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CARING FOR YOUR SKIN

Stay on top of the most common side effect of Optune Lua—skin irritation.

Most people who experienced skin irritation were able to stay on treatment.

Recognizing common types of skin irritation

Irritated skin can show up in many ways. See below for images of common skin conditions you should keep an eye out for and talk to your doctor if you experience any of them.

Itching

This often includes dry and 
flaky skin.

Rashes

You might notice some redness, become itchy, or feel scaly skin.

Infections

This can result in pus, itching, 
or burning.

Excessive sweating

You may notice this despite heat conditions or physical activity.

Ulcers

These may start as subtle, shallow lesions and can be hard to identify.

Images shown are for illustrative purposes. The severity and look of skin irritation may vary from person to person. If irritated skin is bothering you, don't wait for it to get worse. Talk to your doctor early and often about any signs of skin irritation. 

If you do experience any irritation, avoid placing the arrays in the affected area so you don’t cause further irritation. If your doctor prescribes a medication, it's important to use it so the skin irritation doesn't become more serious.

Take a picture of your skin irritation

This is the best way to quickly share your symptoms with your doctor, but this shouldn't replace an in-person doctor visit. Whether you have swelling, redness, or another skin-related symptom, they may be able to prescribe creams or other solutions to help manage your symptoms.

 

The arrays may leave temporary red indents on your skin. If they don't go away, contact your doctor.

Helping to minimize the risk of skin irritation

Keeping your skin healthy may be the best way to help prevent skin irritation 

Keep skin clean and dry

Moisturize regularly to keep your skin hydrated

Use only water when routinely cleaning your skin

To help prevent skin irritation, ask your doctor about a barrier between the arrays and your skin*

*Talk to your doctor for more information.

See how to change your arrays

Find out more

How care partners can help

Learn more

Important Safety Information and Indication

Who should not use Optune Lua?

Optune Lua for mNSCLC is not for everyone. Talk to your doctor if you have:

  • An electrical implant. Use of Optune Lua together with electrical implants has not been tested and may cause the implanted device not to work properly
  • A known sensitivity to gels like the gel used on electrocardiogram (ECG) stickers or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) electrodes. In this case, skin contact with the gel used with Optune Lua may commonly cause increased redness and itching, and rarely may even lead to severe allergies such as a fall in blood pressure and difficulty breathing

Do not use Optune Lua if you are pregnant or are planning to become pregnant. It is not known if Optune Lua is safe or effective during pregnancy.

 

What should I know before using Optune Lua?

Optune Lua should only be used after receiving training from qualified personnel, such as your doctor, a nurse, or other medical staff who have completed a training course given by Novocure®, the maker of Optune Lua.

  • Do not use any parts that did not come with Optune Lua Treatment Kit sent to you by Novocure or given to you by your doctor
  • Do not get the device or transducer arrays wet
  • Please be aware that Optune Lua has a cord that plugs into an electrical socket. Be careful of tripping when it's connected 
  • If you have an underlying serious skin condition where the transducer arrays are placed, discuss with your doctor whether this may prevent or temporarily interfere with Optune Lua treatment

 

What are the possible side effects of Optune Lua?

The most common side effects of Optune Lua when used together with certain immunotherapy and chemotherapy drugs were dermatitis, pain in the muscles, bones, or joints, fatigue, anemia, alopecia (hair loss), dyspnea, nausea, cough, diarrhea, anorexia, pruritus (itching), leukopenia, pneumonia, respiratory tract infection, localized edema (swelling), rash, pain, constipation, skin ulcers, hypokalemia (low potassium levels), hypoalbuminemia (low albumin levels), hyponatremia (low sodium levels), and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing).

 

Other potential adverse effects associated with the use of Optune Lua include treatment related skin irritation, allergic reaction to the adhesive or to the gel, overheating of the array leading to pain and/or local skin burns, infections at site where the arrays make contact with the skin, local warmth and tingling sensation beneath the arrays, medical device site reaction, muscle twitching, and skin breakdown/skin ulcer. Talk to your doctor if you have any of these side effects or questions.

 

What is Optune Lua® approved to treat?

Optune Lua is a wearable, portable, FDA-approved device used together with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors (immunotherapy) or docetaxel. It is indicated for adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) who have progressed on or after a platinum-based regimen.

 

Please see Patient Information and Operation Manual (PIOM) for Optune Lua.

 

Important Safety Information and Indication

Who should not use Optune Lua?

Optune Lua for mNSCLC is not for everyone. Talk to your doctor if you have:

  • An electrical implant. Use of Optune Lua together with electrical implants has not been tested and may cause the implanted device not to work properly
  • A known sensitivity to gels like the gel used on electrocardiogram (ECG) stickers or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) electrodes. In this case, skin contact with the gel used with Optune Lua may commonly cause increased redness and itching, and rarely may even lead to severe allergies such as a fall in blood pressure and difficulty breathing

Do not use Optune Lua if you are pregnant or are planning to become pregnant. It is not known if Optune Lua is safe or effective during pregnancy.

 

What should I know before using Optune Lua?

Optune Lua should only be used after receiving training from qualified personnel, such as your doctor, a nurse, or other medical staff who have completed a training course given by Novocure®, the maker of Optune Lua.

  • Do not use any parts that did not come with Optune Lua Treatment Kit sent to you by Novocure or given to you by your doctor
  • Do not get the device or transducer arrays wet
  • Please be aware that Optune Lua has a cord that plugs into an electrical socket. Be careful of tripping when it's connected 
  • If you have an underlying serious skin condition where the transducer arrays are placed, discuss with your doctor whether this may prevent or temporarily interfere with Optune Lua treatment

 

What are the possible side effects of Optune Lua?

The most common side effects of Optune Lua when used together with certain immunotherapy and chemotherapy drugs were dermatitis, pain in the muscles, bones, or joints, fatigue, anemia, alopecia (hair loss), dyspnea, nausea, cough, diarrhea, anorexia, pruritus (itching), leukopenia, pneumonia, respiratory tract infection, localized edema (swelling), rash, pain, constipation, skin ulcers, hypokalemia (low potassium levels), hypoalbuminemia (low albumin levels), hyponatremia (low sodium levels), and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing).

 

Other potential adverse effects associated with the use of Optune Lua include treatment related skin irritation, allergic reaction to the adhesive or to the gel, overheating of the array leading to pain and/or local skin burns, infections at site where the arrays make contact with the skin, local warmth and tingling sensation beneath the arrays, medical device site reaction, muscle twitching, and skin breakdown/skin ulcer. Talk to your doctor if you have any of these side effects or questions.

 

What is Optune Lua® approved to treat?

Optune Lua is a wearable, portable, FDA-approved device used together with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors (immunotherapy) or docetaxel. It is indicated for adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) who have progressed on or after a platinum-based regimen.

 

Please see Patient Information and Operation Manual (PIOM) for Optune Lua.

 

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