How long for scans?

[DC DIL]

My mother in law has Stage 4 Squamous NSCLC.  She is not PD-L1 +, so she had platinum doublet then Progressed.  She started Nivo in July and seemed to be stable if not feeling better!    She had a scan Oct 11 to see if it is working and still no results!  Does that seem odd?  

[Tom Galli]

DC,

Your mom is being treated with an immunotherapy drug - Nivolumab as a second line therapy after platinum based chemotherapy did not address the disease.

I assume your question's words "still no results" means no reduction in the size of tumors, not no reported results from the scan.  If I am correct in that assumption, those who start a course of immunotherapy often go through a period where tumors do not shrink and even perhaps increase in size early in treatment.  It takes time for the immune system to recognize and attack the tumors and so the no results from July to October may not be odd.

Perhaps other forum members taking Nivolumab or immunotherapy can chime in and share their experience.

I hope things improve quickly.

Stay the course.

Tom

[BridgetO]

Hi DC,

Before I read Tom's response, I thought you meant that you hadn't got your scan results yet. If that's the case, call your doctor's office. Hang in there!

Bridget O

[DC DIL]

Thanks for the input!  We are waiting on news from her scan.   Turns out, she is scared to know so not calling.  I’m hopeful

it will be at least stable, but I’m sure she is scared.