What is XL 880? My brother-in-law was recently diagnosed with G-E Juncture cancer, also stage 4. He has been offered and started with a clinical trial for cetuximab (C225) also known as Erbitux. He is approaching his first scan since beginning the trial and my sister is very concerned about where to turn if the scan results are not good. He is pretty young for this disease (49) and his youngest child is only 5 years old so we really are hoping for a miracle. His clinical trial could be that cure they are looking for and seems to be helping so far (he can swallow much better and he did develop the cetuximab rash that is supposed to mean it is working. We still have a lot of questions about availabe options for stage 4 and this message board seems to be the best place to ask questions so here goes:
1. Is G-E juncture cancer more like esophageal cancer or stomach cancer? (Currently, I read both message boards).
2. Is XL880 a trial drug and does it go by other names?
3. Once a person is diagnosed as stage 4 are they always stage 4 or is it possible to clear up the metastasis to other organs and become a stage 3? I ask this because I have heard success stories about stage 3 patients who were able to undergo surgery.
4. Does surgery increase your long term survival? I know that surgery is not an option with metastasis but if you could kill the cancer in the other organs (his is in one area on his pelvic bone), could you consider surgery and if you could, should you?
5. His clinical trial does not appear to have an end. He will be on the study until his cancer begins to grow, he becomes too sick to continue, or he no longer wishes to proceed with the study. Is this typical of clinical trials?
Sorry to hit you with all of my questions but there are very few people on this message board with a diagnosis of metastatic G-E juncture cancer, stage 4.
Thank you in advance for any help or advice you can provide.