopping treatment
Are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed. You and your healthcare
On Treatment Support
provider should decide if you will take AFINITOR or breast-feed. You should not do both Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
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Disease Background
Tell your healthcare provider about all of the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Using AFINITOR with certain other medicines can cause serious side effects. Keep a list of medicines you take and show it to your healthcare provider when you get a new medicine. Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take St. Johns wort ( Hypericum perforatum), medicines that weaken your immune system (your bodys ability to fight infections and other problems), or medicines for:
Fungal infections Bacterial infections Tuberculosis Seizures HIV-AIDS Heart conditions or high
Common Side Effects: AFINITOR can cause mouth ulcers and sores. Other common side effects include:
Infections Feeling weak or tired Cough, shortness of breath Diarrhea and constipation Rash, dry skin, and itching Nausea and vomiting Fever Loss of appetite, weight loss Swelling of arms, hands, Headache Nosebleeds or spontaneous
bleeding or bruising
Pain in arms and legs,
Starting AFINITOR
High blood glucose High blood pressure Difficulty sleeping Hair loss Muscle spasms Feeling dizzy Nail disorders
blood pressure If you are taking any medicines for the conditions listed above, your healthcare provider might need to prescribe a different medicine or your dose of AFINITOR may need to be changed. Tell your healthcare provider before you start taking any new medicine.
On Treatment Support
Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of AFINITOR. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Call your healthcare team for medical advice about side effects.
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Please see Important Safety Information on pages 52-55. Please see accompanying Summary of Product Characteristics.
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