Carbo/Txol/Avastin not working

BobL63

Hello, I am new to this forum. I have Stage IIIB lung cancer. I have a tumor in my left lung which has spread to a small portion on my right illiac bone. I did 4 rounds of carbo/txol/avastin. I had a Pet scan afterwords which should that this regimen has not done anything. My oncologist now wants to change to Pemetrexed instead to see if that would do anythiung. Does anybody have any thoughts about this. 

dennycee

Welcome to the CSN website.

Welcome to the CSN website.  There are several threads here that deal with pemetrexed (Alimta).  Ii have no personal experience with it. Until someone who has experience with it checks in, try digging through the older posts.  Use the sites search engine and educate, educate, educate yourself.  I look forward to reading more from you. 

djs123

dennycee said:

Welcome to the CSN website.

Welcome to the CSN website.  There are several threads here that deal with pemetrexed (Alimta).  Ii have no personal experience with it. Until someone who has experience with it checks in, try digging through the older posts.  Use the sites search engine and educate, educate, educate yourself.  I look forward to reading more from you. 

Alimta

My husband is stage IV lung cancer with bone cancer as well. He has had three treatments of Carbo/Alimta.  They did a scan immediately before the 3rd treatment and it showed nodes on lungs had shrunk and bone mets where filling in.  The doctor was very pleased as are we.  Praying for more good results. He goes for his fourth treatment soon, there are a total of six scheduled, 3 weeks apart.  The infusion takes about 2 hours, it is preceded by an IV steroid, now he takes a pill the night before.  Lab work is done before each session.  Doctor said most likely Alimta will be used as maintenance after the 6 treatments, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.  He is also given an injection of Zometa for bone health every 6 weeks and a B-12 shot every 9 weeks.  He has a multitude of drugs that he has to take for about a week after treatment. 

After the first treatment severe constipation was a big issue but with the help of the Chemo nurse we have a handle on that now and that has not been a problem.  He starts taking senokot, colace and gas x right away.  

He had no vomiting and very little nausea, since he is balding anyway, losing hair was not an issue.  He has not lost weight and looks well.  He is very tired and has labored breathing and a cough,  but the doctor said these are all normal side effects of the chemo. Since starting chemo his blood counts have dropped so he is now being checked for anemia. We should know about that shortly and hope that doctor gives him something to fix that so he gets his energy back.

Good luck, anymore questions, feel free

God bless

 

 

Xiaowang

djs123 said:

Alimta

My husband is stage IV lung cancer with bone cancer as well. He has had three treatments of Carbo/Alimta.  They did a scan immediately before the 3rd treatment and it showed nodes on lungs had shrunk and bone mets where filling in.  The doctor was very pleased as are we.  Praying for more good results. He goes for his fourth treatment soon, there are a total of six scheduled, 3 weeks apart.  The infusion takes about 2 hours, it is preceded by an IV steroid, now he takes a pill the night before.  Lab work is done before each session.  Doctor said most likely Alimta will be used as maintenance after the 6 treatments, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.  He is also given an injection of Zometa for bone health every 6 weeks and a B-12 shot every 9 weeks.  He has a multitude of drugs that he has to take for about a week after treatment. 

After the first treatment severe constipation was a big issue but with the help of the Chemo nurse we have a handle on that now and that has not been a problem.  He starts taking senokot, colace and gas x right away.  

He had no vomiting and very little nausea, since he is balding anyway, losing hair was not an issue.  He has not lost weight and looks well.  He is very tired and has labored breathing and a cough,  but the doctor said these are all normal side effects of the chemo. Since starting chemo his blood counts have dropped so he is now being checked for anemia. We should know about that shortly and hope that doctor gives him something to fix that so he gets his energy back.

Good luck, anymore questions, feel free

God bless

 

 

Does your husband have kras mutation

Hello, there,

 

does your husband have kras mutation?

your nurse and doctor seemed having done good home work before chemo.

thank you for the information

 

xiao wang

 

 

jrobbins

stage 4 lung cancer

My lung cancer met to my right arm and now spine.  I had taxol & avastin chemo for almost a year, it has stopped shrinking the lung tumor and I just came out of 3 wks of radiation.  They have changed the chemo, but not to Pemetrexed (I can't remember the names of the new, one starts with "Gem" the other with V.....  Have you ever taken Zometa?  They started me on it, and it killed the bone in the roof of my mouth.  Just wanted to see if it affected anyone else that way.