My 84 year old mother was diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer a few years ago. It's all over her bones, spine, pelvis etc.Ibrance worked great for a couple of years but then marker numbers started going up.
After a year or so of numbers rising, Dr finally switched her to Orserdu. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be working and she is having constant diarrhea, tiredness/sleepiness, weakness, etc... just feels unwell.
I'm about to call her Dr to ask to change medication again.
My hopefully helpful advice is this. If your mother has a computer or if she has access to yours, help her to get her on this forum. Then, she is witness to lots of others in the same boat that she is in and can read about lots of us who are going through the same trials of the monster MBC. Further, perhaps she has something she has to say. Given the keyboard she might be able to vent to understanding fellow MBCers. This advice is from a seventy-seven year old.---------XXX OOO
My wife was on Ibrance for her Met Breast / bone cancer that is Terminal, the ibrance worked for maybe 6 months, but Ca Markers were rising again last month. So now we are on a new Cancer Tablet Med called Truqap, you take two in the morning, then two 12 hrs later, 4 days in a row, then three days off each month. AstraZeneca makes the drug which costs $25,000 a month for 64 pills, but the good news as to the coverage is that most people can get the meds from free through a program called AZ + ME, We will not know how well this new drug is working until we get another Pet Scan in two months. We hope this info helps
It might help to have her switched to ribociclib (with letrozole). This combo has kept my breast cancer markers in the normal range for the past five years. I am 78 years old.
I too have MBC with large mets to my hips, femur, pelvis and spine. I was diagnosed in November 2023 and began drug therapy with Ibrance, Fluvestrant and Zometa in March 2024 (delay was due to prophylactic rod placement surgery to my femur and then radiation).
My first pet scan was 2 weeks ago after the fourth month of treatment. The scan showed new progression to my sacral wing. I was devastated - I had hoped for a very long run like so many of you on the Ibrance/ Fluvestrant line of treatment.
Genetic testing on my tumor showed the ESR 1 mutation so my oncologist changed my line of treatment to Orsedu.
After reviewing commentary from others on the same medication, I was a little bit apprehensive ( don’t do well with the primary side effect which seems to be nausea and vomiting) However, I’ve been on the medication for four days thus far and I’ve had zero side effects (I do realize it’s early on). I have followed all the advice from my fellow MBC warriors on how to mitigate the side effects, including taking the medication after eating a full meal along with some healthy fat (avocado, nut butter). Perhaps these tips might help your mother as well? I certainly hope so.
I have been on Orserdu since April. My tumor markers dropped from 704 to 340. I get them checked in August again. I don't suffer side effects that I did on Ibrance or Kisqali. I take it after dinner when I have a full stomach. I get queasy if I don't have a full stomach. I will have a petscan the beginning of September. Wishing the best for your mother.
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