learning2

Hi - I have had a lot of trouble with the search button - I'm new here myself - I can't remember if I've ever posted before but found this awhile ago. My mom has Stage IV lung cancer that was diagnosed in October 2015. She went on Tarceva and did very well for about 18 months. This summer she started having some things going on and had a scan and it showed the cancer progressed so now she's on Tagrisso. The Tarceva was good for her - no major side effects except a bad skin rash on her face that resulted in her switching from taking it daily to taking it every other day, which controlled that. Her hair grows in curly now which is also from the Tarceva - it used to be straight. She tolerated it very well and had a great quality of life for those ~18 months. I wish the best for your friend!! By the way there are other forums with better search engines and lots of info on tarceva - one I think is called Cancer Grace and another called Inspire. Good luck!

I thought it might help me to start a thread and update it periodically regarding my mom, mostly for myself but also in case folks like me come searching for people with similar situations. Mom had progressively worsening back pain that started in 2015 - the pain got very bad during the summer and after negative x ray they did an MRI and saw what appeared to be metastatic disease in the spine. Further testing confirmed lung as the primary, and positive for EGFR mutation. This was in November 2015. She had radiation treatment for her back pain which helped tremendously - she had been taking a ton of ibuprofren multiple times a day and was still in pain. The radiation has resolved that nearly completely. She started Tarceva on 11/23, and just had her first follow up scan on January 6 which showed a reduction in her primary site from 2.8 to 2.5 cm! We are thrilled. She had some nausea very early on but we think that might have been a late effect from the radiation. She had been very fatigued and nauseous up until just after Thanksgiving but has been gradually feeling better and better since then. Other than that, she has had some rash and itchy swollen eyes, but nothing too bad so far. I'm so hopeful for a prolonged and continued response! I plan to post updates over time here so just wanted to share our experience so far! Thanks for this wonderful resource.

Thank you for your reply and for the welcome! Since my post, the lung cancer diagnosis was confirmed. We are still waiting for the molecular test results, and the radiation treatment to her spine has started (day 2 today). The information you have provided is helpful. It will certainly be much easier once we know the treatment plan. But it sounds like we should plan to be there to support her initially (e.g., during first course if it is a course-based treatment), monitor, and then plan based on how that goes. I really like the idea of tracking on a calendar how she is doing and what effects she's feeling. I will read through the link you provided. Thank you again!

My mom (age 79) has recently been informed that it appears that she has stage IV lung cancer. Mets to spine - pain in back was what started all of this. Then after PET scan a lung lesion was found (no other organ involvement). Thursday this week she has a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. My question is regarding care. She is in a lot of pain in her back right now but other than that, is doing OK and able to get around, cook, etc. - though her activities are much less than previous mainly due to the pain and some weakness in her legs. I expect that shortly after the biopsy we then begin to understand the treatment options, etc. and I expect that chemo is likely (right?). My dad passed away 8 years ago (T cell lymphoma also diagnosed at Stage IV) and mom lives alone. I've been spending time with her every day, but not all day. Will I need to plan for someone being with her all day, every day, at least in the initial stages of chemo? Any thoughts on what I need to plan for regarding her care? I have two brothers in the area and I am hopeful between the three of us we can be there when she needs us. Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated! If more specific information is needed before you can help just let me know that and I will check back once I have more details.