gigy
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Posts:27
Hi,
With EGFR testing negative, my doctor wants to use Caboplatin+Alimata for 4-6 rounds of Chemo follow by single agent chemo Alimta "forever, as long as the drug is working".
1. why forever
2. how long can a body handle for the "forever" chemo treatment? 2 yrs? 3 yrs? or more..
Thanks,
Gigy
Forums
Reply # - April 5, 2014, 09:35 AM
Reply To: Alimta foever?
Hi Gigy,
When your doctor said "forever", he was referring to the concept of "maintenance" therapy, in which certain drugs are used for as long as they keep the cancer at bay. Alimta is a drug which for many patients is tolerable over long periods of time, and there are patients who continue to use it for a number of years. That being said, it is not unusual for such patients to take treatment breaks, either for short, planned periods of time or until the cancer begins to progress again, at which time the drug is restarted.
Good luck with carbo/alimta. When my wife used that combination as first-line treatment, it was very effective and relatively tolerable (compared to other, more toxic chemo combinations).
JimC
Forum moderator
Reply # - April 5, 2014, 10:30 AM
Reply To: Alimta foever?
Thank you Jim,
What a relieve! i wish i don't have to be in chemo treatment all my life, what ever short (or long) it may be.
Have a good day.
gigy
Reply # - April 5, 2014, 12:08 PM
Reply To: Alimta foever?
We never want the treatment to be worse than the disease, but the idea of maintenance therapy is to keep the cancer controlled for as long as possible on as minimally intensive a treatment as possible. Many patients are delighted to be on just Alimta as a maintenance therapy for a very long time, if it means that their cancer isn't progressing. That said, you can always decide if/when you need to either take a break from or stop chemotherapy altogether.
Good luck.
-Dr. West