Blurry vision to almost blind - currently taking Tarceva - 1268512

tswtsui
Posts:2

Hi, my mom has been on Tarceva for the past 13 months with minimal side effect and has been responding well. In the last couple of weeks, her vision has progressive became worst to a point that she is not able to see anything. She has been to an Ophthalmologist and a Retina Specialist and they couldn't find anything wrong. MRI and scan has ruled out brain-met. My question is : could this be a side effect of Tarceva? I know blurry vision can be one of the side effects, but my mom's condition seems too severe for that.

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Reply # - February 16, 2015, 06:58 PM

catdander
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I'm so sorry your mom is having these difficulties. I've not heard of tarceva causing blindness. I hope she can find some answers and most of all return her sight. Perhaps her doctor will want to perform another MRI to see whether a met is growing but originally was too small to see.

All best,
Janine

Reply # - February 16, 2015, 07:21 PM

tswtsui
Posts: 2

Thank you Janice for your reply. I just spoke to my mom's oncologist and he is going to review her test results. The conclusion that she did not have brain-met was made by the hospital's attending physician (Mom was hospitalized due to her eye condition), so I suspect her oncologist think otherwise. I pray that her vision will be restored. Best regards, Teresa

Reply # - February 16, 2015, 09:22 PM

Dr West
Posts: 4735

I have also not heard of this from Tarceva (erlotinib). I would be much more suspicious that it is related to brain metastases, choroidal metastases (in the back of the eye), or possibly leptomeningeal carcinomatosis as another potential diagnosis when odd neurologic symptoms aren't explained by the available imaging studies.

Good luck.

-Dr. West

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