Linking you to resources and support in the lung cancer community!
Update Tarceva
I would like to open up the discussion on Tarceva.
Please send information on your experience while using Tarceva, how long you have been on the drug, results, side effects, success or failures and any treatments used for these side effects.
Also if you have the EGFR mutation or a never smoker.
Thank you,
Carmasp
Views: 1145
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by BeBeReader on -
My husband has been taking Tarceva for 7 years. He was diagnosed with NSCLC 3B/4 and was placed on Tarceva concurrently with chemo. This was an off-label use and just 2 months after Tarceva received FDA approval. He was treated at Columbia Presbyterian in NYC. He is a nonsmoker. He has one of the EGFR mutations - I believe mutation 19.
My husband's cancer was inoperable and too broadly populated to use radiation - present in nodes throughout his chest, mediastinum and even chaining down one arm . Within days of starting Tarceva (150 mg per day), a lump in his clavicle was very noticiably smaller. The cancer receded and all the lymph nodes went back to normal size over several months. The lesion in his lung is smaller (it was never very large), and it may well now consist of only scar tissue. This is unknown. There is no evidence of any disease and has not been for probably over 6 years. Tarceva dosage was gradually reduced from 150mg to 125 mg to 100 mg over a long period of time. CT scans were reduced in frequency and now are once a year.
As for side effects, there was a terrible skin outbreak at the beginning. Clindomycin was prescribed first topically and then orally. This helped. My husband has had problems with his fingers (they have episodes of splits) and toenails (his large toe nails have had to be removed twice). His skin is very dry and his hair is brittle. However, the side effects, as they have evolved, have never been really bad (except at the very beginning), he feels well and his quality of life is terrific. He works out in the gym several times a week and is physically stronger than he has been in decades - he is 69.
I know this is kind of unusual, but it is a real case. He has been written up as a success story by Genentech internally for its employees and also by his oncologist's hospital. I write this to give others hope because good things can happen.
Inspire.com has a recent thread on cases like this and one of the posters has added up some successful cases of Tarceva use of lenghty periods of time.
-
Permalink Reply by dburke on -
Hello! I have been on Tarceva over a year now. I started out taking 150mg. and had so many side effects my oncologist downed it to 25mg. I have been NED now a little over a year. I do have the EGFR gene. I was not a smoker. I was diagnosed in June of 2010 of stage 3b adenocarcinoma. My side effects when I was at the high dose was nausea, breaking out. So far the 25mg. is doing great. Are you on Tarceva? Take care, Debbie
-
Permalink Reply by Gumbocat on
-
Dear all,
I have been on 100mg of Tarceva for 6 years now. I was diagnosed with non small cell adnocarcinoma stage 3G of the bac. I was only 32 when I got sick. I never smoked, in fact I ran marathons. I am a patient at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York. I went through traditional treatments of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation but my cancer returned one year after treatment. My brilliant doctor tested me for the egfr mutation and I do NOT have it. He decided to put me on the drug anyway....and that was 6 years ago. My side effects are dry hair, some of the rash and eye irritation. I treat myself to blow outs at the salon as I work full time and feel it is important to feel my best. I work out every day and I think this makes me process the drug much easier. I eat tons of veggies, kale, broccoli, and anything healthy I can get my hands on. I juice, take omega three vitamins and vitamin d3. I get 8 hours of sleep and live a full life. I do see a dermatologist to control the rash on my face. I use genteel eye gel when I sleep to help with my dry eyes. So if you do not test positive for the gene try it anyway...you just never know if it is going to work. I will post more later.
Brooke
-
Permalink Reply by carmasp on
-
Thank you all for your quick responses. I am stage 4 and was tested having no EGFR or other mutations (at least the ones they know of so far). Chemo regime, Carbo/ Avastin/ Alimta 4 cycles then Alimta Avastin 14 cycles with progression. Started Tarceva 30 days ago and I felt much better within two weeks, becoming more active and breathing is less difficult.
Side effects are as warned: Dry skin, cracked fingers, some fatigue, a facial breakout and slight chest rash.
Clindamycin for the rash and breakouts, tons of lotion for the dryness and will try liquid bandaid for the cracked fingers.
I am new to this treatment so your input is encouraging. My husband calls Tarceva a miracle drug.
Keep up the post and send advice on how you are dealing with the side effects.
