Cancer Survivors Network

Hi Debby....I'm currently on Avastin and have been for over a year. The first time my oncologist had me on the treatment every other week, which was a small dose. The when it became approved for lung cancer, he just added it to my chemo regimen. It's a much stronger dose now, and I've had some minor nose bleeds, but other than that, no real side effects. I went 10 months inbetween my chemo taking Avastin, which was much better than the 6 months without it the first time. Hope that helps....

Avastin helped to save my life. I was diagnosed with stage 4 NSCLC in August '05. My oncologist managed to put me on Avastin along side taxol and carboplatin for 6 rounds every three weeks (Avastin wasn't yet approved for lung cancer only for colon). I have since continued on it every 3 weeks with Tarceva daily. My tumor went from 5 3/4 cm to 4 cm with the chemo combination and down to 2 cm (with metatastis gone) from my sternum bone, after the first three months on the Avastin Tarceva conbination. In August '06 I had cyberknife treatment and have continued on Avastin (with few side effects - bloody nose here and there- ) and Tarceva. My January scan showed only 1 very weak cm left.