Bad News On My Husband

[Alyse]

Need to vent...went to the doctor on Monday and found out that my husbands cancer is spreading. We thought for sure things with going great. As Rick told the doctor, "if I could just get rid of the fatigue I would feel great".

The doctor at this point said that we could try Etopiside (VP-16) but really thinks that we need to look at stopping treatment if this does not work. As you can see below Rick has done a lot.

This darn cancer. How can people be so sick and not feel that way. Am very grateful that my husband has no pain. Now over the last 2 days, he has been put on oxygen and has a walker. This is very hard for him since a year ago he was a very successful engineer traveling around the world. All this at 51 years of age.

Thanks for listening and if you know of any trials at this late stage or something that has worked for you or a loved one please let me know. Our 10 year old daughter keeps asking us what more can be done.

Thanks for listening,

Alyse

[Fay A.]

Have you checked into the Trial using Taxotere and the investigational drug PS341? It's my understanding that PS341 appears to be promising in the area of warding off the development of resistance to the chemo by the cancer cells. (Hope I have this right)

Where is your husband being treated? For clinical trials in California you might want to look to see what is being done at UC Davis in Sacramento, or UCSF. Plus there's Stanford. I think most of them are part of what is known as SWOG (South West Oncology Group).

Best Wishes to you both,

Fay

[Donna G]

I had VP 16 and Cisplatin at the same time with radiation. When I was able to have surgery they told me all that was left was scar tissue. Your husband is still young . I pray that powerful stuff will cause his to turn to scar tissue also. It must be very frightening for a ten yr old to watch their Dad so sick. I send a big siber hug (((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))Donna

[AdaW]

Dear Alyse,

As you can see from my signature, I've also had lots of treatments. I am going to start chemo again in two weeks, a clinical trial of Taxotere and Topotecan. These are already approved by the FDA, the trial involves seeing if there is a benefit to putting the two together to treat advanced NSCLC.

I think there are other options out there for your husband, but of course each of us is his/her own individual case.

Good luck.

I am thinking of you,

Ada

[norme]

Hi Alyse,

Your first paragraph sure sounds like my husband. He too tells the drs that if he could just get rid of the fatigue he to would be better. He does have pain in his rib cage and we figure that must be the bone cancer but he is dealing with it. He has tried meds but nothing works on the pain so he just goes along each day with it. Seems like everytime they do scans the cancer is someplace else.

I know from past experience of dealing with lc that most of the times, there is no warning when it spreads. I call it the silent killer because one doesn't feel bad, just fatigued and boom, all along it spreads.

I feel for your daughter, it is hard enough for us adults to deal with this deck of cards much less a 10 yr old. Our son, an only child, was 7 yrs old when my mother came down with cancer and 8 when my father did also. we lived with my father off and on for the 11 months that he fought lc and he now is an adult and went through it okay so i feel your daughter to will be okay through all of this but my heart still goes out to her and to you and to your husband.....

the onc told my husband just a few weeks ago that we will try Taxotere and if that doesn't work, will try some experimental drugs and if that doesn't then nothing else would be available so don't feel alone, for I to am following somewhat in your shoes....am praying that some of these chemo's take hold and start to work for yours and mine..God Bless both our spouses.....