Have been away from this board for awhile. My mom NSCLC Satge IV is now a 1 year survivor and has been on the Tarceva for 7 months :However, a CT in May showed slight growth in a couple liver mets and her CEA in May was 20 but shot up to 70 in June. The odd part is her liver enzymes were up a little in May but back down in June. She goes for a CT tomorrow along with more lab work so we will see what is going on. She feels great and is still enjoying life and still has the attitude that she will give the cancer one hell of a fight. She still even goes to work twice a week! She is 81 with no other health issues. If we see more growth on this CT the doctor says he will have to take her off the Tarceva, which is causing mixed feelings as it could be what is keeping her feeling so well. He is talking chemo again either Altima or taxotere with avastin. The avastin frightens my mom as it has the increased risk of bleeding problems including stroke which increases in the over 65 yr group. I think she would rather let the cancer win then have a major stroke and spend the last few months of life as an invalid. The choices are never easy are they? I am thinking if it is only growth in a few liver mets we should have the cyberknife doctors take a look and see if they can zap them, Though my mom's doctor says it will not make any difference.How could that not increase survival to get the only growing mets out of there? Livers regenerate so would it not help prevent liver failure for awhile longer if they were gone? I think doctors are too stuck on the protocols which to me at late stage cancer is a joke. Some of the people that have survived the longest are people that found doctors who stepped out of the protocol and took a chance. She is eating very well so we are pumping up her nutrition to help build up her immune system in case it comes to more chemo. I do believe that given the right nutrition the body can heal itself of any thing but the problem lies in getting the right nutrients! Tomorrow's CT will direct her future and I have read that Pray helps too so ask any of you reading this to say a little prayer for her. I feel alittle anxious and most of my out of the family support system have been undergoing their own traumas the past couple of months so it is nice being able to come to this board just to chat about it. I welcome any input as we learn so much more from those in the same boat then we do from the doctors. I send my prayers to all of you in your fight. JanMarie