Need Help

My 37 year old son was diagnosed with stage 4 PC 4 weeks ago.  He has begun chemotherapy of Gemsidobene (spelling) and another drug that is most often used for colon cancer.  He is in St. Louis, MO.  He is in the process of taking his second round of chemo today with another tomorrow.  We have not seen any improvement in him since this began.  Is anyone familiar with this type of treatment?   I anyone aware of a treatment that is affective at this stage?

  My heart goes out to you.  He is such a young man to have this disease.

My father was diagnosed in May and we went to St. Louis for a second opinion.  From everything I have read and experienced with my dad, here in MO. no one seems to want to fight this disease strongly.  I have read of success using the GTX combo.  Your goal is to shrink that tumor enough so that he can have the whipple surgery.  

  Have you be given the option of a trial?  That also may be your son's big chance at survival.

   My father is 73 and didn't want to go the chemo route.  But if he was a young man, I know he would have wanted to use the big guns to fight.

   God Bless.

  Vicki
 

 

 

 

On 8/16/2007 sueSRQ wrote:

My 37 year old son was diagnosed with stage 4 PC 4 weeks ago.  He has begun chemotherapy of Gemsidobene (spelling) and another drug that is most often used for colon cancer.  He is in St. Louis, MO.  He is in the process of taking his second round of chemo today with another tomorrow.  We have not seen any improvement in him since this began.  Is anyone familiar with this type of treatment?   I anyone aware of a treatment that is affective at this stage?

 

I do believe that your son is on a great drug, called gemzar.  My mom was diag 3 yrs ago and she also had gemzar for 15 months.  Your son has a good chance because she is young!! My mom is 82.  I would ask about a drug called Tarceva- this is a oral drug- has some side effects but works well with gemzar.  You have to give the drug's time to work it will take time, I know that it is hard to be patient.  Are they going to do surgery on your son's pancreas?  Are there any mets to the liver?  These are all really good questions to be asking the Dr's.  Have faith and pray!!

Keep in touch and let me know how things are going.