Jump to content

Father, 59, going through NSCLC diagnosis.


Marcie

Recommended Posts

Unfortunately, the Keytruda + Docetaxel did not end up working for my dad. Progression in his lung and liver tumors.

Now he will be getting weekly Gemzar.  Then he will hopefully be entering a trial for Palbociclib. Does anyone have any input/experience with this? Anyone know of other things we should be looking into? Should we be getting a second opinion? I think he's feeling a bit discouraged. :(
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 147
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Hi Marcie, I'm sorry to hear the treatment hasn't been working for your dad. I don't know anything about the trial. I do know people who have had good result from Gemzar. A second opinion might not be a bad idea. It could provide you with other options or it might reassure you that the course he's on is a good one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Merry Christmas to everyone here at Lungevity!

Not much to update, my dad just completed his 6 rounds of Gemzar and will have a scan on the 28th. If things have been stable, I think they'll continue on it, if not, he'll be trying a combo of Opdivo and Yervoy.

I think the Gemzar has been difficult for him. In addition to the usual fatigue, he has really bad shoulder pain (feels like the rotator cuff?) that keeps getting worse and really limits his mobility. It has been happening a while and the last scan showed there was no cancer there, so possibly nerve pain or a side effect of the chemo? We'll see how it looks on the next scan and what can be done.

Glad I'm able to be home and spend the holiday with him and hoping for some good news in 2019.

Happy holidays to everyone!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Marcie,

Merry Christmas and good news on your dad. He’s had a long course of treatment and am glad you are able to spend the holidays with him. 

Agree with Laurel’s Salon Pas patches. They may help his shoulder pain. 

Stay the course. 

Tom

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LexieCat,

You may find you need to delete your older messages to receive new.  Inbox capacity on the site is limited and I've had to delete old messages several times to send and receive new ones.

Tom

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi everyone!

Just an update - my dad's lung tumor grew 1cm in the 6 weeks he was on Gemzar. So he's stopping that for now and next week he will start on a combo of Opdivo and Yervoy. He did stop responding to Keytruda, but here's hoping this combo works and isn't too harsh on his body. His nurse commented today that he was definitely a fighter and takes every treatment they throw at him pretty well.

Here's hoping he tolerates it well and gets some good results.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi, Marcie,

Thanks for sharing an update. We've been thinking about you and your dad and hope that 2019 brings renewed hope and good results on his new treatment plan. Please continue to keep us posted. We're here for you!

With gratitude,

Lauren
--
Digital Community Manager
LUNGevity Foundation

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi everyone,

Another update. My dad went in for his appointment today. They're starting him on Ibrance - hopefully that will slow the progression. There's not really much info about it for NSCLC - primarily a breast cancer drug. They said he isn't eligible for the double immunotherapy they were thinking of. They told him this was the last option they had for him, so I'm hoping he sees some good results.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Marcie,

I'm glad to hear there is another treatment option for your dad.  As fast as lung cancer treatment options are coming available, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that if this doesn't work, there is a new treatment option available.  I am keeping you and your family in my thoughts and sending my best "cancer crushing" visions his way.  

Take care,

Steff

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We're thinking of you and your dad and hoping for great results! Please check back in soon and let us know how you're both doing.

With gratitude,

Lauren
--
Digital Community Manager
LUNGevity Foundation

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Marcie, 

It sounds like the medical team is being very creative and aggressive in their approach to your Dad's treatment plan.  Those are the kind of docs you want on the team.  Glad to hear there's another option and as Steff indicated above-there seems to be a robust pipeline of therapy heading our way.   You guys are trailblazers.. 

Michelle 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Another update! What a month.

My dad started on Ibrance. One side effect is that it causes a lot of anemia... which we were worried about since his hemoglobin levels kept getting pretty low. 

By mid January he as probably sleeping 90% of the day. Wouldn't eat, wouldn't drink. Suddenly he was hardly able to walk. I really thought it was the end. :(  His birthday was January 20th and he asked to stay home for his birthday, but he agreed to go to be admitted to the ER at the VA hospital the next day. 

He spent a full week in the hospital. His hemoglobin was really low, his kidneys were failing... But by the end of his stay, he was feeling the best he had felt in months. His kidneys are fine again. All the fluids/food/steroids really boosted him up, but he had to get off Ibrance while they tried to get him stable. He also got some radiation to his mets in his ribs while in the hospital and that has taken his pain from a 10 to a 2, he claims. (I think one of the big issues with him not eating/drinking was taking a lot of painkillers and being too out of it.)

So, for now, he is very clear-minded and feeling good. He's able to walk again (although he uses a walker), his appetite is very good, and he makes sure to stay on top of eating and drinking. (They didn't think the renal failure was a side effect of his chemo, they thought it was because of his eating/drinking/anemia)

One of his doctors encouraged him to enjoy the time he has left and to not seek further treatment. He said he would advise the same to his own father and that he felt it was best. My dad has decided to go ahead and try to get back on Ibrance (initially at a lower dose) and see how he can tolerate it now that he's going into it with much less pain and eating/drinking well. He's not ready to give up. I think the doctor's advice got him a little down. :( 

We'll see how it goes! The important thing is that his pain has drastically improved and he is in good spirits. I hope the Ibrance is able to halt or slow his progression.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.