Sutent

In 1999 I had my left kidney removed due to a Renal Cell Tumor.  It was contained and no further treatment recommended.   Last month I had 2 very small RCC tumors removed from my pancreas (secondary cancer which spread from Kidney).    These tumors are very slow growing and scans show no other tumors in any other organs.   Doctors are recommending I start Sutent, but am reluctant since based on what I have read Sutent seems to  work by reducing growth of existing tumors (which I currently do not have) and also side effects seem quite difficult.  Any thoughts?

i have my operation for full right nyprectomy with no other metastasis on other organ last march 2007 but my obcologist prescibe me sutent. At first my dosage was for 50mg ( taking only two cycles was too stroong for me ) then was lowered to 37.5. I am now on my last week of the six cycle. Yes, there are some effects but tolerable now on 37.5.

I have my last mri/ctscn last last Dec 2007 , showing no metastasis on my organs. My next mri/ctscan will be on May 2008. These procedure ( taking Sutent even though there are no signs of tumor found) is just a precaution or in order to kill microscopic tumor, as explain by my oncologist. i was told by my oncologist that i'll have to take it for seven cycles only after that i will stop and have my mri/ctsacan every six months for two years and once every year thereafter to monitor any progression.

Keep in mind that the drugs used to fight kidney cancer will attack all known & un-known  tumors.

In my opinion, if you do not have visible (via Cat scan) tumors, that is good. Go after the cancer now & keep it that way.

So many of the stories here & on other web sites are basically the same. (including mine)  Dr's don't see any tumors right now so it must be O/K. A couple of years later they find that the disease has spread & is now stage 4 with multiple mets. They couldn,t see them before because they were too small.

There is also a thing called remission, that I wonder about. Is the cancer really under control, or do the tumors just need a chance to grow larger so they can be identified.

May your decision work out perfectly.

Bill

Hi - my mom has been on Sutent for 3 months now and depending on your dosage and method of taking it, the side effects are manageable.  It is prescribed as 28 days on and 14 days off.  My mom tried that and it kicked her butt.  She is now doing 14 days on and 7 off.  We have found that this works much better.  She still works every day and her main complaint is her mouth.  She gets mouth sores and a nasty taste in her mouth.  It is NOT for the entire time.  Her side effects usually start after a week, she tolerates them for another week and then during her time off she starts to taste again for a few days and then the cycle begins again.  She has gotten bloody noses, fatigue, nasal congestion (it affects your mucous membranes), hand and mouth sores, very little nausea and only minimal hair loss.  She is taking 50 mg but many people I read about have the dosage cut down to 37 mg.  She has recurrent kidney cancer because she didn't need any treatment last time.  She had cancer 14 years ago and had her left kidney removed.  It has returned in her liver, lungs, and pancreas.  The one in her pancreas in the largest at 3.4 cm - what was the size of the ones they removed in your pancreas?  Good luck with your decision - Sutent is tolerable.