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Provenge® (sipuleucel-T) Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is Provenge?3> Provenge is a prescription medicine that is used to treat some patients with advanced prostate cancer. The vaccine is made from your own immune cells. It has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an autologous cellular immunotherapy for the treatment of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic castrate resistant (hormone refractory) prostate cancer.How does Provenge vaccine work?The precise mechanism of action of Provenge is not known,
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What does Provenge do?What are the Provenge vaccine side effects?The most common side effects include chills, fatigue, fever, back pain, nausea, joint ache, and headache. Provenge infusion can cause serious reactions. Tell your doctor right away if you have breathing problems, chest pains, racing heart, or irregular heartbeats, dizziness, nausea, or vomiting after getting Provenge, because any of these may be signs of heart or lung problems. Tell your doctor right away if you get a fever over 100°F, or redness at the infusion or collection sites, because any of these may be signs of infection and about any side effect that concerns you or does not go away. These can be other possible vaccine side effects of Provenge treatment, voice your concerns with your doctor.What should I tell my doctor before receiving Provenge?He should be made aware about all your medical problems, including heart and lung problems, or a history of stroke. he should know about all the medicines you take, including prescription drugs and nonprescription drugs, vitamins, herbal and dietary supplements.What dose Provenge vaccine treatment consist of?Vaccine treatment with Provenge involves 3 doses given approximately 2 weeks apart. The total course of treatment with Provenge can be completed in approximately 1 month. Each dose of Provenge is given intravenously and takes approximately 60 minutes to infuse. Before receiving a dose of Provenge, a patient may be given an acetaminophen, such as Tylenol®, and an antihistamine such as Benadryl®, orally, to reduce the potential for side effects. Each infusion is preceded by a leukapheresis procedure. After 3 doses, no further treatment with Provenge is required.What is leukapheresis?Since Provenge is made from your immune cells, your cells will be collected approximately 3 days before each scheduled infusion of Provenge. You will need to go to a cell collection center for this collection procedure. The collection is called leukapheresis (pronounced loo-kuh-fuh-REE-sis). For this procedure, a small tube (catheter) will be placed into veins in each arm or in a vein in your upper chest or neck. Once the procedure begins, blood will flow from your vein into a machine where the blood is separated into various components. The immune cells (along with some of the platelets and a small amount of red blood cells) are removed. The rest of the cells and the plasma are returned to your body.A leukapheresis procedure can last from 3 to 4 hours. What are the possible side effects of the leukapheresis procedure? Side effects following a leukapheresis procedure are not common, but can include tingling in the fingers and around the mouth, dizziness, feeling light-headed, nausea, and feeling cold. If you have poor venous access, you may need to have an in-dwelling catheter (a thin tube placed into a large vein for a period of time) to collect the immune cells. In Study 1, 23.0% of patients needed an in-dwelling catheter. Contamination of venous catheters can result in infections, which may interrupt your treatment with Provenge and cause additional complications that lead to serious injury, hospitalization, or death. Symptoms of infections could include fever and redness or pain at the catheter site. These symptoms should be reported to your doctor immediately. If you experience an unexplained fever, you should contact your doctor or medical provider and seek emergency care. Where can I get Provenge?Click for protate cancer survivors..., Click for protate cancer FAQs... Prostate Cancer Questions and Answers
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