So mom has moved back to solid foods and is much better now. I'm curious if this is sorta how the cycle goes. Her last chem was on the 14th and she struggled until about a week and half in and seems to have turned it around.
Is that pretty normal?
And if I fly out to offer my help what days are best for me to be there. I want to be there for the chemo treatment but wonder if this isn't the best help to her of my family.
I know the Dr. said it but will they scan after the 3rd chemo treatment? I want that on my radar for sure.
Lastly, how long should/could we expect Alimta to be effective? Does she just do this every 3 weeks until she can't? Is there a treatment break with 2nd line treatments that won't compromise her longevity?
Sorry for the massive questions. Just bouncing all this around in my head and I really need to get a call in to this Dr. I am also recalling that she's not signed the medical release for me to get her info. Hmmm.
Well I'll get on that but am eager to hear what you all have to say about my questions.
I'm Thankful that she was able to eat a good Thanksgiving meal this year, and so sad that we weren't able to spend it with them. It's the first one we've missed all together in 14 years.
hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.
Reply # - December 1, 2014, 06:56 AM
Hi Carrie,
Hi Carrie,
Glad to hear your mom is feeling better. It is pretty typical for the first half of the chemo cycle to be more difficult but to to improve after that. So that is likely the period of time when she might need more assistance.
Normally on first line treatment scans are performed after 2-3 cycles, then on maintenance every 2-3 months, eventually lengthening the interval a bit depending on circumstances.
If she tolerates chemo well enough, maintenance tends to be continued indefinitely or until evidence of significant progression. Short treatment breaks may be taken without much risk in order to allow blood count to normalize or for other reasons.
There's no way to predict how long Alimta will be effective; it can vary from months to years.
I hope it works well for your mom for a long time.
JimC
Forum moderator
Reply # - December 1, 2014, 07:06 PM
Jim provided a great summary.
Jim provided a great summary. Indeed, it's possible for Alimta (pemetrexed) to last for years, but that's not the usual case. It's more common for treatment to keep the cancer from progressing for 3-9 months. In some patients, it doesn't work at all, and the first scan after starting treatment shows progression.
It is sometimes possible to take a break from treatment, depending on how a patient is responding to treatment and how they're tolerating therapy.
Good luck.
-Dr. West
Reply # - December 2, 2014, 01:43 PM
Thanks Dr. West. I'm hopeful
Thanks Dr. West. I'm hopeful that it will work but feel like she's one complication away from loosing the fight. She's so dang frail already.
Will they likely scan after her 3rd treatment? I'll be eager to know when we will know anything.
Reply # - December 2, 2014, 02:32 PM
Hi Carrie,
Hi Carrie,
Scan frequency varies from one oncologist to another, but after starting a new regimen a scan after two or three cycles is pretty typical, just to see if you're on the right track or need to change the plan.
JimC
Forum moderator
Reply # - December 2, 2014, 07:58 PM
Exactly, but you could just
Exactly, but you could just ask the oncologist about the plan to be sure.
-Dr. West