Group for those being treated with Iressa

[Joewarren]

Has anyone out there, diagnosed at stage 4 EGFR positive treated with Iressa been given surgery, not in a curative way but as a possible way to extend the effectiveness of the drug? The theory being that if you debulk the tumour there is a possibility that Iressa may be more effective for longer. I know that once you are at stage 4 they cannot offer surgery as a curative measure and if it has progressed beyond the lungs and pleura, I also think they may not be able to offer this, but has anyone had surgery to their lungs treated on Iressa with positive affects? Treating our cancer type with this drug is still in it's infancy as far as the NHS goes but it has been used longer in the private sector and their approach is to consider surgery if at all possible as a means of prolonging the effectiveness of Iressa. Obviously consideration for surgery is complex and individualised in the NHS, but has anyone out there had experience of this or do they know anyone that has.