Chemo questions

Hi NKERN,
I think the drug you are referring to is Alimta.
My Dad just finished his first round of Chemo. He is not using it, but I have seen it mentioned on this site several times. You may want to do a search in the message board.

Good Luck to you and your mom.
Tammy

Hello-- I would strongly encourage you not to refer to your mother as "terminal". Many people, on this board and off, have survived with Stage 4 lung cancer, for many months and/or years. It's so important in this battle to be upbeat and positive. . . and the word "terminal" is neither. If you go into this with the attitude of "this will only buy her a little more time if it works", then you're already entering into this fight with a self-defeating attitude. I tell you this because others here have had to tell me the same thing. Many fine people on this board can be credited with helping me keep my head above water when my mom was first diagnosed in December.

That said, the previous posters are correct-- your mother must be getting Alimta. Alimta is generally used as a second-line treatment. My mother is currently receiving Alimta, 6 treatments total, 3 weeks apart. Her first line treatment was with carboplatin and taxol.

Everyone experiences different side effects. My mother doesn't feel great about 2-3 days after getting the Alimta, but overall, I'd have to say that she's looking better, feeling better, and DOING MORE on the Alimta than she felt on the carbo/taxol (but the carbo/taxol is a much stronger combination). Her hair is also growing back, which helps! (Alimta doesn't cause total hair loss, from what I know).

The weeks and months immediately following a cancer diagnosis are devastating. Try to be positive, for yourself and especially for your mother. Don't read statistics, because it won't make you feel any better. No one doctor can tell you how long your Mother will live. She, and God, will determine that.

My best to you both.

reinstones1 said:

Hello-- I would strongly encourage you not to refer to your mother as "terminal". Many people, on this board and off, have survived with Stage 4 lung cancer, for many months and/or years. It's so important in this battle to be upbeat and positive. . . and the word "terminal" is neither. If you go into this with the attitude of "this will only buy her a little more time if it works", then you're already entering into this fight with a self-defeating attitude. I tell you this because others here have had to tell me the same thing. Many fine people on this board can be credited with helping me keep my head above water when my mom was first diagnosed in December.

That said, the previous posters are correct-- your mother must be getting Alimta. Alimta is generally used as a second-line treatment. My mother is currently receiving Alimta, 6 treatments total, 3 weeks apart. Her first line treatment was with carboplatin and taxol.

Everyone experiences different side effects. My mother doesn't feel great about 2-3 days after getting the Alimta, but overall, I'd have to say that she's looking better, feeling better, and DOING MORE on the Alimta than she felt on the carbo/taxol (but the carbo/taxol is a much stronger combination). Her hair is also growing back, which helps! (Alimta doesn't cause total hair loss, from what I know).

The weeks and months immediately following a cancer diagnosis are devastating. Try to be positive, for yourself and especially for your mother. Don't read statistics, because it won't make you feel any better. No one doctor can tell you how long your Mother will live. She, and God, will determine that.

My best to you both.

reinstones....
Love what you said about terminal.
My dad has been diagnosed with stage IV NSCLC and I am forcing myself day and night to be as positive as can be. The word terminal does not enter my daily vocabulary at this point. I am hoping it never will.