Not such good news today

[suesal123]

Well today I have been told that the drug I am taking, Iressa, has stopped working and the tumour has started to grow again. Reading the posts on here I had hoped that this drug would work for a bit longer but everyones's different. I've only been on it for about 7 months but they have been good months where life has carried on pretty much as normal.

I now have to go down the traditional chemotherapy route on Carboplatin & Pemetrexed which I'm not looking forward to - but you have to keep trying. I know there are other possibilities down the road and new drugs are being developed all the time so I move on to stage 2 and see what happens.

Sue

[Billculbard]

Hi Sue

It's a shame that Iressa has stopped working and you have to go down the chemo route. We're all different, but I went through chemo and radiotherapy in 2000, and am still here annoying folk. Good luck with it. Hope you have the same outcome as me.

Best wishes, Bill

[debjmac]

Hi Sue

What a shame Iressa has stopped working. Like you say everyone is different and respond differently to medications. Hopefully chemo will stop it in it's tracks again and u'll be here like Bill still "annoying" the people you love most.

Stay strong.

Deb x

[Georgie1]

Hi Sue, I am An Iressa patient as well I have been on it for 7 months this month. I am so sorry to hear it has stopped working for you. This is the problem we are all different so we respond differently to treatments. I hope going down the traditional route will be good for you. Like bill and Deb say still be here "annoying" the people you love. Stay strong and Positive.

Georgie x

[Hidden]

Hello Sue,

I was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer last year and had to go straight onto chemoptherapy using the medication you are due to start : Carboplatin & Pemetrexed plus Avastin. I have had very good results with this treatment and would be happy to answer anymore of your questions should you have any. The chemotheraphy is keeping the tumour at bay, it reduced in size a little which was encouraging but the most important thing is that it isn't growing in size anymore. I am now on a maintenance programme which works for me. I know we are all different and react differently to treatments, I hope you have the same success and I seem to be having. Please contact me further should you need me x

[suesal123 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your comment. I don't recall my oncologist saying anything about Avastin - waht is that?

Fortunately my tumour has already shrunk from being on Iressa so I'll keep my fingers crossed that this works as well for me as it has for you. What does your maintenance programme involve and what side effects did you have?

Thanks

Sue x

[mags03]

Hi Sue,

I am so very very sorry that the Iressa has stopped working for you.Please read Lynba,s blog on this site ,she is going through the same as you and her story is well worth reading .I know as Georgie says we all respond differently.I have now been taking Iressa for 21mths,still doing well but panic now when going for CT results.how did you find out you were rejecting were you feeling unwell or was it the scan results.

Good luck with your new treatment.I am here if you just want to chat at any time .We all need to be able to voice our feelings good or bad and this site is ideal.

You are in my thoughts and prayers ,try to stay positive.

Mags xx

[suesal123 in reply to mags03]

Hi Mags,

I've read Lynba's story and see she is in a similar place to me. My scan at the end of January was OK but since then I have started coughing and was worried about my X-ray yesterday. Sure enough my tumour has stared to grow again which means the Iressa has stopped working. I am really disappointed as I had such a good start on it and the side effects were negligible. I had hoped it would work for longer but obviously not for me.

It's great that it's still working for you after 21 months and I hope that continues so don't panic.

Thanks for your reply

Sue xx

[suesal123 in reply to mags03]

Just tried again to see where Lynba is up to it but it seems she is no longer on this site. Such a shame she was so supportive & informative. Anyone know if she blogs anywhere else as I would like to keep up with her progress?

[Vicki555 in reply to mags03]

Hi Mags,

I was wondering how long iressa worked for you? What treatments were recommended to you after iressa?

~Vicki

[annecarmel]

I join with the rest of the Iressa community in wishing you well for the future. My oncologist has said that when the Iressa stops working for me he will put me forward for trials of a 'cousin drug' that are now under way. He didn't say what the drug was called.

Although you are now taking a different road from the rest of us please do regard yourself as part of our sparse group. We're all interested in how you are getting on. If you would like direct chat I'd love to hear from you at [e-mail]. xxx

[suesal123]

I think there are 2 other drugs which are similar to Iressa. One which is available is Tarceva and the other which is only available at Christies is Afatinib. I did discuss this with my onc and he said that before you try these other drugs you have to go down the IV Chemo route first and then look to the others in the future.

The good and hopeful thing is that there are other options down the road.

Take Care

Sue xx

[mags03]

Hi Sue.

I have been thinking about you .Have you started alternative treatment yet? I know it must have been a shock to find out the Iressa had stopped working but I hope the new treatment will kick in soon and have you back on track.

Best wishes for a happy Easter ,

Mags.