Tarceva and small cell lung cancer
Common Questions and Answers about Tarceva and small cell lung cancer
tarceva
Tarceva can be given as a single agent after failure of first-line or second-line chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer. However, Tarceva works best for certain subsets of patients: Asians, women, non-smokers, and those with adenocarcinoma histology. This drug still has been found to benefit males, smokers, and those with squamous cell histology, but to a lesser extent.
My father who is now 83 yres old is diagnosed with non small cell cancer with a large 3 inch mass in his upper right side. They state it is somewhere between a stage 2 and 3 due to the size. He is schedules to start radiation treatment in a week. However, they did state he is fit enough to have sugery but there is not guarantee he would not have complications from this. We are struggling to determine what is the better path to take. Will the surgery give him a better chance vs the radiation.
My sister in law was diagnosed with non small cell carcinoma of the lung 14 months ago. She is only 53 and quit smoking 15 years ago. She has done very well with chemo and radiation until recently. She was started on Tarceva about 3 weeks ago. Recently, she has been experiencing a lot of confusion. I cannot find anywhere that this is a side effect of Tarceva (it is the only drug she is on at this time). Is it possible that she has a brain metastases? If not, what are the likely causes.
We asked about radiation/chemo/surgery and she said this was not a option. But I read on here about others who had Lung cancer that went to the Adrenal Gland and brain etc. and they had surgery or radiation? Also do you know of a Doctor up here near Buffalo New York other than Roswell Hospital that we could go for a second opinion.? Thanks for your help!
Edema (fluid accumulation in any body part, resulting in swelling) has been reported as an adverse event in 37% of pancreatic cancer patients taking Tarceva, although this side effect has not been reported in lung cancer cases.
However, the type of edema associated with Tarceva use is either generalized or involves a swelling of both legs. Swelling in only one leg may not be due to this drug. Unilateral leg swelling may be due to a local infection (cellulitis) in that area.
He was diagnosed in 2003 with stage 3 non-small cell adenocarcinoma of the lungs. He had Chemo (Carboplatin). In 2005, he had Tarceva. In 2008 they discovered metastasis to the liver (3 lesions) and he underwent chemo again (I think Avastin) and he finished the treatment in March. The doctor said the tumors in both the lungs and liver were smaller.
For the past 3 weeks he´s been vomiting, but sporadically. There is no pattern. It doesn´t matter if he eats lightly or heavily.
inoperable; no relevant mutations. He had undergone radiation to lung and several rounds of chemo (Carboplatin, Taxotere, Cisplatin, Gemzar). He also had surgery to remove one brain met (January 2014) and one kidney (May 2014)… CT scan in December showed no mets outside lung and lymph nodes….
He started Tarceva this January but it seems it did not work as the cancer spread to brain….
Hello I am a caretaker. My client was diagnose with lung cancer stage IV. It has already spread to the spine, both lungs and the lymph system. Doctors triede Tarceva for 3 weeks but her body had a very bad reaction. For the spine they did radiotherapy. But since she was diagnose 3 months ago she has lost aalmost her voice. she is using oxygen for the major part of the day but doctors don't wan't to talk about time. no more medes will be given and she was reffer to hospice....
If the patient improves with the radiation, or maintains adequate strength or performance status(sufficient strength is usually defined as able to remain up and about at least half of the waking hours), you may wish to discuss other options aside from tarceva - such as the original plan of cisplatin and etoposide. This is because there is a known benefit for these drugs in terms of survival when used as first option among good performance status patients.
When present, this gene variant increases the risk of lung cancer, especially the risk for small cell lung cancer. Your mother may or may not have this gene variant but that doesn’t mean that you have it. And, if you do have it, the increased risk, in no way, means that you will get lung cancer, small cell or other, especially now that you have quit smoking.
The role of lung cancer screening tests is still not clear.
I have a family memeber that was just told she has small cell lung cancer. It seems to be only in one lung bone scan, brain scan and all other test are clear. She was told surgrey would not be an option. My question is since it doesn't seem to have spread why can they not remove the mass and then treat with Chemo? The mas is in her upper left lung. Thanks for any info you can give..
Hi There...
I have had a upper right lobectomy on Sept 14 2001.Stage 1A BAC lung cancer...no chemo or no radiation..clear margins and no lymph node involvement.. ..it's been a little over five years now. cancer free. PRAISE GOD...and thou I realize that 5 yrs is maybe the magic number for most lung cancer survivor's...is it also meant for BAC Lung Cancer...I have heard not so....
Thank you for any information you can give me....
A friend has a diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer in the left lung and small cell cancer in the right lung. One round of chemo and radiation done. A recent test showed small cell is still at 9 centimeters and the left lung spot is "2.2 x 2.5 cm cavity lesion in left upper lobe now filled w/complex fluid w/surrounding hazy densities" What are questions to ask the doctor when she goes in for follow up appointment?
For patients with inoperable disease, prognosis is adversely affected by poor performance status and weight loss of more than 10%. Prognostic factors in small-cell lung cancer include performance status, gender, stage of disease, and involvement of the central nervous system or liver at the time of diagnosis.
For non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), prognosis is generally poor. Following complete surgical resection of stage IA disease, five-year survival is 67%.
Whatever type of lung cancer your mother has (whether small cell or non small cell variety), she is in an advanced stage because of the brain metastases (was this documented by CT scan?) and what I assume to be metastases to lymph nodes behind the ears (post-auricular nodes). The primary treatment for brain metastases coming from the lungs is still radiotherapy.
My mom was just diagnosed with 3a non=small cell squamos cell carcinoma a large mass in the left lung at the bottom and a small spot in the upper left lung and the doctor said that makes it aT4 is this the stage? It is confined in the left lung only but they want to do radiation and chemo. My mom is 67 and not in the best health. The doctors did not tell me what would happen if she did not take treatment and how much time she would have if she did.
Hi,
The prognosis of lung cancer depends on the type of cancer, the stage of cancer, general condition of the patient, and some genetic/mutation characteristics.
Staging of the lung cancer depends on many features. First, we need to establish the type of cancer. Lung cancers are essentially divided into "small cell lung cancer" (SCLC) and "non-small cell lung cancer" (NSCLC).
My Father has small cell lung cancer. He is 64 and he is taking chemo. The tumor is actually responding really well to the chemo but I have a couple questions about his diet right now as this is my main concern because he is weak and has no appetite. I am overwhelmed with what he should eat and what he should avoid and have a hard time getting someone to tell me the answers. The doctors have stated right after chemo, there is a down period...
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