Overview of PROVENGE Treatment
Understanding the PROVENGE treatment process
Treatment with PROVENGE includes 3 doses given approximately 2 weeks apart.
To get a clear understanding of what is involved in PROVENGE therapy; it can be helpful to break down each dose into 2 steps: Cell Collection and PROVENGE treatment.
1. Cell Collection
Each dose of PROVENGE is made just for you. To make each dose, blood will be drawn from your body and passed through a machine that collects a small portion of your immune cells, along with some platelets and a small number of red blood cells. The machine returns the rest of the cells and blood to your body.
- This cell collection process is called leukapheresisThe process of removing some white blood cells from the blood of a patient and returning the rest of the cells to the patient’s body. (pronounced loo-kuh-fuh-REE-sis) and takes 3- to 4-hours.
- Your cell collection will take place at a blood center that has been trained to perform the procedure.
2. PROVENGE Treatment
Your immune cells are then sent to a manufacturing facility to be made into a dose of PROVENGE specifically for you.
- Each dose of PROVENGE is given about 3 days after your cell collection procedure, and your appointment will take about 2 hours.
- After 3 doses, your treatment with PROVENGE is complete.
A sample schedule is shown below for your reference.
Next: Preparing for PROVENGE Treatment
PROVENGE is made from your own immune cells. Your cells will be collected at a cell collection center approximately 3 days before
each scheduled infusion of PROVENGE. There can be risks associated with the cell collection process, which you should discuss with
your doctor before deciding to begin treatment with PROVENGE.
PROVENGE can cause serious reactions. In controlled clinical trials for the treatment of prostate cancer, serious reactions
reported in patients in the PROVENGE group include reactions resulting from the infusion of the drug, which occurred within 1
day of infusion, and strokes. Severe infusion reactions included chills, fever, fatigue, weakness, breathing problems (shortness
of breath, decreased oxygen level, and wheezing), dizziness, headache, high blood pressure, muscle ache, nausea, and vomiting.
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.
The most common side effects reported with PROVENGE are chills, fatigue, fever, back pain, nausea, joint ache, and headache. These
are not all the possible side effects of PROVENGE treatment. For more information, talk with your doctor.
Tell your doctor about all your medical problems including heart problems, lung problems or a history of stroke.
Tell your doctor right away if you get a fever over 100°F, or redness at the cell collection or infusion sites,
because any of these may be signs of infection.
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription drugs, vitamins, and dietary supplements.
Tell your doctor about any side effect that concerns you or does not go away.
For more information on PROVENGE, please see the Full Prescribing Information or
call Dendreon ON Call at 1-877-336-3736.