JustMe Posted June 14, 2017 Posted June 14, 2017 This is the treatment my husband is starting next week for NSCLC stage 4...combo just approved by FDA apparently? Is anyone else getting this combo? How are you doing? I'm nervous about side effects.
LaurenH Posted June 16, 2017 Posted June 16, 2017 Hi, JustMe, I will reach out to some of our members and encourage anyone who has information/experience to respond! Lauren -- Digital Community Manager LUNGevity Foundation
Nan Posted June 29, 2017 Posted June 29, 2017 I just joined this forum because my 69 year old husband has Stage IV NSCLC. He is on a double blinded clinical trial hopefully receiving Keytruda, as well as pemexetred and carboplatin. He has already completed 6 treatments and is able to cope with side effects. His CT scan after 4 treatments showed the disease was stable and has not spread beyond original sites . We await the next scan , hoping there will be some shrinkage and hopefully remission. After the fourth treatment, he no longer receives carboplatin.
Tom Galli Posted June 30, 2017 Posted June 30, 2017 Nan, Hopefully your husband will continue to improve with his treatment. The mid course CT scan showing no further metastasis is a good result. Hopefully, the next scan will show the tumors reduced in size. Unfortunately, I can't offer my views on Keytruda or pemexetred. My chemotherapy was Taxol and Carboplatin but it worked for me. Stay the course. Tom
Jowjow99 Posted November 6, 2017 Posted November 6, 2017 Hi, just wondering if anyone has any updates or experiences to share regarding this treatment. My dad just had his first cycle one week ago. Looking for any improvements to quality of life, etc... thanks in advance!
JustMe Posted November 7, 2017 Author Posted November 7, 2017 The combo did not work for my husband, but he is now participating in a clinical trial with keytruda + AMG820...the latter is supposed to encourage the keytruda to work faster apparently... Good luck to your Dad, everyone is different so it may work well for him.
Jowjow99 Posted November 7, 2017 Posted November 7, 2017 Would you mind sharing your husband’s original diagnosis? And when did they check and find out it wasn’t working? I hope this new combo works for him! How long has he been on this new one?
JustMe Posted November 8, 2017 Author Posted November 8, 2017 NSCLC stage 4, mets to lymph nodes and kidneys, diagnosed in May, had the keytruda + carboplatin + pemetrexed first, 2 rounds, then had CT scan (about 6 weeks after first dose) showing growth...oncologist questioned whether to continue or switch treatment at this point, we ended up switching to taxotere...2 rounds, growth shown on next CT scan...now he's just finishing the eligibility screening for clinical trial at Dana Farber in Boston, he starts treatment there probably the week of the 20th... New treatment will be keytruda + AMG820 (phase 1 trial) ...the latter is suppose to make the keytruda work faster. My husband has no helpful genetic markers and his cancer is considered "poorly differentiated" which I think makes everything a bit more complicated finding an effective treatment...he also ended up with pneumonia after every dose of chemo. BUT I have seen several stories of folks who had good results with the same combo... hoping you're dad has good luck.
Jowjow99 Posted November 8, 2017 Posted November 8, 2017 Thank you so much for your reply. I sincerely hope the new Keytruda+AMG820 will be successful for your husband! I’ve been beside myself worrying about my dad and my mom (worried about her emotionally). 😕
Jowjow99 Posted November 23, 2017 Posted November 23, 2017 Anyone else out there have experience with this drug combo? My dad is experiencing major pain on Day 2...3 (today). I think pain is a side effect since he experienced it after his first cycle as well. Hope everyone is having a Happy Thanksgiving!
Nan Posted November 23, 2017 Posted November 23, 2017 Jowjow99 My 69 year old husband had 11 cycles of treatment before abdominal pain could no longer be tolerated. He had diverticulous pre-diagnosis but it became inflammed...diverticulitis? Cancer pain was controlled by the 2x 3mg daily extended release hydromorphone. Blood and urine analysis showed many abnormalities and he was confused. They stopped treatment, put him on Prednisone and 2 kinds of antibiotics. Then did a CTscan of head and abdomen. Results...no sread to brain, no inflammation or infection, no pain. He is now being weaned off prednisone and will be kept on 10 mg/day maintenance. They will resume treatment after Christmas. Hopefully the cancer has not progrssed while off treatment. His tumours had all shrunken by 60-80% before he had to have a break. He is now putting on weight and is very energetic..getting lots of things done now that he is not fatiqued and sleeping all the time. He had cachexia and was literally wasting away. Had gone from 220 lbs to 150...now up to 162. .I just returned from 12 day pilgrimage to Fatima, Burgos, Lourdes and Barcelona. Praying for all of you and your spouses. We desperately need to find treatment with such serious side effects! Happy Thanksgiving.
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