Saw hubby's ONC yesterday and he is officially taking a much needed break from checmo. Scans were good, not a lot of change but stable. It had only been two weeks since last scan. I'm happy for the break and know he needs but there is a part of me that says "If he isn't doing chemo then what are we doing to fight this?" Gotta work past that!

They talked to us about vaccine clinical trial. I read about it months ago but we weren't ready for it then so I've got to research more. Just wondering what you guys knew about it. This is apparently a fairly new phase of the study. He has to be a month out from his last chemo to start.

Hubby is still having some coughing side effects from the radiation (due to swelling in the lung). They gave him an extended run of steroids and some antibiotics to be on the safe side. They also scheduled him an ENT appt to discuss having his vocal cord repaired. You can't imagine how nice it would be to hear his voice, unhoarse, again.

There is one Vaccine that is being developed at the U of Miami by by Dr. Eckhard Podack...is this the one? This vaccine utilizes lung tumor cell secretions that facilitate the generation of killer cells. Specfically this is a NSCLC treatment.

Our foundation has helped fund this research through the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy.

Honestly I'm not sure yet. We are waiting on the call to go back in and meet with their Clinical Trial Specialist in the next few weeks. I'll look into this one in the meantime, THANKS!

There have been quite a few vaccine trials. I looked at some right after my surgery, but the only ones I was elgible for were far away, and gave half of the patients placebos. I wasn't willing to travel for a 50/50 shot at trial vaccine treatment.

_________________
Bud

Long distance cyclist and lung cancer survivor
56 years old at time of diagnosis in 2007, now live in Crowley, Tx
Nov 2007 - Tentatively diagnosed as NSCLC stage I from CT scan
Dec 2007 - Upper left lobectomy, biopsy showed one cancerous lymph node, changing the diagnosis to stage II (squamous cell)
Feb to Apr 2008 - Three rounds of cisplatin and gemcitabine
Apr 2008 - chest x-ray, NED
May 2008 - brain mri, clear
Jul 2008 - CT scan, NED
Dec 2008 - CT scan, NED
June 2009 - CT scan, NED
Jan 2010 - CT scan, NED
July 2010 - CT scan, NED
June 2011 - CT scan, NED
May 2012 - CT scan, NED
December 2012 - CT scan, NED. I am now a 5 year survivor!

June 2009 - Wife Rose diagnosed with breast cancer
Stage III IDC
Sept 2009 - Finished 4 rounds of chemo (AC)
Nov 2009 - Surgery
March 2010 - Finished 12 weeks of weekly Taxol
August 2010 - CT scan, NED
August 2011 - Checkup, NED
August 2012 - Checkup, NED
The rest of my story is at:

http://www.lungevity.org/l_community/vi ... hp?t=38841

My blog - uneasy-rider.com

There are two that I know of - probably more - I think one is Stimuvax, and the other one, which I'm on at the moment, is Lucanix. If you type that into your search engine you should get lots of good information.

_________________
3/98 Dx squamous cell NSCLC 2a at 50 yrs
4/98 Left lung removed, no chemo/rad
8/08 Persistent cough and shortness of breath, first appt. with pulmonary doc 11/4/08
11/08 X-ray and CT show tumor in right lung. PET scan confirms tumor, shows no apparent spread
12/08 CT/needle biopsy shows squamous cell NSCLC IIIB, doctors don't seem to agree if its a new cancer or recurrence - but onc believes it is a new one
12/08 Start concurrent radiation/chemo, Cisplatin/Etoposide
1/09 Chemo switched to Carbo/Taxol due to intolerance of Cisplatin
2/09 Radiation completed
3/09 Chemo completed
5/09 CT shows spot where tumor was likely/hopefully scar tissue
6/09 Begin Lucanix trial
9/09 CT scan - stable
12/07/09 CT scan - stable
3/1/10 CT scan - stable
6/1/10 CT scan - stable - begin 2nd year of trial
8/23/10 CT scan - stable
10/25/10 CT scan - stable
1/20/11 CT scan - stable
4/25/11 CT scan - stable - completed drug portion of trial, now follow-up with 3-mo scans
8/1/11 CT scan - stable
10/24/11 CT scan - stable. At my request, switching to 6 mo scans.
4/24/12 CT scan - stable.
10/30/12 CT scan - stable.
2/26/13 CT scan - stable

Avatar is with 10-mo-old grandson Ethan at Xmas

http://cancergrace.org/lung/2008/09/22/lucanix/

If this stuff works Dr. West will be selling "Sham Wows"

_________________
Went for a CT Scan after noticing blood in mucus. 9/19/08
Comment-There is a 6mm calcified granuloma in the medial left lower lobe on image 32. This is associated with nearby scarring. No other parenchymal lesions are seen. There is no pleural effusion.

