I, on the other hand, have been on Sutent for more than a year. My tumors have remained stable with some dying. Since I take the medicine to keep my alive--and not necessarily feeling good all over--I can't complain.
However, a few points: The se's are different warrior to warrior. For example, some never have the foot and mouth issues, but do find a dry mouth and lack of appetite that is just frightening. When I began on Sutent, I had bad foot and mouth, but after four or five treatments, that went away. It was not fun, but I could walk(unlike Nexavar, every similar to Sutent) that damn near crippled me.
I do believe the se's from Sutent are also somewhat or every cumulative. Lack of energy, shortness of breath, extended high blood pressure that kind of thing. It is nice to get teh 14 day break (and normally the foot business stops quickly), but it is important that you work to keep your body as strong (exercise) as your illness will allow.
There is no reason to "beware" Sutent. Without it and Nexavar and Torisel (not to mention to a lesser degree, high does HL-2) advanced RCC patients would have the chances of the old snowball in hell for a long life or any kind. We are very fortunate we have them.
Beware, however, reading individual effects of Sutent on the web. A lady wrote on one site how her husband died just a month after beginning Sutent. Turns out there was much more to that story and Sutent had nothing to do with his death. Sutent does not kill; complications from RCC kills. Lots of people come to these sights to vent their spleen. And as a newbie, you might learn now to read between the lines.
As for RCC ultimately killing us. As the technology stands today, those of us in Stage Four may, more than likely, die from it within 15 years of dx. However, if you go and look at the statistics, they will tell you most advanced RCC warriors (95%) have an expectance of five years. All those statistics are meaningless now and will be for the next four to five years as the effects of drugs like Sutent are added in. Also, keep in mind statistics don't take into mind a lot of things: age of warrior, general health; extent of the cancer (Stage Four, for example, can be 24 tumors from head to toe which was my case, or just one met to the lungs).
Side effects are awful. Then there is the alternative. We are not children. This is a real war. Do the best you can with the se's, but thank the fates for Sutent. Ten years ago, we didn't have it. Not good. Not good a bit.
You might want to see my blog on this at www.mpablog.typepad.com/david_foster. We have a good time, but we also deal with this horror in a realistic way.
Dave