Any thoughts? Back on chemo, this time Navelbine?

Dawn50
Dawn50 Member Posts: 122
edited October 2012 in Lung Cancer #1
September 11 my husband had a PET that showed little to no change. The one prior to this one showed little to no change too. The Gemzar has been making him very sick so the oncologist said he would give him a break until October 10 then he would start chemo again either with Gemzar or something else. He has been feeling better and gaining strength until this past Thursday when he started having severe pain in his chest in about the location of the primary cancer (between his lungs but toward the right side)the pain pills don't seem to be helping much and tonight he has been feeling nausea and his cough has been REALLY bad. What's going on?

He's stubborn and won't go to the doctor!

Comments

  • gtp1164
    gtp1164 Member Posts: 10
    #2
    Hi
    I am new here and with lung cancer, but what type of lung cancer does he have?
    maybe you should see another onc.
  • Dawn50
    Dawn50 Member Posts: 122
    #3
    gtp1164 said:

    Hi
    I am new here and with lung cancer, but what type of lung cancer does he have?
    maybe you should see another onc.

    stage 4 NSCLC Adenocarcinoma
    Another symptom he has that is new is that when he coughs it causes such pain in his head that he actual grabs it and can't function for a few seconds
  • gtp1164
    gtp1164 Member Posts: 10
    #4
    Dawn50 said:

    stage 4 NSCLC Adenocarcinoma
    Another symptom he has that is new is that when he coughs it causes such pain in his head that he actual grabs it and can't function for a few seconds

    I have the same kind
    I would see another doc. I just found out on july 18th that i have cancer mets to bones.
    I have been blessed so far.. they cant even see my tumor and a node that was 3.4cm is now 1.6 cm. I am going to slone in nov.. just to see if i am on track.. i love my doc but would love to know what slone would say.. good luck
  • dennycee
    dennycee Member Posts: 857 Member
    #5
    Good morning has anything
    Good morning has anything changed? If not please call his doctor and describe the symptoms. Tell him you can't get hubby to urgent care and would like to motivate him to go. Ask him what the ER docs will be ruling out and relay that to hubby. When I read first entry my instinct said pleural and pericardial effusion. Now I'm wondering pulmonary embolism. That would not explain head pain. Please let us know what happens.
  • Dawn50
    Dawn50 Member Posts: 122
    #6
    dennycee said:

    Good morning has anything
    Good morning has anything changed? If not please call his doctor and describe the symptoms. Tell him you can't get hubby to urgent care and would like to motivate him to go. Ask him what the ER docs will be ruling out and relay that to hubby. When I read first entry my instinct said pleural and pericardial effusion. Now I'm wondering pulmonary embolism. That would not explain head pain. Please let us know what happens.

    Thanks Dennycee
    He has had a moderate pleural effusion and a small cardial effusion for a while now. No one seems concerned about. I did get him to go back to the oncologist - he's stubborn and wanted to be off chemo for the whole month they were giving him for a break - he made it three weeks. They didn't seem surprised and without any testing put him on Navelbine without checking anything. They now want him to get a port and he is refusing even though they have told him navelbine is very hard on your veins and could cause irreversible damage to the tissue if it comes in contact with the muscle, etc around the IV site. They advise the head pain is due to some back force during coughing with causes the blood to reverse motion for a second or so putting pressure in his head?

    Any thoughts on Navelbine?
  • Dawn50
    Dawn50 Member Posts: 122
    #7
    Stopped the Navelbine
    Stopped the navelbine after one treatment, had horrible side effects on top on being so sick. Doing a CT scan on Monday to see what's going on. Then mentioned a different chemo which is designed for the EGFR or other mutations which he does not have states he may get a small benefit from it... I don't understand this at all.
  • dennycee
    dennycee Member Posts: 857 Member
    #8
    Dawn50 said:

    Stopped the Navelbine
    Stopped the navelbine after one treatment, had horrible side effects on top on being so sick. Doing a CT scan on Monday to see what's going on. Then mentioned a different chemo which is designed for the EGFR or other mutations which he does not have states he may get a small benefit from it... I don't understand this at all.

    No more Navelbine
    Dawn, that must all have been scary for you both. I am so sorry that he had to go through that. Is the medicine that they are going to give him Tarceva? It has proven effective in a small percentage of patients who are EGFR-. The best outcome with Tarceva is that it shrink the cancer, second best is that it prevents it from growing and spreading. I will think positive thoughts your way.

    Have you looked into participating in a clinical trial?

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