Caregiver support and resources

Being supportive and providing care for a family member or friend going through cancer can be difficult for the ones closest to them. Being a caregiver can take a physical and emotional toll. So it is important to take time for yourself. The better you can take care of yourself, the better care you can take of your loved one.

Caregivers need care, too.

Tips for taking care of yourself:

Maintaining a healthy mindset through meditation

Research has shown that mindfulness meditation may help caregivers by fostering acceptance and by creating a comfortable acknowledgment of stressors. Below are some basic steps to help you get started in your meditation practice.

Helpful links for caregivers

For spouses, friends, or family caring for loved ones with cancer, it is also important for them to find support and resources. Learn more about your important role as a caregiver by visiting the websites of the advocacy organizations below.

American Cancer Society

Find out what to expect if you become a caregiver for someone with cancer, and get tips for making sure that you take care of yourself as well.

Visit website

CancerCare

CancerCare provides free, professional support services for caregivers and loved ones, as well as caregiving information and additional resources.

Visit website

Cancer Support Community

Explore the comprehensive guides, tips, and testimonials provided.

Visit website

Help for Cancer Caregivers

This website can help you pinpoint your current sources of strain and create a Personal Care Guide to help improve your well-being.

Visit website

Caregiver Action Network

Caregiver Action Network (CAN) is a leading family caregiver organization working to improve the quality of life for caregivers and their loved ones.

Visit website

The organizations listed above are independent nonprofit organizations. Their inclusion here does not imply endorsement of LIBTAYO or Regeneron.

Important Safety
Information

What is the most important information I should know about LIBTAYO?

LIBTAYO is a medicine that may treat certain cancers by working with your immune system. LIBTAYO can cause your immune system to attack normal organs and tissues in any area of your body and can affect the way they work. These problems can sometimes become severe or life-threatening and can lead to death. You can have more than one of these problems at the same time. These problems may happen anytime during treatment or even after your treatment has ended.

Call or see your healthcare provider right away if you develop any new or worsening signs or symptoms, including:

Lung problems: cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain
Intestinal problems: diarrhea (loose stools) or more frequent bowel movements than usual, stools that are black, tarry, sticky or have blood or mucus, or severe stomach-area (abdomen) pain or tenderness
Liver problems: yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes, severe nausea or vomiting, pain on the right side of your stomach-area (abdomen), dark urine (tea colored), or bleeding or bruising more easily than normal
Hormone gland problems: headache that will not go away or unusual headaches, eye sensitivity to light, eye problems, rapid heartbeat, increased sweating, extreme tiredness, weight gain or weight loss, feeling more hungry or thirsty than usual, urinating more often than usual, hair loss, feeling cold, constipation, your voice gets deeper, dizziness or fainting, or changes in mood or behavior, such as decreased sex drive, irritability, or forgetfulness
Kidney problems: decrease in your amount of urine, blood in your urine, swelling of your ankles, or loss of appetite
Skin problems: rash, itching, skin blistering or peeling, painful sores or ulcers in mouth or nose, throat, or genital area, fever or flu-like symptoms, or swollen lymph nodes
Problems can also happen in other organs and tissues. These are not all of the signs and symptoms of immune system problems that can happen with LIBTAYO. Call or see your healthcare provider right away for any new or worsening signs or symptoms, which may include: chest pain, irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath or swelling of ankles, confusion, sleepiness, memory problems, changes in mood or behavior, stiff neck, balance problems, tingling or numbness of the arms or legs, double vision, blurry vision, sensitivity to light, eye pain, changes in eyesight, persistent or severe muscle pain or weakness, muscle cramps, low red blood cells, or bruising
Infusion reactions that can sometimes be severe or life-threatening. Signs and symptoms of infusion reactions may include: nausea, vomiting, chills or shaking, itching or rash, flushing, shortness of breath or wheezing, dizziness, feel like passing out, fever, back or neck pain, or facial swelling
Rejection of a transplanted organ. Your healthcare provider should tell you what signs and symptoms you should report and monitor you, depending on the type of organ transplant that you have had
Complications, including graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), in people who have received a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant that uses donor stem cells (allogeneic). These complications can be serious and can lead to death. These complications may happen if you underwent transplantation either before or after being treated with LIBTAYO. Your healthcare provider will monitor you for these complications

Getting medical treatment right away may help keep these problems from becoming more serious. Your healthcare provider will check you for these problems during your treatment with LIBTAYO. Your healthcare provider may treat you with corticosteroid or hormone replacement medicines. Your healthcare provider may also need to delay or completely stop treatment with LIBTAYO if you have severe side effects.

Before you receive LIBTAYO, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you:

have immune system problems such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or lupus
have received an organ transplant
have received or plan to receive a stem cell transplant that uses donor stem cells (allogeneic)
have received radiation treatment to your chest area
have a condition that affects your nervous system, such as myasthenia gravis or Guillain-Barré syndrome
are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. LIBTAYO can harm your unborn baby
Females who are able to become pregnant:
- Your healthcare provider will give you a pregnancy test before you start treatment
- You should use an effective method of birth control during your treatment and for at least 4 months after your last dose of LIBTAYO. Talk to your healthcare provider about birth control methods that you can use during this time
- Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant during treatment with LIBTAYO
are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if LIBTAYO passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment and for at least 4 months after the last dose of LIBTAYO

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

The most common side effects of LIBTAYO when used alone include tiredness, muscle or bone pain, rash, diarrhea, and low levels of red blood cells (anemia). The most common side effects of LIBTAYO when used in combination with platinum-containing chemotherapy include hair loss, muscle or bone pain, nausea, tiredness, numbness, pain, tingling, or burning in your hands or feet, and decreased appetite. These are not all the possible side effects of LIBTAYO. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals at 1-877-542-8296.

Please see full Prescribing Information, including Medication Guide.

What is LIBTAYO?

LIBTAYO is a prescription medicine used to treat people with a type of skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma (BCC) when your BCC cannot be removed by surgery (locally advanced BCC) or when it has spread (metastatic BCC) and have previously received treatment with a hedgehog pathway inhibitor (HHI), or cannot receive treatment with a HHI.

It is not known if LIBTAYO is safe and effective in children.

Caregiver support and resources

Maintaining a healthy mindset through meditation

Find a quiet place to sit

Start small

Follow your breath

Recognize inattention

Gently come back

Get more information
about meditation