There is minimal mediastinal adenopathy. A prevascular node on 19 measures 1.2 cm x .8 cm. Aortopulmonary window node measures 2.3 cm x 1.1 cm on image 23. A precarnial node measures 1.7 cm x 1.2 cm on image 24.

Visualized organs below the diaphragm demonstrate a right renal cyst but no other singnificant pathology. There is no retroperitoneal adenopathy or ascites in upper abdomen.

Impression Calcified granuloma in the left lower lobe.
Minimal mediastinal adenopathy. This is of uncertain etiology and clinical correlation is suggested.
Complete CT Scan of the abdomen and pelvis may also of value to evaluate for additional adenopathy.


Pulmonologist said the nodules are all dead, come back in a year. PCP ordered scan of abdomen and pelvis all OK. Next scan 8/28/09

Joe B was in a vaccine trial at NIH. You can PM him for details or search his posts about it.

_________________
Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.
John Lennon

"Never, never, never give up." Winston Churchill

"I rang for ice, but this is ridiculous." -Madeline Talmadge-Astor, as she was being helped off the Titanic

"Losing love is like a window in your heart, everybody sees you're blown apart, everybody sees the wind blow". Paul Simon

Husband John has NSCLC-Vena Cava Syndrome Stage 3B, Dx 6/02
Carbo/Taxol,Radiation
Taxotere
Gemzar
Iressa started 3/03
10/03 Stable CT scan
1/04 CT Still stable.
3/04 PET Scan, Still stable.
7/04 Still stable
1/05 Still stable
1/30/05 Iressa discontinued Started Tarceva, still stable 7/05
1/06 Slight increase in tumor, stopping Tarceva.
1/27/06 Started Alimta
5/5/06 Avastin added to Alimta
6/14/06 Stable, continue w/ Avastin
1/29/07 Shrinkage! Continue w/ Avasin.
7/07- Something new on the CT scan, doing a bronc 7/25/07 to see what it is. 8/21/07 begins brachytherapy. Next treatment postponed until 9/6/7 due to an infection which is making him too ill for the procedure. 9/13/07 Diagnosed with Aspergillus. Has brachytherapy 9/20/07. Developed a pericardial effusion, 10/30/07 has a pericardial window to drain the fluid. Procedure goes well but he passes away 10/31/07 due to a pulmonary hemorrhage.
Pic is me and daughter Jillian aka The Jillinator.
Visit Walk the Walk:
www.michiganlungcancerwalk.org

Katy-

I just discussed this with my PA yesterday - not that I need one right now but was looking down the road.

She said Phase 3 and 4 won't want me - not fresh meat - but I might be able to get into a Phase 1 or 2. Phase 1 scares me but she told me that my onc will look at the way the drug works. She says I am lucky because 50% of his time is spent on reasearch so he has a better understanding of how they work. And my Dr. is Dr. Pennel over at cancergrace so maybe when you find out the name of the trial you might want to run it past him and get an opinion.

Good luck to the both of you

Hus - Patti B.

_________________
My personal war against cancer:
Stage IV at diagnosis 9/29/06- told 12 months tops.......yeah, right!!!
5 rounds of radiation R hip
15 Whole brain radiation txs 7/20 - 8/7/09
8 weeks on oral Tarceva
To date, 80 IV chemo sessions and still counting
Chemos have consisted of:
Carbo/Taxol/Avastin
Avastin alone
Alimta
weekly Navalbine
weekly Gemzar, now on Gemzar every other week due to blood counts
All my veins have become inaccessible - port installed 12/30/09
Put on Alimta/Avastin as a combo
Currently on Taxotere, on 3 weeks off one

Bud - I have on several occasions read Dr. West's post, carefully, and in its entirety, and nowhere do I see him indicating he thinks this trial is a "sham". He closes as follows:

"Finally, I think it will be challenging to get enough patients enrolled who have shown stable disease or responded to first line therapy and are now off of treatment, not yet on second line therapy, and not yet progressing. That’s really threading a needle, and trials that have had such a narrow window for enrollment have had a very difficult time accruing patients.

That said, this work looks intriguing enough that I really hope I’m wrong, that many patients are interested in enrolling and the trial accrues quickly. I’d be interested to hear whether people here would be willing to enroll on such a trial, or whether they would be unwilling to subject themselves to be randomized to a placebo in the maintenance setting after first line treatment."

They are having problems getting enough people into the trial and are currently broadening their parameters in hopes of increasing the number so that the trial can be completed. I'm told this will hopefully be accomplished by December.

