Not enough tecentriq for 6 cycles

[Nguyentuan]

Hi
 I'm from vietnam.
 My mother has SCLC with brain metastases, the doctor gave chemotherapy with carbo + etoposide + Tecentriq for 6 cycles.
 But by the 5th and 6th cycle, the hospital no longer had tecentriq and only chemotherapy with carbo + etoposide
 Please advise how this affects the treatment process and how the solution will be?
 Please help
 Thank you very much.

Sorry for my poor English.  I used Google to translate.

[Tom Galli]

Nguyentuan,

Welcome here. No apology needed for your English. I completely understand what you have written.

Your combination chemotherapy (carboplatin, etoposide and Tecentriq) is a first line standard of care in the United States for SCLC. I don't have any scientifically based insight into the effect on your mom's cancer of stopping Tecentriq after the 6th treatment cycle. I note your mom has brain metastases. Brain metastases are common with SCLC and a standard treatment method is to use precision radiation or SBRT (stereotactic body radiation therapy) or IMRT (intensity-modulated radiation therapy) to successfully treat these tumors.

Tecentriq is an immunotherapy treatment and many patients on immunotherapy go off that therapy after a certain period of time. The theory is the drug trained the immune system to recognize the cancer and targets it as a way of eliminating or controlling her cancer. Let us hope this is the outcome for your mother.

Stay the course.

Tom

[Nguyentuan]

Thank you very much Mr. Tom.  Especially the guidelines on radiation therapy for my mother's brain metastases.  I will pay special attention.
 About the shortage of tecentriq was a hospital incident related to their drug contracts.  The supply was cut off, so all patients on teccentriq were drug-free.
 Instead of 6 cycles with tecentriq we only get 4 cycles with tecentriq and the other 2 don't.  This really worries us.
 In Vietnam, treatment with Tecentriq is rare because of its high cost, and information about this therapy for patients is very obscure.
 
 My mother was found to have SCLC in September 2021, and started chemotherapy in October.  Her health is quite weak, she can still take care of herself, but her steps are very tiring, her spirit is still good, and her food is still very good.  She doesn't seem to be sick, except that she can't walk much and gets tired quickly.  In addition, she often stutters and says meaningless words.
 We will ask the doctor about Radiation Therapy after the chemotherapy is finished.
 Once again, thank you very much.

[Tom Galli]

Nguyentuan,

Your mother’s stuttering and speaking difficulty could point to a possible brain metastasis.  Has your mom had diagnostic testing (scanning) of her brain? You might want to ask your mom’s doctors about brain diagnostics.

I’m so very sorry to learn about the incomplete tecentriq therapy. The drug is very expensive here also.

Stay the course.

Tom