Next step? Need advice...

[Kspell143]

Posting for my FIL:

Just finished 4 rounds of Avastin/Carbo/Taxol Chemo Combo and Oncologist is planning for me to go on Maintenance schedule with only Avastin every 3 wks. 2nd opinion is recommending Avastin /Pemex combo every 3 wks. CT at mid point of 4 rounds showed some shrinkage on main tumor in lung and no significant changes on multiple cancer sites on outside of lung . PETSCAN is scheduled for later this week.

Anyone out there with a similar situation! Anyone that has had results on either choice. Not sure what the best approach would be. Any words of wisdom?? Appreciate any comments must make the decision soon.

[judg69]

Hi Kspell, while not a perfect parallel, I went on a combination of avastin, alimta ( & Neulasta) for a 1 1/2 year maintenance period. It worked for me as I am still here 6 years post lobectomy. Stay positive. Never give up and never give in! Best Wishes, judg69

[Cindy121]

Hi, I was on the same triplet in 2015, then did several months of alimta only. I know there was a trial going on at the time studying Alimta alone, Avastin alone or a combination of both. I don’t know what the results of that were, but I’m sure your oncologist will monitor the combination, and remove one if you are having a toxic reaction to it. If Avastin didn’t bother you during your first line, you know you can always continue maintenance with it, but few people have trouble with pemetrexed. Good luck!

[ElmerFudd314]

Take my advice, don't listen to me ! (This is an attempt at humor.) Ho,Ho. I'm in a similar situation. Finished 6 regular cycles of pembetrexed and carboplatin and 1 cycle of just pembetrexed maintenance. Seems to me that my dude based his decision on the results of the PET scan, (my second). Each PET has shown signs of improvement for my advanced nsc lung cancer. Surprised your docs didn't want to see the PET before making a decision. MY doc's thinking was " let's continue with the drug that's working." Makes sense to me, check the PET again . When things show signs of worsening switch to another drug like maybe Opdivo.

[SusieJo1948]

I'm hoping your maintenance helps a lot. I wasn't on maintenance. I took carplatin taxitere, abraxan. I hope every things work. I am a 5and half year lung cancer survivor. O wish this for you too. If you need to talk I'm here Love susiejo1948

[Ncpoet]

Hi. I was on Alimta alone as a maintenance drug every three weeks for a year. My scans showed scar tissue and no active cancer when I went off of it. I had stage 4 NSC and have been in “remission” since 2016.