PREGNANCY, FERTILITY, AND FAMILY PLANNING Pregnancy Prevention Whether you are a woman of childbearing age or a man who is sexually active, it is important that you use effective birth control while on treatment and for the specified time thereafter. These medications can cause fetal harm. Each medication varies in its warnings related to fetal harm and use of birth control.
Targeted Therapies • People taking dabrafenib + trametinib should use an effective nonhormonal birth control method such as a condom, diaphragm, or spermicide during treatment and for four months after the last dose. Hormonal birth control (is not recommended because of the potential for interaction with this drug combination • People taking vemurafenib + cobimetinib should use an effective nonhormonal birth control method such as a condom, diaphragm, or spermicide during treatment and for two weeks after the last dose. Hormonal birth control is not recommended because of the potential for interaction with this drug combination • People taking encorafenib + binimetinib should use an effective nonhormonal birth control method such as a condom, diaphragm, or spermicide during treatment and for one month after the last dose. Hormonal birth control is not recommended because of the potential for interaction with this drug combination.
Immunotherapies • For nivolumab or pembrolizumab or the combination of nivolumab + ipilimumab, you should use an effective method of birth control during treatment and for six months after the last dose of therapy • For T-VEC, you should use an effective method of birth control during treatment and for 30 days after the last administration. Sexual intercourse without a latex condom should be avoided. A patient who received T-VEC should wait three months before becoming pregnant. Special care needs to be made to avoid exposing a pregnant woman to the herpes virus since it can be transmitted to the baby during birth. Close contacts who are pregnant should avoid changing dressings and coming in contact with fluids of the patient during the course of therapy • For IL-2, the benefits of therapy need to be weighed against potential fetal harm.
Stage IV Melanoma Treatment Options • Making the Decision That’s Right for You Copyright © 2022 AIM at Melanoma Foundation and Terranova Medica, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Document Released January 26, 2022.
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