What should you consider when deciding on monoclonal antibody drug treatment?

Discuss your cancer treatment options with your health care provider. Together you can weigh the benefits and risks of each treatment and decide whether a monoclonal antibody treatment is right for you.

Questions to ask your health care team include:

• Have my cancer cells been tested to see if a monoclonal antibody treatment might be of benefit? Tests of your cancer cells can often tell if monoclonal antibody treatments might help your specific cancer.
• Has the monoclonal antibody drug shown a clear benefit? Ask about evidence of the treatment's effect in studies. Did it slow cancer growth? Did it shrink the cancer? Is this a first line of treatment or a treatment we try when others don't work?
• What are the likely side effects of monoclonal antibody treatment? With your provider, you can determine whether the potential side effects of treatment are worth the likely benefit.
• Do the potential benefits outweigh the risks? Consider asking what might happen if you choose not to have monoclonal antibody treatment.
• How much will monoclonal antibody treatment cost? Monoclonal antibody treatments can be very expensive.
• Is monoclonal antibody treatment available in a clinical trial? Clinical trials, which are studies of new treatments and new ways to use existing treatments, may be available to you. A clinical trial may give you a chance to try new monoclonal antibody drugs. Ask whether any clinical trials may be open to you.