5th Line Treatment - Carboplatin/Pemetrexed - 1252213

gn21
Posts:144

Just an update.

I start my 5th line treatment this coming Thursday. Have started the folic acid and had my first vitamin B injection. As my husband is a nurse he was able to give it to me. That's trust for you!

We are using this chemo as a (hopefully) holding pattern whilst we wait for the CO 1686 trial to start in Melbourne in a few months.

At the end of this month it will be 4 years since diagnosis.

Gail

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Reply # - January 4, 2013, 10:09 PM

Dr West
Posts: 4735

Congratulations on your upcoming milestone! We'll be happy to celebrate it with you.

Good luck with the carboplatin/Alimta. It's certainly a regimen that I recommend often for my patients with non-squamous NSCLC, and it's often very well-tolerated, though as a 5th line therapy it's hard to know what to expect. I hope it's helpful for you, and we're looking forward to learning more about the CO-1686 trial.

-Dr. West

Reply # - January 31, 2013, 01:20 AM

gn21
Posts: 144

A further update

Had second round of chemo today. No major side effects other than tiredness which is easy to fix - I just sleep. Got to love my couch.

I am having a scan before the next scheduled treatment. We are still awaiting the CO1686 trial coming to Australia. When I asked what our fallback position is if the chemo isn't working and the trial hasn't started, it appears we don't have one.

To date I have had gemzar/carboplatin, tarceva and pertuzumab clinical trial, tarceva by itself, then dacotinimib and crizotinib as a clinical trial. So, I guess my question to the doctors is, what next?

Gail

Reply # - January 31, 2013, 05:56 AM

Dr West
Posts: 4735

Gail,

I would refer you to the link about treatment options that have some established value in people who have already received prior chemo for advanced NSCLC.

http://cancergrace.org/lung/2010/10/04/lung-cancer-faq-2nd-line-nsclc-o…

Taxotere (docetaxel) is on the short list of agents that we'd routinely favor in someone who hasn't received it before, with Alimta and Tarceva being on the list as well, but options that you'll have already gotten.

Good luck.

-Dr. West

Reply # - February 20, 2013, 10:41 PM

gn21
Posts: 144

Am at the 6 week mark. Scans show stable and as we all know, we love stable.

Unfortunately bloods were pretty dismal so chemo postponed for a week.

Current plan is to do 2 more cycles, then scan, and if stable, drop to alimta only. Not sure of the logic but I'm sure I'll ask. We don't have any fall back plan so will stick with the alimta for as long as possible. Still waiting on the CO 1686 trial.

Presume a combination of bloods, chemo and OxyContin are all contributing to fatigue but given that that is the only real side effect I'm not complaining!

Gail

Reply # - February 20, 2013, 11:31 PM

Dr West
Posts: 4735

I presume the idea of cutting back is the concept that, particularly if someone is having a hard time tolerating the rigors of treatment, you want to have someone on the least intense treatment that will control the cancer. One way to do that is to achieve a good result (stable disease, in many cases), then prune back a bit to see if you can do just as well with less treatment.

Good luck.

-Dr. West

Reply # - February 21, 2013, 01:40 AM

certain spring
Posts: 762

Excellent news about the stability. The fatigue is a real drag. I hoped (absurdly) that I would be reading long improving novels, but in fact I could not stay awake long enough for the TV news. Love to you, Gail.

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