Thank you,
carmasp
-
Permalink Reply by SANTATERESA on
-
I am so glad to hear all these success stories. I also take Tarceva almost a year and a half now and I had stage IV lung cancer. It looked like a mist over my lungs. I was drowning in this fluid and I had a horrific cough. It took the doctor's 7 months to diagnose me. All the tests I had kept coming back negative. I had a biopsy, they open my chest to get a small piece of my lung tissue. It's short name is BAC. The first Tarceva pill I took dryed my lungs and I did not cough again. I started at 100 mg and the reaction was pretty bad but my doctor at MD Anderson kept lowering and shortly I was at 50 mg and have been doing great. I am 51 years young female and my doctor had told me that this was a miracle drug. I don't get as worried as I used to. I did loose most of my hair which is unusual, but it grew back very slowly and it is coarse. The only problem I have is insomnia, I take Ambien. I can tell you guys that this was the scariest thing I have ever gone through but lots of prayers kept me going. I am so happy that I read your comments..
-
Permalink Reply by Marie on
-
Hi, I have been on Tarceva since June 2011 after being Dx with Stage IV non smoker lung cancer(EGFR mutation) in May 2011. it was discovered after I had a pathlogical fx of my left femur because of a tumor. Upon further investigation, they discovered a large lung tumor in the left lobe with small mets scatter in my left lung. I also had three small brain lesions as well. I had no outward symptons except for pain in my leg which my Dr and I though was due to muscle strain as I like to excise by walking. I was in excellent health.
My brain lesions were Gamma Knife in July 2011 but per Dr, the tumors had already shrunk due to the Tarceva. My tumors in my lung, my legs and the small lesion in my T-12 area of my back are resolved.
The side effects have been minimal: Dryness of skin and diarrhea. I have good remedies that work for me. I know it might sound corny but so many other people have it worse than what I have. I feel blessed. I have faith and a can do spirit.
I hope this helps.
-
Permalink Reply by sbarnes1963 on
-
Thanks soooo much for starting this thread & for those who posted. It has given us hope when only a couple days ago my sister was told there's nothing left to do & gave her 2-4 weeks. She got a 2nd opinion today & we talked about this drug thanks to the wonderful board members here! She is hospitalized as of yesterday & we are in a huge danger zone but have hope thanks to people here...thankyou so much!!!
Due to this forum, I asked about Tarceva (thanks to Amy & someone else who posted a whole thread on this). The doc said my sister has to get her platelets up to 70 or 80 before they could try it. They just sent tissue from the original biopsy to the lab 2.5 weeks ago to check for the EGFR mutation. I mentioned some on the board don't have the mutation but this med still helped them & she said she could try it either way if the blood count gets up but there's higher success rate with it if you have the mutation. She said about 25% of people without the mutation will get help from it.
-
Permalink Reply by SANTATERESA on
-
New Update - had my CT Scans results this past friday and my lungs are doing great but I have 3 lymphnodes in my abdomen that are swollen. These lymphones were tested in 2010 and it did not show I had lymphoma. My doctor advice not to do biopsi and just go straight to chemo along with the Tarceva. The chemo is called "Pemetrexed". Has anyone experienced swollen lymphones?
I have been on Tarceva since July 2010. What a roller coaster.
-
Permalink Reply by Jeannie on
-
My mom was diagnosed in 2007 with stage IV NSCLC and never smoked. She had Taxol and Avastin for about 7 months. It was killing her so they started her on Tarceva. She is doing well, very active, and the cancer has shrunk. She does have some terrible rashes at times, as well as diarrhea and has trouble keeping weight on. Overall, she is an amazingly active 80 year old who deals with these side effects with grace. We are trying to learn more about side effects to better deal with them. Jeannie
-
Permalink Reply by SANTATERESA on
-
I have been taking Tarceva for over 2 and a half years or so. I take 50 mg daily because the side effects of the rash and acne was really bad. I even lost my hair with it. The good news is that my cancer has been in remission since then so Tarceva has been a life saving med for me. I still get a little rash and I handle the diarrhea with Lomotil I also watch not to eat mayonnaise which it brings on the diarrhea and also fried foods. My skin is very dry so I use lots of lotions. I used to get the rash in my nose let me know if that's a problem for her. Doctor had sent me something really good for that. Keep hydrated helps.
I also now do Alimpta IV chemo because my lymphnodes in the abdomen got swollen, I have been doing a maintenance once a month for a year now and all is well.
Take care and let me know if I can be of any help.
© 2013 Created by AmyLCA.
