8 weeks after starting Tagrisso

JMM
Posts:5

Hello,

My dear husband was diagnosed in early January and after a Guardant360 liquid biopsy that revealed the EGFR mutation was able to start on Tagrisso. The CT scan after 8 weeks shows no change in either of the nodes in the lungs. Does this mean the treatment is not working?

Thank you,
Joanne

Forums
Stage IV NSCLC

Reply # - April 7, 2021, 12:00 PM

JanineT GRACE …
Posts: 665
GRACE Community Outreach Team

Hi Joanne, 

 

Welcome to Grace.  We are sorry you are here but glad to help where we can.  It doesn't mean that tagrisso isn't working.  There are a couple of possible things I can think of that would suggest benefit.  First, no progression is a good thing! and even though it isn't officially decreasing, no change is definitely benefiting him.  If your husband's scan was compared to a scan taken some weeks before starting tagrisso it could be that the tumor/s had grown between the time he had the first scan and the time he started tagrisso, meaning the tagrisso has shrunk the tumor back to its original size.  What does his oncologist say? 

 

I hope he does well for a long time.  Advances are happening quickly enough for many to stay ahead of the curve for years. 

 

All the best,

Janine

I joined GRACE as a caregiver for my husband who had a Pancoast tumor, NSCLC stage III in 2009. He had curative chemo/rads then it was believed he had a recurrence in the spine/oligometastasis that was radiated. He's 10 years out from treatment.

Reply # - April 7, 2021, 02:39 PM

JMM
Posts: 5

Hi Janine,

Thank you so much for your speedy reply. We haven’t yet spoken to his oncologist, I am a bit of a research hound and jumped right into the patient portal as soon as the CAT scan was done. The comparative scans were numerous because of all the urgent issues he’s recently had (pleural effusions, heart palpitations, mini strokes), so I don’t think it’s that they grew, then shrank.  

The oncologist appointment is tomorrow, I just was so anxious I felt like I needed to reach out to someone sooner rather than later.

Joanne

Reply # - April 8, 2021, 01:31 PM

JanineT GRACE …
Posts: 665
GRACE Community Outreach Team

That sounds pretty consistent with most of us who have been in the same place and end up here, which is close to what happened with me and Jim our other moderator.  I learned from our faculty early on to make onc appointments as close to scan dates as possible so not to have radiologists' reports in hand without the input on the onc.  For my husband, it takes a couple of days between scan, reporting, and onc appointment so the worst part of scanxiety (yes, that's a word we all use because cancer) isn't as long. 

 

The CT scan will be compared to the last CT scan.  Stand-alone CTs have better resolution for measuring mm than a PET/CT which makes measuring mm not accurate enough to know for sure what your seeing is an accurate interpretation of the tumor's growth or reduction.   Remember, no progression is good.  I look forward to hearing back after the onc appointment, she is the one who is in the best position to interpret what it all means. 

 

Janine

I joined GRACE as a caregiver for my husband who had a Pancoast tumor, NSCLC stage III in 2009. He had curative chemo/rads then it was believed he had a recurrence in the spine/oligometastasis that was radiated. He's 10 years out from treatment.

Reply # - April 9, 2021, 07:22 AM

JMM
Posts: 5

Hi Janine,

Excellent point about trying to schedule scan and onc appointments on the same day if possible.

Onc docs are happy with no growth. I am trying to be happy too. Of course, what I wanted was "dramatic shrinkage" but I am trying to change my perspective and readjust my expectations.

Joanne

Reply # - April 9, 2021, 02:56 PM

JanineT GRACE …
Posts: 665
GRACE Community Outreach Team

I hope someone with experience will chime in.  According to clinicians pleurex cath can be worn as long as it's functioning appropriately but at least several months.

I joined GRACE as a caregiver for my husband who had a Pancoast tumor, NSCLC stage III in 2009. He had curative chemo/rads then it was believed he had a recurrence in the spine/oligometastasis that was radiated. He's 10 years out from treatment.

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