CancerCompass message board discussion started by albert84 on 4/4/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,22693,0.htm Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ Dear all,my grandmother, 83, has been recently diagnosed pancreatic cancer. I've heard of erlotinib has an useful chemotherapic treatment for this tumour, with surprisingly few side effects.Does anyone know whether it really is a reliable weapon to slow down the progress of the disease? Should it be used together with any other drug?Thank you in advance.Alberto albert84 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 4/4/2008 albert84 wrote:Dear all,my grandmother, 83, has been recently diagnosed pancreatic cancer. I've heard of erlotinib has an useful chemotherapic treatment for this tumour, with surprisingly few side effects.Does anyone know whether it really is a reliable weapon to slow down the progress of the disease? Should it be used together with any other drug?Thank you in advance.AlbertoHi Alberto,Erlotinib is better known as Tarceva.  I know it is a proven treatment for lung cancer and believe it was just approved for pancreatic cancer as well.  If you do a search on Tarceva on this site you will find quite a bit of info on the drug.  For me it has worked wonders.  I am stage IV lung cancer, both lungs but no other mets, and have been on it for 18 months and still doing very well.  It has shrunk one tumor completely and the main one by 57%.  I am waiting for the May PET scan to see if it is totally gone since the tumor did not show on the latest chest xray.  The side effects are controllable, at least they were for me.  It is the only chemo I have ever used.   Was given it as first line treatment.  Good luck to your grandmother.  Please keep us informed.  God Bless. Chessie Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT