On 5/10/2008
LisaM NJ wrote:
My mon has NSCLC stage IV with mets to the bone. She is having a very hard time dealing with the side of effects of chemo, and there has been little success. Her doctor is now recommending that she try Tarceva. I have read a lot of the posts on these boards discussing side effects etc- the information has been very helpful. Just wondering if anyone has had improvement with their bone mets? her cancer is adenocarcinoma. Any information would be helpful. Thank you!!
Hi Lisa,
So sorry to hear about your Mom. It's a rough road no matter which way you go. Probably a lot of the posts you have read were mine.
I can't speak for what tarceva would do for mets because I have none. I have been on tarceva for a little over 19 months now and have never developed any mets anywhere. I have stage IV NSCLC, both lungs, and tarceva is the only treatment I have ever had. The tumors in the one lung are now gone and the main tumor in the other lung is almost gone. So I am very grateful that tarceva has worked for me.
There are side effects, primarily rash and diarrhea, but they are manageable. Mine were under control after a few months and there are plenty of meds to combat the side effects. I don't know what I would have done without it. They gave me 6-12 months originally. That was wrong obviously.
I still enjoy everything I always have and still work. I get a little tired in the evenings but rest and then I'm ready to go again. I'm 61 by the way.
If it were me, I'd give tarceva a try. It will give your Mom a rest from the harsh chemo treatments and I believe you will find she will have a much better quality of life and be able to enjoy a lot more. Another reason is tarceva is one of the few chemos that cross the blood/brain barrier to help prevent mets to the brain. I had my brain CT scan a month ago and it was clean.
Good luck with whatever you decide and God Bless you both.