Keytruda

[Jewilliams]

Does anyone have experience with Keytruda I will be scanned again in July I had a slow growing growth in the lower right lung lobe Dr said if it keeps growing I will be put on keytruda

[Surviventhrive]

I have no experience with Keytruda, but I have nearly 5 years of experience with Opdivo, which is very similar. When I got on the Opdivo clinical trial, I was about out of options. When I started Opdivo, my tumors responded immediately. They didn't go away, but they stabilized and remained stable for 4 years. One outsmarted the Opdivo. I had radiation. I resumed treatment with Opdivo. God-willing, my next scans in a week will show that I am still stable

My quality of life has been quite good while on Opdivo. My only real side effects have been hypothyroidism for which I take a daily pill and a bit of fatigue on the day of and day after treatment.

Good luck!!! I hope you have excellent results with Keytruda if you go onto it.

[Lexis6767]

Hello and welcome! I have been on Keytruda since December 2017. I have stage 4 nsclc with mets to the bone. I did chemo (Carboplatin and Alimta, then maintenance Alimta) for a year before going on Keytruda.

I was very lucky with the chemo as I didn't have very bad side effects, and actually felt guilty about how well I felt. It worked for a while but my 3cm tumor began to grow again. When I started Keytruda I was told this drug would be a lot easier on me than chemo. I wish I could say it is, but for me it's harder on me. I am very fatigued and plagued by joint pain that seems to keep worsening. I also have mouth sores which I didn't get with chemo. However, I also take Xgeva shots monthly, and was recently given Injectafer iron infusions, which I'm now reading might be a BAD drug in itself. It's hard to say what exactly is making me feel bad, so I can't absolutely knock any of them.

On the plus side, after the first four treatments, my scans showed improvement. The tumor shrunk to 2cm and the bone mets looked stable. I'll be scanned again in another month or so, and will stick with the side effects for as long as I can if it's actually working on the cancer.

I keep reading a lot more positive than negative things about Keytruda, and I hope your experience goes along those lines!