Tarceva patient - supplement recommendations

Hello there,

I am writing for my 60-year-old mother who was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer (non-small cell, adenocarcinoma) last april. 

She has been on a Tarceva/Erlotinib trial since last May and so far, the tumours have not gotten bigger but not much smaller either. They consider it "stable" for the time being. She has experienced much of the dry skin/rash-like side effects of the drug but all in all is doing ok. She is tired a lot, naps often, and has a bit of a wet cough but we've been lucky so far...

I am just writing to ask if there are any patients or caregivers of patients who might be willing to kindly share the details of their supplement/vitamin regiment with my mother and I.

I have done some research on the internet but it's quite overwhelming and confusing as to what she should be taking. We are concerned it could potentially interact with Tarceva and lessen the effect of the drug. I know there is a particular enzyme which interacts with the effectiveness of the drug, which is why my mother is unable to have cranberry juice, eat goji berries, etc.

My mother is currently taking the following:

-a multivitamin (2 capsules daily)
-calcium supplements (to try to get 1500 mg/daily)
-UMAC core (a marine phytoplankton-based supplement)
-fish oil
-brown rice powder
-soy protein powder
-jujube berries (which is a popular remedy in asian medicine)
-ginseng
-mushrooms (Phellinus Linteus - a type of mushroom that is cooked in water and the liquid is consumed)
-flax seed oil
-GREENS (it is a powder with various components, I don't have the list with me :P )

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Many and sincerest thanks,

~ Helen

On 3/19/2009 hjk78 wrote:

Hello there,

I am writing for my 60-year-old mother who was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer (non-small cell, adenocarcinoma) last april. 

She has been on a Tarceva/Erlotinib trial since last May and so far, the tumours have not gotten bigger but not much smaller either. They consider it "stable" for the time being. She has experienced much of the dry skin/rash-like side effects of the drug but all in all is doing ok. She is tired a lot, naps often, and has a bit of a wet cough but we've been lucky so far...

I am just writing to ask if there are any patients or caregivers of patients who might be willing to kindly share the details of their supplement/vitamin regiment with my mother and I.

I have done some research on the internet but it's quite overwhelming and confusing as to what she should be taking. We are concerned it could potentially interact with Tarceva and lessen the effect of the drug. I know there is a particular enzyme which interacts with the effectiveness of the drug, which is why my mother is unable to have cranberry juice, eat goji berries, etc.

My mother is currently taking the following:

-a multivitamin (2 capsules daily)
-calcium supplements (to try to get 1500 mg/daily)
-UMAC core (a marine phytoplankton-based supplement)
-fish oil
-brown rice powder
-soy protein powder
-jujube berries (which is a popular remedy in asian medicine)
-ginseng
-mushrooms (Phellinus Linteus - a type of mushroom that is cooked in water and the liquid is consumed)
-flax seed oil
-GREENS (it is a powder with various components, I don't have the list with me :P )

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Many and sincerest thanks,

~ Helen

 

I am looking for the same answers.    Have been on Tarceva for 5 months and it took all the tumors down to nothing.   Last week they found a tiny new tumor in the lung.   The encologist asked if we were taking any new mushroom thing or something.   He's not into nutrition with his treatments.    I said we have not done anything new since the beginning.  My husband and I are seeking to know if there is anything proven to lower the efficiency of Tarceva.  It has worked so well and 5 months is a bit short on the effectiveness time.    We're taking supplements that build up the immune system, promote general health, and some that have actually healed others, like cottage cheese blended with flax seed oil.   Anyway, not to give a list.   We're just wondering if there have been some discoveries of something that is a detriment.    Thanks for any help.  What is that enzyme and why is it only in certain berries.    We're not eating cranberries, but what about any berries.   I actually take a capsule supplement that is fruits and vegetables.   We're dropping the mushroom supplement.