Mum had last treatment this week ( 2 years)...no spread some progression leading to breathlessness. Onc said radio after pembro is out of system ( does anyone know how long that takes?)
I guess that's the end of the line.....but I'm trying to be positive. There are many positive stories out there.... and new treatments coming through all the time.
Please consider getting a second opinion at an NCCN designated cancer center. If you cannot get to one there are members who will do a remote second opinion.
It’s my understanding that pembrolizumab can cause radiation pneumonitis. But medications have a half life so I would ask her doctor and the second opinion doctor how long she needs to be off if it before they revisit the idea of radiation -if it’s possible.
From what you have written it would seem she has only tried one line of treatment lasting 2 years. Is that correct? There have been 5 new treatments approved this month and alternate chemotherapies she might be able to try. That’s why a second opinion is so important.
She needs a doctor who will fight for her life.
Dear Denzie,
Thanks for your reply- I forgot to add in 2017 she had 4 rounds of chemo and 10 sessions of radiotherapy. Immunotherapy was second line (2018-2020).... can she have another biopsy for new mutations? What new treatments were approved this month?
Many thanks for your passion and interest. Nadia
Hi, Nadia! The Go2 Foundation has a person on staff who can help you find treatment or clinical trial options. Their program is called Lungmatch. They know who would be the best option for a remote second opinion and which hospitals will do it. (Not all do).
go2foundation.org/resources...
Was the immunotherapy given by itself or was it given with a different chemo? Did she have a new biopsy before the immunotherapy?
Because she has already had radiation you will need to find a facility that offers proton therapy. It can be given to treat tumors previously treated by traditional radiation. Because it’s a different energy type -proton vs gamma ray- you do not run the risk of causing a secondary cancer. If it’s something she would have to travel for, many hospitals have low cost housing.
You can scroll down your home page to an entry by Miranda_Go2. Click on her picture icon and it will take you the individual entries she made about each one.
Stage 3A NSCLC recheck 
Stage 111A NSCLC T1a N2MO
Concurrent chemo (carboplatin and taxol). Stage 3b nsclc
Mom just diagnosed Stage IV
