Newly Diagnosed

Hi - I'm a 51 yo female just diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer with mets in the liver.  I've just started chemo with Gemzar and will start Tarceva soon.  Anyone out there in a similar situation?  jr

My mom is on that combo. Make sure your insurance covers Tarceva the  cost w/out insurance is somewhere between $4900-6,000 per month.

Did your doctor mention if you were a candidate for any clinical trials?

We were in a stage 2 trial of Erbitux & Ixabepilone before my mother developed an abcess on her liver and missed too many weeks of the study to continue.

Her CA19-9 dropped almost 90% while we were in the study. She had to go about 6 weeks without treatment; and during that time the cancer seems to have run wild. We are using that Gem/Tarceva combo now; but her CA 19-9 level has only continued to increase quickly. 

Every person's response to specific drugs will be different. I'm not certain her exposure to the trial drugs, hasn't affected how her body is responding to the Gem/Tarceva combo.

Gem/Tarceva is a good combo. If you don't feel your responding, getting results that you want - ie stabilizing your cancer, or shrinking the tumors without others growing... keep your options open.

I can also say that the Gem/Tarceva combo has been much less taxing on my mother's body. The most common things she's experienced are dry mouth (keep hard candy around, you will end up wanting something to suck on), tender cuticals, and other minor things (compared to the trial).

Goodluck to you!!

 

Thanks for your response.  I did ask about trials, but the Dr. said there weren't any open that are appropriate for me.

 I wish you and your mother the best.  Keep fighting.  jr

 

On 3/25/2008 janer wrote:

Hi - I'm a 51 yo female just diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer with mets in the liver.  I've just started chemo with Gemzar and will start Tarceva soon.  Anyone out there in a similar situation?  jr

My dad, 47, just got diagnosed stage 4b spread to 90% of liver.  Was wondering how the Gemzar is going for you.  He doesnt know yet if he wants to try chemo or not, how is your experience with it?

 

On 4/4/2008 daughterofpatient wrote:

 

On 3/25/2008 janer wrote:

Hi - I'm a 51 yo female just diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer with mets in the liver.  I've just started chemo with Gemzar and will start Tarceva soon.  Anyone out there in a similar situation?  jr

My dad, 47, just got diagnosed stage 4b spread to 90% of liver.  Was wondering how the Gemzar is going for you.  He doesnt know yet if he wants to try chemo or not, how is your experience with it?

 

 

Hi there.  Sorry for the delay in response.  This week I finish my 3rd round with Gemzar and Tarceva.  My CA19-9 tumor markers have gone from >9000 to 57 which is just over the limit of normal.  I'll have a CT scan next week to see if the pictures match the numbers.  I believe that the key for me is the combination of these two drugs.  At his age, I wouldn't put off at least trying.  The side effects have not been horrible.  They are definitely manageable.  Good luck.  jr

Thank you for the reply,

My dad decided not to do chemo, given the risk of blood clots in the liver.  He recently passed on May 22nd.  The cancer just ate him away the last month going to less than 150 lbs, when he started at about 230.  Thank you so much in caring enough to reply, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family as you go through this tragic time. Marci