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KEYTRUDA works with your immune system to help fight cancer cells
KEYTRUDA is not chemotherapy or radiation therapy—it is an immunotherapy and it works with your immune system to help fight certain cancers.
KEYTRUDA can cause your immune system to attack normal organs and tissues in any area of your body and can affect the way they work. These problems can sometimes become severe or life-threatening and can lead to death. You can have more than one of these problems at the same time. These problems may happen anytime during treatment or even after your treatment has ended.
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How KEYTRUDA works
Cancer cells may use the PD-1 pathway to hide from T cells
The immune system is your body’s natural defense against disease. The immune system sends certain types of cells called T cells throughout your body to detect and fight infections and diseases—including cancer.
Cancer cells may use the PD-1 pathway to hide from T cells. This stops T cells from attacking cancer cells and allows cancer cells to grow and spread.
PD-1 = programmed death receptor-1
KEYTRUDA blocks the PD-1 pathway to help prevent cancer cells from hiding
KEYTRUDA is a type of immunotherapy that works by blocking the PD-1 pathway to help prevent cancer cells from hiding. KEYTRUDA helps the immune system do what it was meant to do: detect and fight cancer cells.
KEYTRUDA can cause your immune system to attack normal organs and tissues in any area of your body and can affect the way they work. These problems can sometimes become severe or life-threatening and can lead to death. You can have more than one of these problems at the same time. These problems may happen anytime during treatment or even after your treatment has ended.
How KEYTRUDA and chemotherapy work
For certain types of cancer, KEYTRUDA is approved to be used along with chemotherapy. See the list of indications for KEYTRUDA below, and ask your doctor if KEYTRUDA and chemotherapy is right for you.
Nurse:
I’m Jane Arboleda, Oncology Nurse, and I’m going to explain how two different types of medicine work in the body: immunotherapy and chemotherapy.
Let’s start with chemotherapy, which works by killing quickly growing cancer cells directly. This may also damage normal, fast-growing cells.
Now, let’s talk about immunotherapy. Your immune system sends T cells throughout your body in search of invaders, like cancer cells, to attack.
But certain cancer cells can flip a switch in what’s known as the PD-1 pathway, enabling them to hide from T cells allowing cancer cells to multiply and spread.
Here’s where one specific type of immunotherapy, called KEYTRUDA, may help. KEYTRUDA doesn’t attack cancer cells directly. Instead, it blocks the PD-1 pathway, to help prevent cancer cells from hiding, allowing the T cells to attack.
Male Narrator:
KEYTRUDA is a prescription medicine that may be used with the chemotherapy medicines pemetrexed and a platinum as a first treatment if you have advanced nonsquamous, non–small cell lung cancer and you do not have an abnormal “EGFR” or “ALK” gene.
Nurse:
Two different types of medicines used to help fight cancer: KEYTRUDA and chemotherapy.
Male Narrator:
KEYTRUDA can cause your immune system to attack healthy parts of your body during or after treatment. This may be severe and lead to death.
See your doctor right away if you have cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, diarrhea, severe stomach pain, severe nausea or vomiting, headache, light sensitivity, eye problems, irregular heartbeat, extreme tiredness, constipation, dizziness or fainting, changes in appetite, thirst, or urine, confusion, memory problems, muscle pain or weakness, fever, rash, itching, or flushing.
There may be other side effects. Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including immune system problems, if you’ve had or plan to have an organ or stem cell transplant, received chest radiation, or have a nervous system problem.
KEYTRUDA, from Merck. Ask your doctor about KEYTRUDA.
Please read the Medication Guide for KEYTRUDA, and discuss it with your doctor. The physician Prescribing Information also is available. Select links to access.