Martin

Hi Monica,
i sstruggle with the same emotional roller coaster and haven't found the answer to it yet. I was waiting and hoping that I would have a mutation that would be targetable, but no such luck. I'm waiting for my screening to begin for the same clinical trial as you, so you are a little ahead of me in the time frame. Please let me know how the process has gone so far for you. I would love to stay in touch as we head down this road together. You are not alone.  I think about you and others who have posted on this site daily and I appreciate all of you. Tom, I also  want to thank you for what you do for so many of the individuals who post to this site. Please, let's all stay in touch and all the best for everyone. 
Martin

Monica,
My oh my!  I am speechless!  I have no words.  Well maybe one: JOY.  That is not enough, so JOY, JOY, JOY, & JOY.  Maybe that is still not enough so I'll add some more: awesome, spectacular, astounding, and how about just plain good stuff!
Drive on and.
Stay the course.
Tom

Way to go Monica and Dirma!!! I am so happy for both of you!  Keep fighting this thing- we're all in this together!
All the best,
Martin

Monica,
To your questions about the frequency of PET scans during treatment, during my chemo I had a CT scan halfway through the infusion period and a PET after.  That was when I was working and had a feature-rich health insurance policy.  Now having graduated to medicare, I may not have a PET scan again in my life.  But, after 3 years of treatment, my oncologist developed a sense about my lung cancer and that sense told him it would remain in my lung and if it were to re-occur, it would re-occur in my lung.  So now I receive semi-annual CT scans to the chest prior to my oncology consultation.
One thing to make clear, however: you'll see an oncologist regularly for the rest of your life.  This is because our disease has a nasty habit of returning.
Stay the course.
Tom
 

I am very excited for you. My husband had his results from two chemo and immunotherapy treatments and his tumors have shrunk considerably. We will revisit after todays and the next treatment in 3 weeks. He is being treated at Sloan Kettering. I am thinking the fight is worth it now that we have had so e pisitive results. 

Hello everyone, sorry for not posting sooner I have just been overwhelmed with joy and happiness!  Walking into my first scan last Friday after completing only three rounds of treatment I was hoping at best for stability to be able to remain in the trial. Well needless to say my Doctor could barely maintain his composure as he spun the computer around showing a 50% reduction in a 6 cm tumor in my right lung and the smaller one was completely gone.  Even the tumor in my L2 vertebrae shows significant signs of improvement. Based on the fact the my Doctor heads up the trial at Dana Farber I  honesty couldn't tell you who was more excited!  My thoughts and prayers are with everyone undergoing some form of treatment on this site I'm also excited and very fortunate to be apart of cutting edge technology to not only help myself but others as well. Good luck Martin I'm pulling for you!

Thanks for sharing this great news! Congratulations, Ruthie!

Thanks for sharing this great news! Congratulations, Ruthie!

Hi Monica,
I'll be thinking about you on Friday. I hope all goes well. I'll be getting my third treatment that same day and hoping for good results as well. Please keep us updated and keep your chin up. From what I've been told, the first scans are often not the most informative as it may take a while for the treatment we've selected to show results.  But I know exactly how you feel believe me. 
Take care and stay in touch,
Martin

Hallelujah! Biopsy results back today and still NED!! No more scans until after the Holidays. They will be especially joyous this year because I can EAT! Santa may have to bring me a larger wardrobe.
Thanks be to God & thanks to all the good people in this community!
 

Hi Monica,
i sstruggle with the same emotional roller coaster and haven't found the answer to it yet. I was waiting and hoping that I would have a mutation that would be targetable, but no such luck. I'm waiting for my screening to begin for the same clinical trial as you, so you are a little ahead of me in the time frame. Please let me know how the process has gone so far for you. I would love to stay in touch as we head down this road together. You are not alone.  I think about you and others who have posted on this site daily and I appreciate all of you. Tom, I also  want to thank you for what you do for so many of the individuals who post to this site. Please, let's all stay in touch and all the best for everyone. 
Martin

Hi Monica,
I received my first treatment in the clinical trial last week. Doing ok so far, main side effects are lack of energy and increased coughing/ hoarseness. Please keep me updated on how you are doing. Take care.

Hi Monica,
i sstruggle with the same emotional roller coaster and haven't found the answer to it yet. I was waiting and hoping that I would have a mutation that would be targetable, but no such luck. I'm waiting for my screening to begin for the same clinical trial as you, so you are a little ahead of me in the time frame. Please let me know how the process has gone so far for you. I would love to stay in touch as we head down this road together. You are not alone.  I think about you and others who have posted on this site daily and I appreciate all of you. Tom, I also  want to thank you for what you do for so many of the individuals who post to this site. Please, let's all stay in touch and all the best for everyone. 
Martin

Wow I have been on this site for 5 days straight. I didn't think it was possible to get so much insight and read so many encouraging stories. Tom Galli you are all over the map! I must say a job well done . Well only one more week of clinical trial testing and I am finally starting down the road of treatment! Not to bad after waiting 3 months. But that story is for another day lol take care everyone

Monica,
Metastatic lung cancer beats coping to a pulp.  I didn't know there was a stage 5 but no matter, if it has spread it is beyond coping.  How does one live?  Now that is a better question.  You've identified the solution: "enjoying the gift of each day."  I tried for 3 years to cope and failed miserably.  Then I settled down to forgetting the past, declaring the future irrelevant and just trying to find a little joy in each day.  That is the way I live.  It is not a perfect life but my life before cancer wasn't perfect.  It is what I have and I'm satisfied with that.
This is a lot to digest so I'll keep my response short.  Feel free to tells more about your type of lung cancer and treatment so we can help.
Stay the course.
Tom

Hi Monica,
i was diagnosed stage 4 adenocarcinoma about five weeks ago.  Initially it was thought to be stage 1, but during surgery it was discovered that there was spread to the pleura and so I am now stage 4 as well. I am waiting for genetic testing in my cancer to come back so I can pick the treatment approach. If I have the applicable mutation, I am leaning towards targeted therapy. But, like you, I am also considering a clinical trial involving the two immunotherapy drugs you mentioned. Not sure what to do myself, but if targeted therapy is not a match for me, I am thinking of trying the combo of immune therapies. If you get any good info, please let me know and I will do the same for you if I hear of something. 
All the best to you. Let's fight this thing. 
Martin