Alimta vs Navelbine - 1255714

khaldoun
Posts:6

Dear Doctors
For the last three months my Doctors have been trying to control the growth in the Tumor by first having two sessions of Taxotere and Carboplatin , it only stopped the growth temporarily but no signs of reduction in size , then tried Gimzar unfortunately I had severe reaction to it ( high temp and skin infection ) the CT showed increase in the number of nodules in my lung which told us that this drug is not working .
At present I have a choice either to take Alimta or Navelbine ( Navelbine cost is covered by my insurance while Alimta is not and I have to pay for it the cost for the firsts two sessions will be $6500)
I am really at a loss I have been reading about both and they both seem to be good , I was hoping you can give me more insight on these two drugs that will help me make the decision on which to take

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Reply # - April 17, 2013, 12:32 AM

Dr West
Posts: 4735

I can't speak to whether a difference in effectiveness is "worth it" in terms of having to pay for drugs out of pocket. I can say that the evidence is considerably stronger for Allimta (pemetrexed) in previously treated patients with a non-squamous advanced NSCLC than the evidence for Navelbine (vinorelbine). The latter has some limited activity, but unlike Alimta, it has never been demonstrated to improve survival significantly in previously treated patients. So overall, I would consider Alimta as a clearly superior choice for non-squamous danced NSCLC in terms of the evidence, but whether it's worth the cost difference is a judgment call that isn't a medical one.

Good luck.

-Dr. West

Reply # - April 17, 2013, 01:16 AM

certain spring
Posts: 762

Wow, that seems an outrageous amount of money. I am not surprised you are hesitating, and what a difficult choice you have to make. Any other second-line options? Tarceva perhaps?

Reply # - April 17, 2013, 01:57 AM

khaldoun
Posts: 6

Unfortunatly Tarceva is not working any more , I used it for 18 months and in the end the tumor started growing again

Reply # - April 17, 2013, 10:13 AM

catdander
Posts:

I'm very sorry you're in this position. Another option may be a clinical trial near enough to home. The investigators pay for much of the treatment. You can search for clinical trials being conducted around the world here. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/search/advanced Add "non-squamous nsclc" to the condition space and geographic areas are also searchable. For more specific info add EGFR acquired resistance or stage IV or metastatic, etc.

Navelbine does have efficacy in many people. You may be able to try navelbine first and keep a close assessment of it before moving to alimta. There is risk in this strategy of the cancer growing too quickly that further treatment isn't feasible. It's worth discussing with your doctor though, he or she will have the best understanding of how indolent or aggressive it is.

Hoping for the best,
Janine
forum moderator

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