Just been told by the oncologist that the pembrolizumab isn't working. Tumours in the lungs are a bit bigger, the pleura wall is thickened by cancer and there are tiny cancer spots in the liver. Next treatment will be Pemetrexed and Carboplatin. Also needs a bone scan in case it's gone to bones.
Feeling shocked and so very upset.
Anyone else out there had similar?
Tks
Yes, exactly the same with my mum. Seven cycles of atezolizumab did nothing positive, only increased the tumour. She is now on docetaxel for four cycles, third next week. Latest scan showed no shrinkage. Stable they said. But she is not tolerating the docetaxel very well. We had such high hopes for the immunotherapy but it just doesn't work for everyone.
Dear Goingcuckoo
So sorry to hear about your Husband and how upset you both must be.
I have placed a link below from cancer research UK on this combination treatment (pemetrexed with carboplatin)
cancerresearchuk.org/about-...
It is good that your Husband has been offered another treatment and hopefully there will be a positive response to this. It is such a difficult journey with so many ups and downs, ensure you have plenty emotional support for yourself.
I have placed some helpline numbers below if you wish to discuss anything:
Roy Castle Freephone nurse led helpline - 0800 358 7200
Cancer Research UK 0808 800 4040
Macmillan support 0808 808 00 00
All the very best
The Roy Castle Support Team
Dear Goingcuckoo,
My treatment was the other way around. I started with pemetrexed and cisplatin that worked well and then I went on maintenance Pemetrexed . Had to stop pemetrexed due to pneumonia is and then had a couple of months off to recover. Started Pembro in December 17 and after 21 cycles it stopped working. It never really shrunk the tumours but it did stop them growing for a year. Now discussing next steps with oncologist.
Good luck with the chemo.
Graham
so sorry to hear about your husband, I was on carboplatin and pemetrexed, but as palliative care not curative, but 6 months on and my cancer is inactive at the moment, I went vegan and take cbd oil, the doc only gave me an average of a year, I haven't beaten it yet but getting there, and I've always been 100% positive, I never felt ill so never believed I could be dying, I wish you and your husband all the best with this and will be thinking of you, mine spread to my bones but that, or most of it has died off, believe you will win, we're all 100% behind you 😊👍❤👊
Thanks for your reply. Just love your positivity. My husband was diagnosed in Sept 2018. He only had SOB which they found was due to a malignant pleural effusion. Found two small tumours in rt lung. Like you he's on palliative treatment and still has to be drained twice a week. He hasn't been told any type of life expectancy... maybe because we've never asked. I think we'd be too scared of the answer to be honest. Do you have to ask or do they tell you anyway.? However although still short of breath, aches in sides and bad groin pain (hopefully groin pain a side effect of the immunotherapy he was on), he doesn't feel 'Unwell,'.
He is facing this with positivity as well, but unfortunately I'm not dealing with it quite as well. It's so very very hard watching someone you love be in pain and Im really hoping that this chemo regimen doesn't make him too ill.
Thanks for your support. Keep on with the positivity x
It is so hard watching loved ones just got to try & be strong for them but inside I’m always crying if that’s makes any sense take each day as it come xx
hi, I can understand you're not coping as well as your husband, everyone I've spoken to regarding my cancer has said the same, if my wife was ill, I'd be like you and not cope well at all. But just being there for someone is such a great help, just the support I've had has helped me so much through this, so keep it up Goingcuckoo, your doing well.
Keep going and be positive, wishing you both all the best with this x
NSCLC - how did you get there?
Newly diagnosed with NSCLC.
Dad has nsclc!!
Stage 4 NSCLC with metatasis to brain 
Hope of surviving stage 3b lung cancer NSCLC
