In Treatment

Hello friends,

My mom, (aged 77, Adenocarcinoma NSCLC, Stage 4, EGFR and ALK negative)  was diagnosed in 2014, underwent VATS and pleurodesis, followed by 6 cycles of Carboplatin & Alimta, Alimta maintenance, Tarceva (for just a couple of months) and is now on Keytruda for her stage 4, lung cancer treatment.  Her PDL-1 expression was over 70%.

This question is not for a specific patient, it is designed to understand how oncologists would approach this problem. There’s a 50 year old stage IIIb unresectable NSCLC patient with ALK positive FISH biopsy result. PD-L1 25%. ECOG 0-1. Should this patient be treated first line with Chemoradiation+Durvalumab or Alectinib? Would the recommendation be any different with EGFR mutation?

My wife is experiencing a second time brain tumor recurrence. She had her first occipital craniotomy back in 2011. On late Oct 2013 she began to experience different vision artifacts and visual migraines but with no pain. Radiation oncologist had a hard time differentiating between radiation necrosis or cancer recurrence. In 2015 the visual migraines began to come with headaches and the headaches later became intolerable. Finally, on Dec 12, 2015 a second occipital craniotomy was performed. Among the massive necrotic tissues, the surgeon found viable cancer cells.

Has anyone any information on obtaining and using Vaxira, the Cuban drug, for
stage 4 advanced NSCLC? Not sure if US citizens can still travel to Cuba, but the drug is supposed to be available in Argentina also, which would seem to be an easier avenue. Thank you very much.

My wife has come a long way with Stage IV lung cancer since 2010. She has now developed acquired resistance to Tarceva.

Gene sequence of biopsy from enlarged pre-vascular and supraclavicular lymph nodes revealed mutation remains EGFR L858R in EXON 21 (original mutation from 2011) and negative to T790M. The cancer is also PD-1 and PD-L1 negative.

Hi Grace community,
Thank you for the extensive information and great support on your website.
It seems that after 9,5 years I have developed resistance to Alimta, which has been the main reason why I have survived so long with stage IV BAC Adenocarcinoma. Now I am at a crossroads thinking what next. Cancer has progressed in my lungs, but I'm still doing quite well.