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Chemotherapy Pills Versus Intravenous (IV)

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Last Modified: January 7, 2013

Question

Why are some lung cancer patients able to take chemo pills, but I have to get it in my veins? Is one kind better than the other?

Answer

Suzanne Walker CRNP, MSN, AOCN, Nurse Practitioner for Thoracic Malignancies at Penn Medicine responds:

Some lung cancer patients are able to take a chemotherapy pill because they have a specific mutation which is sensitive to certain chemotherapy pills. These are called "targeted agents". It is likely that your doctor has tested you for one of these mutations and you do not have one.

This question and answer was part of the OncoLink Brown Bag Chat Series. View the entire transcript from the Focus on Lung Cancer Webchat.