Progress Seen After 3 Treatments of Carbo-Alimta-Avistan

Booster24
Booster24 Member Posts: 13 Member
in Lung Cancer #1
55 year old non-smaoker in excellent health (or so I thought)
I was dx with Adnocernoma in left lung with mets to nodes and pleural effusion on March 28.
Did a pleuraldesis procedure in mid-April.
Marker tests came up negative for EGFR and ALK.
Began Carbo-Alimta-Avistan treatment in early May.

So we did CT and PET scans last week and the tumor in the left lung has shrunk from 35 x 23 mm in late March down to 19 x 11 mm. This is after 3 chemo treatments, with 3 more to go in this first line of treatment. Doing the math, the tumor has shrunk by almost 75% over the past two months.

PET scan showed activity of cancer cells declining in all areas.

Not sure what is typical or average, but this is obviously great news and things are moving in the right direction. After much worry and sleeplessness, I am obviously very encouraged

Onco doc indicates that I should move on to Alimta maintenance for 2nd line of treatment.

Anyone who has had this treatment and for how long? Would love to hear your experience.

Comments

  • dennycee
    dennycee Member Posts: 857 Member
    #2
    No alimta here but wanted to
    No alimta here but wanted to say WAY TO GO!!!!!!!
  • higbie
    higbie Member Posts: 4
    #3
    Carbo and Alimta
    Just finished 2nd infusion.
    Has been 3 months since initial CT scan so will insist on scan in 3 weeks from today to see if infusion is working .
    Have metastis to brain and had SRS and will get results this week on that procedure .
    All that I read indicates that shrinkage is possible but have to stay on maintenance chemo forever . Is that what you find as well .
    bp
  • sirwmscott
    sirwmscott Member Posts: 12
    #4
    Alimta for maintenance
    Great news for you! My Mother (80 yrs old) was dx 7/06/2011 with stage iv adeno with mets to bone, plural and lymph nodes. She had 4 treatments of Alimta and Carboplatin the 9 treatments of Alimta (every 3 or 4 weeks). Her cancer is stable - no growth for months so Dr. gave her summer off. Will go back in September for CT to see if there are changes. If so, she will go back on Alimta.

    Advice to you - drink lots of water, stay rested and take nausea medicine when needed. Good luck - we think Alimta is a GRAT drug - just a bit hard on the body - fatigue, lack of appetite and upset/buring in stomach (due to steriod they give with it).

    Go to inspire.com - there are people who have been on Alimta for 2 or 3 years - really encouraging.

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