May 22, 2008 Approved - sunitinib malate (SUTENT)...any info or experiences to this new drug???

marc24

Hello, anyone out there familiar with Sunitinib Malate (SUTENT)...im reading a pamplet that relates to mixing this drug with FOLFOX instead of the Avastin plus FOLFOX treatment. This was presented by my mom's oncologist as a "new" drug for clinical trials...approved last May when my parents talked to him today...so basically what i want to ask is, are any of you guys taking this drug or are quite familiar with this new clinical trial procedure??

Also, it was a frustrating day how i just realized after I got home from work that the doctors around us did not fully explain that a port is put in place before chemo. One of the nurses told us that it is put the same day when the 1st chemo treatment is done. Now my mom has to wait two weeks for that port to come in and postpone the chemo treatment to Monday and will have it inserted through her arm for now....is this normal or completely fine for now?

Basically my mom decided to go against this clinical procedure since the side effects are even more obscure and my mom and dad felt odd about being an "experiment". As much as i believe in miracles, I don't think I or my mom would "sacrifice" the quality of life for something that is not a guarantee...this is why im asking any of you if you are familiar with this treatment...i heard/researched sunitinib failed to be a treatment for breast cancer in 2006, but it is basically a drug to treat gastrointestinal diseases and the pancreas...correct me if im wrong...so im not so sure if its a miracle drug, unless any of you guys have a say..again this is my own research along with my uncle who works for a pharmaceutical research...any thoughts?

Thanks as always guys!!!!

kristasplace

Port problems
Hi, i'm sorry i can't tell you anything about that new drug. I've never heard of it. I can tell you it's normal for chemo to be given intravenously if a port isn't available. The port is mostly for convenience, and prevents collapsing veins. I had a similar problem with my onc nurse not knowing her **** from the broad side of a barn, and telling me i could go back to work the day after surgery! I think it would be pretty cruel to infuse someone after going through the port procedure. It is a surgery! Even if it is conscious sedation! I was drugged up and miserable for three days afterwards! They told me to keep popping the percocet, and i did!!

I hope you can get the info you need on that new chemo drug. I know that a new one is due out soon, but i don't know if it's that one. I will ask my chemist friend who worked on the compound if that is it's name. Last i heard about his drug was that it had a lot number (not a name), and was currently in the beginnings of human trials.

Many hugs,
Krista

marc24

kristasplace said:

Port problems
Hi, i'm sorry i can't tell you anything about that new drug. I've never heard of it. I can tell you it's normal for chemo to be given intravenously if a port isn't available. The port is mostly for convenience, and prevents collapsing veins. I had a similar problem with my onc nurse not knowing her **** from the broad side of a barn, and telling me i could go back to work the day after surgery! I think it would be pretty cruel to infuse someone after going through the port procedure. It is a surgery! Even if it is conscious sedation! I was drugged up and miserable for three days afterwards! They told me to keep popping the percocet, and i did!!

I hope you can get the info you need on that new chemo drug. I know that a new one is due out soon, but i don't know if it's that one. I will ask my chemist friend who worked on the compound if that is it's name. Last i heard about his drug was that it had a lot number (not a name), and was currently in the beginnings of human trials.

Many hugs,
Krista

gotcha..
yeah thats good you came out of that onc nurse experience okay...and what they describe the port procedure as a "surgery"...i should have known myself to ask early about 2 weeks ago..but hey cant look back now...thanks for that..keep everyone posted as i will keep my mom posted. I told my mom about this forum but she isnt the most technologically savvy so you guys will see me here alot and relay the message to her :-) good night!

lisa42

SUTENT
Hi Marc,

I just thought I'd let you know that I just googled "SUTENT" and found the sutent.com official website. This drug has been approved for two types of cancers: renal cell carcinoma (advanced kidney cancer) and a type of gastrointestinal tumor (forgot the exact name of it). In treating with Sutent in this type of gastrointestinal cancer, it said Sutent is used when the drug "Gleevec" fails.
It did not mention using it for colon or rectal cancer, although it is known that doctors sometimes use drugs approved for other cancers if they believe it might help. Obviously, colon cancer and rectal cancer are "gastrointestinal", but it was a different type of gastrointestinal cancer that I hadn't heard of before. You can search for www.sutent.com to read for yourself.

I hope that things will start going well for your mom. Bless you for being such a great son and caretaker to her.

God bless,
Lisa

kimby

Sunitinib Malate
Marc,

I did a search on the NCI clinical trials website. This drug is in stage II and III of clinical trials for many different canzers and you can find the entire list on the NCI website. This is a stage III for crc which means it has performed well in stage I and II. Here is the link to that page:

http://www.cancer.gov/search/ViewClinicalTrials.aspx?cdrid=544041&version=HealthProfessional&protocolsearchid=6069895

Please note that at the top of that page there are links with more info regarding the drug and the trials. The link I provided is for the trial using Sunitinib Malate with Folfoli and is randomized, meaning your mom wouldn't know if she was getting the new drug or not. It looks, however, like a very good trial and at the point that I would consider it.

Good luck in your research.

Kimby

dianetavegia

My port
My port was to be put in the day before my first chemo but my chemo was put off for a week because when I had a CT of my lungs (Mayo clinic was checking to see if I qualified for an Erbitux trial) the radiologist saw gall stones. I went for an ultra sound instead. The slice where the port was installed was GLUED shut instead of stitches, etc. and done 10 days before my first chemo.

Anyhow, installation took less than 45 minutes. I was out shopping that afternoon. I did have some discomfort for a few weeks but I'm quite thin and doctor put this right where my bra strap rubs/ seat belt fits, shoulder bag rides.... It was hard, too, because I like to sleep on my side and that shoulder crunches over and pushed on the port area. A few weeks later and I realized I no longer even realized it was there until chemo day.

We're all sooooooo very different! I needed no pain killers after my colon surgery nor my port placement. I had my gall bladder removed yesterday and haven't even taken an Ibuprofen, tho I AM sore to the touch. Don't tell your mom the horror stories. A port is wonderful! We older women have troubling veins that can roll, break and even break during an infusion. With the port, I'm totally unaware of anything going on during chemo. I think a port is a godsend. CT scans can be done using them, too. I have a Powerport.

VickiCO

Ports
Ports aren't always an issue. My first one was put in on a Friday and I started chemo on Monday. My surgeon changed my port to a Smart Port when he did my resection surgery, and the hospital accessed it for pain meds the next day. Just letting you know it may not seriously delay anything.

My best wishes to you and your Mom.

Vicki