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Complete Regression/Response For Local SCLC Recurrence


Leo

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As I shared with the group a short time back, after a year of NED (no evidence of disease), I was diagnosed with a local, limited recurrence of Small Cell Lung Cancer (I.e in the same location as original disease with no regional or distant Mets)

I received 4 , 3 day cycles of concurrent Chemo (Carboplatin & Etoposide) and Immune Therapy (Tecentriq - day 1 of each cycle only) with three weeks between each cycle. 

Findings from post treatment PETCT on May 1, found complete regression/response to treatment, no new or old nodules and no remaining areas of suspect FDG uptake. One of the cleanest scans I’ve ever had. 

Will see Medical and Radiation Oncologists next week to review results, any next steps (preventative) and begin maintenance immunotherapy on Tecentriq. 

Will continue to keep you posted. - Looking forward to my “scanxiety” free weekend! 

Happy to provide any further details that may be helpful to anyone. 

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Leo,

This is wonderful news in so many ways. First complete SCLC response to combined conventional and immunotherapy I’ve read about. 

Lung cancer is nasty; SCLC is nasty cubed! Adding immunotherapy to Carboplatin & Etoposide is a very recent treatment modality and I am so pleased to know it works. 

Indeed, enjoy a Scanziety free weekend. 

Stay the course. 

Tom

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Leo,

This is wonderful news! I'm thrilled for you!

How are you finding the side effects with Tecentriq?


Ro

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The Tecentriq side effects have been relatively mild so far. I have had my first Tecentriq only treatment this week. I’ve had some minor fatigue (still walk, jog run 5 miles per day on non treatment days), periodic headaches and bone pain addressed with occasional use of Tylenol. Bowel regulation has been a challenge on occasion but again addressed with OTC medications. Now that I am only on Tecentriq the side effects may be more readily attributable to this immune therapy than when It was combined with Chemo. Are you also on Tecentriq? 

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I'm hoping to start a Phase Ib clinical trial this month where I would get a personal cancer vaccine combined with Tecentriq. I'm glad your side effects have been manageable. That's amazing that you can run 5 miles a day on day you aren't being treated. Please keep me posted on how you are doing. After the 8 weeks where I get the vaccine plus Tecentriq, I will remain on just the Tecentriq for as long as it is working...At this point, nothing has started so hearing from you really helps!!

Hoping you have continued success with this treatment!

 

Ro

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Will keep you posted on my progress and experience with tecentriq. Personal Cancer vaccine is pretty cutting edge stuff. 

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Amazing! It's really miraculous that immunotherapy came into practice. Thanks to those really smart, dedicated specialists that we now have treatments like these available. I've had the exact same chemo with concurrent Tecentriq as has Leo. I'm also on a three week Tecentriq infusion schedule and am awaiting an MRI and brain scan next month. My Tecentriq treatments cause extreme fatigue, but they are keeping me alive. My golf game has suffered (very minor issue now), but I still have the opportunity to go out with my friends and enjoy my family. Only a short time ago, an sclc diagnosis was considered an extremely fatal one. Amazing! Keep the faith, everyone.

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  • 1 month later...

MRI and brain scan results were great! The lung cancer portion shows that's it's stable, and the brain met is too small to be detected (or just plain got out of town). Anyway, hope this feedback helps someone contemplating immunotherapy  treatment. My sclc is by no means "cured" but this miraculous treatment has bought me more time. A big thank you from me and my family to those dedicated, smart researchers! 

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Leo, thank you so much for your update. My mom has been on the same treatment regime (Carbo, Etoposide & Tecentriq) and her first scan was awesome. Only the primary lung tumor still there but much smaller. Her doctor was elated as were we! She then began just Tecentriq (in July) but due to diarrhea which the doctor felt was caused by the Tecentriq, she went on prednisone and off tecentriq for awhile. She’s back on Tecentriq and so far so good. She’ll have one more treatment on 9/30 as long as no side effects from last Monday’s treatment.  After that She’ll have her next treatment and scan sometime after 10/19/19. Hoping for more great results again. I know everyone is different in how they respond to treatment but if you and my mom are any indication of how the 3 drugs work, they may just be onto something for SCLC, akaTHE BEAST.

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This is awesome news, thanks so much for the input my question to you Leo and Blossomsmom are you both in stage 4 ? or do you have to be in order to start immune therapy im stage 4 ive not started any immune therapy yet it will be this week after signing conscent,ct scan, brain scan and a lot of labs I will either get keytruda or the pharmaceutical drug which will only have a # I have been very tired, losing weight and pain in both lungs and in my shoulder area was just wondering if I would see any relief from these symptons when I start immune therapy?

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Hi Tipay. It’s my Mom that’s doing immunotherapy. She was diagnosed with stage 4 combo of Small Cell & Non small cell Lung cancer on 3/28/19. She started  Carboplatin & Tecentriq in April & then they added Etoposide. She’s had very good results, Pet scan in July showed significant shrinking of her lung tumor and other spots from her original pet scan were gone. She has never had any pain so I can’t speak to it helping that.  She was off Tecentriq  for about a month but started it again 2 weeks ago. She’ll have one more treatment then have another pet scan toward the end of October. She fights fatigue but is learning to to reserve what energy she does have  for things she really wants to do. But I should mention she is 90 years old so it’s not a big surprise that it’s slowed her down a little. 

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