This is one individual’s experience living with relapsed or refractory (R/R) follicular lymphoma (FL). This is not representative of all experiences. The information provided is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Keith has been compensated for his time.
As a pastor of a small-town congregation, supporting the community has always been a big part of Keith’s daily life. But in 2007, he sensed something wasn’t right.
He was working as a Youth Pastor at the time, when he noticed bruising on his arms and legs. “I just felt exhausted the whole time,” Keith recalls.
When he went to the doctor, a routine blood test showed that his platelet levels were very low, and his doctor referred him to a hematologist. Eventually, additional blood tests confirmed his diagnosis—he had follicular lymphoma, or FL, a slow-growing type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).
“My doctor started me on chemotherapy right away,” Keith remembers. He lives on his family’s 10-acre farm with goats, chickens, donkeys, and a never-ending cycle of work to do around the garden.
While he tried to keep his stamina up and stay active, Keith says that treatment took a lot out of him.
For a while, Keith was cancer-free. And while others’ experience may be different, for him, it always came back or “relapsed.” FL can also become “refractory” meaning that the cancer does not respond to treatment and cancer cells continue to grow. While there is no cure for FL, it can be treated, including for the majority of individuals who experience relapse or become refractory.i
When Keith was told the cancer had relapsed a year and a half ago, he decided to talk to his doctor about his options. “It was important to me that my doctor listened to my concerns and goals for treatment,” Keith recalls. He says he did this by asking lots of questions and staying informed.
Finding a treatment option that fit into his daily activities was also important to Keith, and together they decided that trying Tazverik® (tazemetostat) was the right option for him.
Tazverik (tazemetostat) is a prescription oral medicine used to treat adults with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma, whose tumors have an abnormal EZH2 gene, and who have been treated with at least two prior medicines, as well as in relapsed or refractory patients who did not respond to treatment, or who have no other satisfactory treatment options.
The approval of Tazverik in these patients is based on a study that measured the percentage of patients whose tumor shrank or disappeared after treatment and how long that response lasted. Tazverik is still being studied to confirm these benefits.
“For my lifestyle, Tazverik fit into my daily activities.” For Keith, this meant spending time where it mattered most—in the garden, on the farm, and with his community. This experience is unique to Keith, and others’ may be different.
Before starting Tazverik, Keith and his doctor discussed the potential benefits and side effects of treatment. His doctor explained that Tazverik can cause serious side effects such as an increase in new (second) cancers and that common side effects of Tazverik in people with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma include tiredness, cold-like symptoms (upper respiratory infection), bone and muscle pain, nausea, and stomach or abdominal pain. The doctor also said these are not all the possible side effects of taking Tazverik.
Celebrating the small victories
While life with an indolent cancer can be discouraging at times, Keith aims to spread positivity and help others find purpose and support along their journey.
Keith encourages people living with relapsed or refractory FL to “find the things that bring you joy and latch onto them.” He says that those small victories—like taking a road trip with friends or getting outside in the garden or on the golf course—are what will carry you through every day.
Please see the indications and Important Safety Information below and how you can obtain full prescribing information. Talk to your doctor and learn more about Tazverik at www.Tazverik.com.
INDICATIONS
What is TAZVERIK?
TAZVERIK is a prescription medicine used to treat:
- Adults with follicular lymphoma when the disease has come back or did not respond to treatment, whose tumors have an abnormal EZH2 gene, and who have been treated with at least two prior medicines. Your healthcare provider will perform a test to make sure TAZVERIK is right for you.
- Adults with follicular lymphoma when the disease has come back or did not respond to treatment, who have no other satisfactory treatment options.
The approval of TAZVERIK in these patients is based on a study that measured the percentage of patients whose tumor shrank or disappeared after treatment and how long that response lasted. TAZVERIK is still being studied to confirm these benefits.
It is not known if TAZVERIK is safe and effective in children less than 16 years of age.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
What is the most important information I should know about TAZVERIK?
TAZVERIK can cause serious side effects, including:
- Risk of new cancers. An increase in new (second) cancers has happened in people who were treated with TAZVERIK. Talk with your healthcare provider about your risk of developing new cancers. Your healthcare provider will monitor you for new cancers after your treatment with TAZVERIK. Tell your healthcare provider if you are more tired than usual, or have easy bruising, fever, bone pain, or paleness.
Before taking TAZVERIK, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
- Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. TAZVERIK can harm your unborn baby. Your healthcare provider will give you a pregnancy test before you start treatment with TAZVERIK. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant.
- Females who are able to become pregnant should use effective non-hormonal birth control (such as condoms) during treatment and for 6 months after the final dose of TAZVERIK. Birth control pills (oral contraceptives) and other hormonal forms of birth control may not be effective if used during treatment with TAZVERIK. Talk to your healthcare provider about birth control options that are right for you.
- Males with female partners who are able to become pregnant should use effective birth control during treatment and for 3 months after the final dose of TAZVERIK.
- Are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if TAZVERIK passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment and for 1 week after the final dose of TAZVERIK.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. TAZVERIK may affect the way other medicines work and other medicines may affect how TAZVERIK works.
What should I avoid while taking TAZVERIK?
- Avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice during treatment with TAZVERIK.
- Avoid taking St. John’s wort during treatment with TAZVERIK.
Talk to your healthcare provider before starting any new medications, vitamins, or herbal supplements.
What are the possible side effects of TAZVERIK?
The most common side effects of TAZVERIK in people with follicular lymphoma include:
- Tiredness
- Cold-like symptoms (upper respiratory infection)
- Bone and muscle pain
- Nausea
- Stomach (abdominal) pain
These are not all the possible side effects of TAZVERIK.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. at 1-855-463-5127 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
Please see full Prescribing Information, including Medication Guide.
TAZVERIK is a registered trademark of Epizyme, Inc., an Ipsen company.
© 2025 Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. All rights reserved. January 2025 TAZ-US-003619
ihttps://lymphoma.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/LRF_Follicular_Lymphoma_RR_Factsheet.pdf