This is a "trial" - not a guarantee of certain success. If it weren't for trials, some of which work, and some of which don't, we wouldn't have any of the new drugs available now.

Personally, I don't find your attitude helpful at all.

_________________
3/98 Dx squamous cell NSCLC 2a at 50 yrs
4/98 Left lung removed, no chemo/rad
8/08 Persistent cough and shortness of breath, first appt. with pulmonary doc 11/4/08
11/08 X-ray and CT show tumor in right lung. PET scan confirms tumor, shows no apparent spread
12/08 CT/needle biopsy shows squamous cell NSCLC IIIB, doctors don't seem to agree if its a new cancer or recurrence - but onc believes it is a new one
12/08 Start concurrent radiation/chemo, Cisplatin/Etoposide
1/09 Chemo switched to Carbo/Taxol due to intolerance of Cisplatin
2/09 Radiation completed
3/09 Chemo completed
5/09 CT shows spot where tumor was likely/hopefully scar tissue
6/09 Begin Lucanix trial
9/09 CT scan - stable
12/07/09 CT scan - stable
3/1/10 CT scan - stable
6/1/10 CT scan - stable - begin 2nd year of trial
8/23/10 CT scan - stable
10/25/10 CT scan - stable
1/20/11 CT scan - stable
4/25/11 CT scan - stable - completed drug portion of trial, now follow-up with 3-mo scans
8/1/11 CT scan - stable
10/24/11 CT scan - stable. At my request, switching to 6 mo scans.
4/24/12 CT scan - stable.
10/30/12 CT scan - stable.
2/26/13 CT scan - stable

Avatar is with 10-mo-old grandson Ethan at Xmas

Looking at the two I bet it is the Lucanix. Thanks for the info! I'll do some reading and keep you guys posted on what we decide.

PS - We are leaning toward yes. It is local and what do we have to lose??? Of course we need more details.

I didn't say it was a sham, Did you ever hear of Sham Wow, the towel that picks up everything? And I read His remarks

_________________
Went for a CT Scan after noticing blood in mucus. 9/19/08
Comment-There is a 6mm calcified granuloma in the medial left lower lobe on image 32. This is associated with nearby scarring. No other parenchymal lesions are seen. There is no pleural effusion.

There is minimal mediastinal adenopathy. A prevascular node on 19 measures 1.2 cm x .8 cm. Aortopulmonary window node measures 2.3 cm x 1.1 cm on image 23. A precarnial node measures 1.7 cm x 1.2 cm on image 24.

Visualized organs below the diaphragm demonstrate a right renal cyst but no other singnificant pathology. There is no retroperitoneal adenopathy or ascites in upper abdomen.

Impression Calcified granuloma in the left lower lobe.
Minimal mediastinal adenopathy. This is of uncertain etiology and clinical correlation is suggested.
Complete CT Scan of the abdomen and pelvis may also of value to evaluate for additional adenopathy.


Pulmonologist said the nodules are all dead, come back in a year. PCP ordered scan of abdomen and pelvis all OK. Next scan 8/28/09

Sorry if I took it wrong, but no - can't say that I've ever heard of "Sham Wow" . . .

_________________
3/98 Dx squamous cell NSCLC 2a at 50 yrs
4/98 Left lung removed, no chemo/rad
8/08 Persistent cough and shortness of breath, first appt. with pulmonary doc 11/4/08
11/08 X-ray and CT show tumor in right lung. PET scan confirms tumor, shows no apparent spread
12/08 CT/needle biopsy shows squamous cell NSCLC IIIB, doctors don't seem to agree if its a new cancer or recurrence - but onc believes it is a new one
12/08 Start concurrent radiation/chemo, Cisplatin/Etoposide
1/09 Chemo switched to Carbo/Taxol due to intolerance of Cisplatin
2/09 Radiation completed
3/09 Chemo completed
5/09 CT shows spot where tumor was likely/hopefully scar tissue
6/09 Begin Lucanix trial
9/09 CT scan - stable
12/07/09 CT scan - stable
3/1/10 CT scan - stable
6/1/10 CT scan - stable - begin 2nd year of trial
8/23/10 CT scan - stable
10/25/10 CT scan - stable
1/20/11 CT scan - stable
4/25/11 CT scan - stable - completed drug portion of trial, now follow-up with 3-mo scans
8/1/11 CT scan - stable
10/24/11 CT scan - stable. At my request, switching to 6 mo scans.
4/24/12 CT scan - stable.
10/30/12 CT scan - stable.
2/26/13 CT scan - stable

Avatar is with 10-mo-old grandson Ethan at Xmas