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Preparing for treatment with ADCETRIS

Working with your healthcare team and learning what to expect from treatment can help you feel more confident in making your treatment decision.

Justin was treated with ADCETRIS plus AVD

Starting ADCETRIS

Before starting treatment, it’s important to tell your doctor about the following:

  • All of your medical conditions.
  • Current medications, including over-the-counter drugs, and any herbal or vitamin supplements you may be taking. ADCETRIS can interact with some types of drugs.
  • If you or your partner are pregnant, may become pregnant, or plan to become pregnant. Do not receive ADCETRIS while pregnant. Patients who are able to become pregnant should use effective birth control during treatment and for 2 months after their last ADCETRIS dose. Partners of patients who can become pregnant should use effective birth control during treatment and for 4 months after the last dose.
  • If you or your partner are breastfeeding. Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in a breastfed child from ADCETRIS, breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment.

Use the questions in the Doctor Discussion Guide to get started talking about ADCETRIS treatment with your doctor.

For adults with previously untreated stage 3 or 4 Hodgkin lymphoma, our Treatment Decision Guide compares ADCETRIS plus AVD with a common chemotherapy regimen. This can help you consider which treatment may be best for you.

How ADCETRIS is given

Previously untreated
Relapsed
After stem cell transplant

  • Previously untreated classical Hodgkin lymphoma

    • ADCETRIS is given with chemotherapy (AVD) as an intravenous (IV) infusion (directly into the vein), at the doctor’s office or clinic.

    • The infusion is given every 2 weeks with chemotherapy for up to 6 months (12 treatments) until your disease progresses or you have serious side effects.

    • The ADCETRIS infusion takes about 30 minutes. Additional time is needed for AVD chemotherapy infusions. Your doctor may ask you to come to the office early to prepare and stay afterward for monitoring.

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  • Relapsed classical Hodgkin lymphoma

    • ADCETRIS is given with chemotherapy (AVD) as an intravenous (IV) infusion (directly into the vein), at the doctor’s office or clinic.

    • The infusion is given every 3 weeks until your disease progresses or if you have unacceptable side effects.

    • The ADCETRIS infusion takes about 30 minutes. Additional time is needed for AVD chemotherapy infusions. Your doctor may ask you to come to the office early to prepare and stay afterward for monitoring.

    In the clinical study, people were treated with ADCETRIS for up to 1 year.

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  • After stem cell transplant

    • ADCETRIS treatment begins 4 to 6 weeks after your stem cell transplant or when your doctor decides you are ready. It will be given as an intravenous (IV) infusion (directly into the vein) at the referring doctor's office or transplant center.

    • Once you are at home, ADCETRIS may continue at the doctor’s office or at an outpatient clinic.

    • The infusion is given every 3 weeks for up to 16 doses. You may get fewer than 16 doses if your disease gets worse or if you have serious side effects.

    • The infusion takes about 30 minutes. Your doctor may ask you to come to the office early to prepare and stay afterward for monitoring.

    The full course of ADCETRIS takes about 1 year.

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Glossary

AVD: A combination of 3 chemotherapies—Adriamycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine.

Relapse: When cancer has returned after a period of remission.

Why it’s important to tell your doctor how you’re feeling

  • If you have certain side effects, such as peripheral neuropathy or neutropenia, your doctor may need to change or delay your dose of ADCETRIS.
  • If side effects are severe or do not get better, you may need to stop taking ADCETRIS.
  • Having side effects doesn’t always mean that you’ll need to stop treatment, but it’s important to tell your healthcare team how you are feeling.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any signs or symptoms of serious side effects.

Learn about possible side effects

Reminders for after treatment

It’s important to have regular follow-ups with your healthcare team.

  • Ask for treatment summaries so you have a record of your therapy for follow-up treatment discussions
  • Connect with other people with Hodgkin lymphoma and build a network of support
  • Talk with your healthcare team about any possible late or long-term side effects, or signs that your cancer may come back

See how ADCETRIS helped patients change their future

Mary Ann and her doctor discussed ADCETRIS plus AVD as an option for her first-time Stage 4 classical Hodgkin lymphoma treatment. Learn how she and others with advanced stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma worked with their doctors to treat with ADCETRIS.

See patient stories

ADCETRIS will not work for everyone.

Learn about the long-term study results for ADCETRIS plus AVD

View follow-up data at 6 years for patients with previously untreated Stage 3 or 4 classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

See study results