It's one of the toughest questions when it comes to cancer treatment: what if your treatment doesn't work or stops working? And there are no other options?
Cancer researchers and doctors work tirelessly to keep that from happening. That's why they continuously look for new and better treatments. So if a treatment doesn't work, there's a backup plan. And even another backup after that.
That's why tarlatamab, a new BiTE therapy for small cell lung cancer is such big news.
What Is BiTE Therapy?
BiTE therapy is a new treatment for stage 4 small cell lung cancer. It's FDA-approved to use if other treatments, like chemotherapy and immunotherapy, don't work or stop working.
And that happens to most people with stage 4 small cell lung cancer. An average of 6 months after people are diagnosed, those first treatments stop working.
Stage 4 lung cancer can't be cured. But research shows that BiTE therapy with tarlatamab can give you more time with higher quality of life. It gives you an option where there weren't many options before.
How Do I Get BiTE Therapy?
With FDA approval, more cancer centers throughout the U.S. are offering BiTE therapy for small cell lung cancer. UVA Health was the first to offer it in Virginia. And we're making it easier for patients to get this treatment.
Want More Info on BiTE Therapy?
Get the details on this new treatment for stage 4 small cell lung cancer.
BiTE therapy can cause side effects like fever, low blood pressure, and difficulty breathing. These can become life-threatening. It's important to watch for them and treat them early. As centers first started giving the therapy, patients had to stay in the hospital overnight to watch for these side effects.
To make things easier on patients, UVA Health came up with a way for patients to get BiTE therapy without a hospital stay. In some cases, we can give patients a kit that a caregiver can use to check things like temperature and blood pressure. We ask patients to stay within 1 hour of the hospital, so you can get here quickly if you have side effects we need to treat.
How Does BiTE Therapy Work?
It's our immune system's job to find and destroy harmful things like cancer cells. But some cancers can "hide" from the immune system.
Tarlatamab interacts with immune cells in your body called T-cells and cancer cells. It forms a "link" between them. That helps your T-cells see the cancer cells and destroy them.
How Do I Know If BiTE Therapy Is Right for Me?
If you have stage 4 small cell lung cancer, talk with your doctor about this therapy. That way, you have a plan in place if the first treatments you try don't work.
If your cancer center doesn't offer this therapy, you can ask your doctor to refer you to a center that does offer it. Or you can contact that center yourself and ask for a second opinion.
