Chemo #2 for NEPCa and Feeling More Hopeful

[tom67inMA]

I just finished my infusions for the second chemo cycle to fight neuroendocrine prostate cancer. There are signs it is working and it's giving me hope. See my latest blog post for the much wordier version of the story:

tominmotion.blogspot.com/20...

[cesces]

I thought there were not any good treatments for this type of prostate cancer.

What type of chemo are you using?

[tom67inMA in reply to cesces]

Carboplatin, etoposide, and atezolizumab. "Good" is relative. The chemo usually works for a while. The recent addition of immunotherapy is a small improvement for many and a huge win for a lucky few.

[Cisco99]

tHIS IS A VERY GOOD REPORT -- GOOD ON YOU TOM!

[Magnus1964]

Keep up the good fight. Good luck.

[Kaliber]

Great blog Tom 😁😁😁

[tallguy2]

Excellent report. Thanks for sharing and best wishes!

[Bird8]

Love this update!

[GoBucks]

Yes, great blog post. Keep good news coming. Really, start watching Curb Your Enthusiasm. There is like 8 seasons on Netflix. The more you watch, the more you laugh. The more you laugh, the more you live.

[tom67inMA in reply to GoBucks]

I didn't see it listed on Netflix. It should be in HBO Go. Will look it up when the side effects fade and I feel like laughing again.

[GoBucks in reply to tom67inMA]

I'm an idiot not on chemo. Just ADT fog. It's on Prime Video.

[FightTillTheEnd]

Fantastic to read / hear this Tom!

[bellyhappy58]

Thank you for posting the blog again. It is people like you that continue to provide candid but hopeful thought when going thru the treatment. I agreed totally with you about the exercises when we are going thru chemo. It helped me a lot when I went thru mine. Exercises had helped me so much that I worried if the treatment was working at all as I felt actually quite well except for two or three days for every cycle. On the food intake, when I asked my doctor what food I should avoid when I am on treatment...His answer was " Avoid food that you don't like". We need the nutrients to help us to fight and I agree with you that weight loss can create a lot of issues.

My prayers go out to you and I will continue to look out for many years of new blog posting from you. God be with you and protect you. Amen

[tom67inMA in reply to bellyhappy58]

Thanks for sharing your experience! Hoping to be back to walking by tomorrow. Right now going to the kitchen feels like a workout.

[GreenStreet]

Great blog and very best wishes for you and your treatment program. Thanks for sharing

[j-o-h-n]

Remember Benito Mussolini favorite expression "Sauseach his own".....

Keep up the good work.....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Friday 03/06/2020 8:09 PM EST

[Hidden]

Following you, thinking of you. My husband has scpc. He starts radiation to pelvic lesion and nodes tomorrow. Then, pet scans will guide chemo.

[tom67inMA in reply to Hidden]

Best of luck to him! My MO originally said he might add radiation if the chemo wasn't doing enough, but after 2 cycles a CT scan showed good progress so no radiation at this time. Hooray!

Also, if he can stay active it can help. I've been walking with short bits of running when my body allows it. Today is day 3 of infusions for cycle 4 and I just got in from raking some leaves and will be getting the infusion after lunch, then hopefully an evening walk. Thursday into the weekend will probably be "side effects on the couch days". Right now, I'm just happy to be having a break from the fatigue! It might be due to the extra week off due to low blood counts.

[Hidden in reply to tom67inMA]

He has been dealing with incapacitating pain for over 6 months, due to the tumor being wrapped around his S3 nerve. Having had 3 back surgeries and a non cancerous mass removed from my lumbar spine, I know too well how debilitating nerve pain is. We are all anxious to see if radiation shrinks mass and gives pain relief. Won’t be easy but he made it through 42 radiation treatments in 2006 for his prostate adenoca. He was much younger then but was very active and healthy until this problem started 6 months ago. Our YMCA has a superb, free program for patients undergoing cancer treatments, sponsored by Livestrong Foundation He will resume that program along with his personal trainer there as soon as everything opens back up. I am an exercise fanatic so he has me to contend with. I’m a Nurse Ratchet, at times. Stay strong and keep us up to date. There are very few men out there, on any forums, with scpc..