Tarceva

Looking for info.  Family member has been on Tarceva for 3 years which has been able to hold cancer at bay - small hot spot in pelvic area 3 years ago but since has been unrecognizable until recently.  New hot spot developed in same pelvic area and now Dr's are convinced Tarceva isn't working any more.  She's been on Taxol, Carboplatin, Gem....  Been hearing of Ulympta (forgive spelling on all) and wanted to hear of other's experiences or recommendations.

 

On 6/29/2009 JaneP wrote:

Looking for info.  Family member has been on Tarceva for 3 years which has been able to hold cancer at bay - small hot spot in pelvic area 3 years ago but since has been unrecognizable until recently.  New hot spot developed in same pelvic area and now Dr's are convinced Tarceva isn't working any more.  She's been on Taxol, Carboplatin, Gem....  Been hearing of Ulympta (forgive spelling on all) and wanted to hear of other's experiences or recommendations.

Hi Jane,

Since ther is only one hot spot have they considered radiaition to eliminate that spot?  If not, you may want to ask about it.  And in the meantime, stay on the tarceva to help prevent anything new from developing.

Good luck and God Bless.

Thanks.  Yes, she just finished 10 radiation treatments.  I neglected to mention chest wall and lymph area in chest have had spots for past 3 years.  There has been no change in those two areas.  Oncologist agrees tarceva is not working any more.  Waiting to hear game plan for next steps but in the meantime - wanted to see if there was any info out there on chemotherapy when tarceva doesn't work any more. 

 

On 6/30/2009 JaneP wrote:

Thanks.  Yes, she just finished 10 radiation treatments.  I neglected to mention chest wall and lymph area in chest have had spots for past 3 years.  There has been no change in those two areas.  Oncologist agrees tarceva is not working any more.  Waiting to hear game plan for next steps but in the meantime - wanted to see if there was any info out there on chemotherapy when tarceva doesn't work any more. 

Hi Jane,

I asked my oncologist what he would recommend if my  tarceva stopped working.  He said they would continue the tarceva and add avastin.  He said the avastin would boost the tarceva and could probably get further benefit from it. 

 

On 6/29/2009 JaneP wrote:

Looking for info.  Family member has been on Tarceva for 3 years which has been able to hold cancer at bay - small hot spot in pelvic area 3 years ago but since has been unrecognizable until recently.  New hot spot developed in same pelvic area and now Dr's are convinced Tarceva isn't working any more.  She's been on Taxol, Carboplatin, Gem....  Been hearing of Ulympta (forgive spelling on all) and wanted to hear of other's experiences or recommendations.

I read the other replies to your message.  Isn't it great that we can get these feedbacks?    I'm a Stage IV lung cancer non small cell.   I was on a clinical study adding Avastin to Tarceva and they quit the study because it was decided that Avastin wasn't helping.   Don't know all the details.    I discontinued the study before they quit because in 4 weeks my tumors were down to nothing and we figured it was the Tarceva doing it and Avastin has the side effect of 5% can get massive bleeding and 2% die from that bleeding.    I've been on Tarceva for 8 months and it is now not working on the original and biggest spot I had on my lung.  That spot is growing again.    I want to stay on the Tarceva because it was so good for me and the side effects were minimal and it may be keeping other spots from developing.  BUT, we have to stop the one spot that is right next to the brochial tube.   We could have elected radiation to the spot after doing a PET scan to determine if that was the only spot growing, but we settled on Carboplatin and Alimta (I don't have my notes here and can't remember the exact names).   We'll do 2 sessions of that over 6 weeks and see if it pushes that one growing spot back, and then maybe I can go back on Tarceva.     God is good and in control.

 

On 6/30/2009 nevah wrote:

 

On 6/29/2009 JaneP wrote:

Looking for info.  Family member has been on Tarceva for 3 years which has been able to hold cancer at bay - small hot spot in pelvic area 3 years ago but since has been unrecognizable until recently.  New hot spot developed in same pelvic area and now Dr's are convinced Tarceva isn't working any more.  She's been on Taxol, Carboplatin, Gem....  Been hearing of Ulympta (forgive spelling on all) and wanted to hear of other's experiences or recommendations.

hteI read the other replies to your message.  Isn't it great that we can get these feedbacks?    I'm a Stage IV lung cancer non small cell.   I was on a clinical study adding Avastin to Tarceva and they quit the study because it was decided that Avastin wasn't helping.   Don't know all the details.    I discontinued the study before they quit because in 4 weeks my tumors were down to nothing and we figured it was the Tarceva doing it and Avastin has the side effect of 5% can get massive bleeding and 2% die from that bleeding.    I've been on Tarceva for 8 months and it is now not working on the original and biggest spot I had on my lung.  That spot is growing again.    I want to stay on the Tarceva because it was so good for me and the side effects were minimal and it may be keeping other spots from developing.  BUT, we have to stop the one spot that is right next to the brochial tube.   We could have elected radiation to the spot after doing a PET scan to determine if that was the only spot growing, but we settled on Carboplatin and Alimta (I don't have my notes here and can't remember the exact names).   We'll do 2 sessions of that over 6 weeks and see if it pushes that one growing spot back, and then maybe I can go back on Tarceva.     God is good and in control.

 

One recent suggestion by her oncologist was to introduce Alimta with Tarceva.   Since then he has decided to double the Tarceva dosage - 2 pills per day (300mg total).   We're waiting 2 weeks to see if rash occurs (hopefully it will - a good sign!)   Another possibility is Erubitux which apparently has had good results with lung cancer - originally used for colin cancer.  Attacks protein in cell as Tarceva does, unfortunately, it's administered interveneously.  But then again - it it works - who cares!  Praying for the Tarceva since she has tolerated it well for several years.  Also will pursue second opinion.  Best of luck in the upcoming couple of weeks.