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He had had much experience of physicians, and said "the only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd druther not."
- MARK TWAIN, Following the Equator

This is a great forum and am sorry you found out through your wife's cancer. No one has the answers for why lung cancer hits some of us that do lead healthy life styles. For that matter the docs don't know why other diseases and cancer strike down the people they do.There are all kinds of supplements to research and decide if they are worth taking. What helps one may not help another. Keep your spirits up and always hope. Will be praying for you and your wife. pammie

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48 yr. old female non smoker diagnosed with stage IIIB adenocarcenoma in plueral lining of left lung on June 29, 2004. Mets to pericardium. Anaphylatic shock to zosyn in emergency room. ICU for three days. Drained almost 2 liters of fluid out of left lung from the pleural effusion. Radiation or surgery not an option. Have had 8 chemo treatments since 7-2-04. No noticeable effect but am stable. Asthma since 1961 and diagnosed with MS in 1995. Started Iressa in Jan of 2005. Very good response in tumor markers. As of 7/29/05 in remission.A brain met was found in occiptal part of brain so they did rads on it on 11/15/05. Have switched to Tarceva since the FDA says no more Iressa. Also am taking Temador every other week. Quit tarceva due to horrible burning skin rash. 2 more tumors found in April, 2006. Ster radiation. Too much swelling around Nov 2005 tumor so had a craniotomy May, 2006. Have lost the lower left quadrant of my vision from the first tumor. LC seems stable at this point. Got off decadron in August 2006. Have had lots of pain in various parts of my body and heart pain since then. Extensive testing on heart and no problems. Attribute pain to getting off decadron.

Hi Ken,

I'm sorry to hear of your wife's diagnosis. Hope this site can offer some support, information, or whatever it is you need. It sounds as though you have a good plan in place for treatment. The one thing that I do know is that Tarceva can be rendered ineffective if grapefruit or grapefruit juice is taken.

Best wishes.

Mary

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4/05 - 8cm x5cm tumor upper left lung. Bone and Brain mets. 6/05 radiation to spine and left clavicle. 7/05 stereotactic brain radiation. 8/05 chemo started, trial of gemcitibine and carboplatin. 9/05 ct indicates some shrinkage. 11/7 ct indicates additional shrinkage.
10/18 brain mri inconclusive, re do in 6 wks; 12/13 brain and spine mri, results are spine is fine, brain uncertain if its progression or necrosis. Brain Pet scan 12/22, results are no sign of cancer. CT 1/3 showed 9% reduction. 2 more cycles ordered.
2/2006 CT shows no change. Removed from trial but kept on the same drugs to allow for a reduction in dosage. Having difficulty with blood counts, so reduced dosage is to try and keep me on schedule. 3/06 Brain MRI shows new met. Treament undetermined as yet.
4/20 switched to Alimta due to bad blood counts on the gemcitabine/carboplatin.
4/20 Brain PET and MRI show necrosis where radiosurgery was used. May require surgery or medication.
6/4/06 - bone scan shows pretty clean can't find cause of flank pain.
6/15/06 - MRI for spine and Brain. Results 6/21 and neither were great. The pain seems to be coming from a tumor around T8 and unfortunately 2 new bain mets.
6/24 - changed from Altima to Taxotera. Scheduled for sim and then 10 days of radiation. Also scheduled for radio surgey.
7/5 - began 10 days radiation
7/13 - radio surgey for brain mets*
7/15 - Taxotere 3xMonth
10/18 - Brain scan no new lesions, treated lesions responding
10/18 - spine MRI, shows two fractures, but not cauing pain or symptoms.
11/1 - Brain MR Spect. Like an MRI, but maybe has some PET scan properties as well. Results consistent with the last MRI.
11/27 - headaches, new MRI, shows new lesions developed in less than 1 month. headache is caused by previously treated lesions where edema has resulted.
12/1 - started Tarceva
1/9 - Onc has me off Tarceva for a week to clear up a nail infection. Then back on it.
1/14 - I will be starting tremador which is a brain tumor chemo. Seeing if there might be a benefit as an alternative to WBR.
1/18 - Brain MRI looks good. All new mets except one seem smaller. Treated mets look good, edema almost gone. Doctors to confer and determine if Radio Surgery on 2 mets (6 total) or just wait and see.

Hi Ken, welcome to LCHELP. I hope your wife's treatment is hugely successful. I also go to Swedish.

Don M

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10-31-03 CT. My profile was getting too long so I moved it to my story.

http://www.lungevity.org/l_community/vi ... hp?t=37417

Welcome-
I am glad you found us. We have other members that are also being treated at Swedish. Did someone tell you to avoid grapefruit while on Tarceva? Don't ask me why, but when my husband took it they said no grapefruit. I hope the Tarceva works for her-- it can be a miracle drug.
Rochelle

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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

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice are problematic when taken with tarceva, and with some other medicines as well, because they profoundly alter the rate at which the liver metabolizes them, leading to less predictable tarceva blood levels.

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My comments do not constitute medical advice and should not be considered a substitute
for the direction of your physician.

Ken, I sent you a message on pm (private message). You may want to set your account up tp receive pm's. Am not sure i am even doing that correctly. pammie

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48 yr. old female non smoker diagnosed with stage IIIB adenocarcenoma in plueral lining of left lung on June 29, 2004. Mets to pericardium. Anaphylatic shock to zosyn in emergency room. ICU for three days. Drained almost 2 liters of fluid out of left lung from the pleural effusion. Radiation or surgery not an option. Have had 8 chemo treatments since 7-2-04. No noticeable effect but am stable. Asthma since 1961 and diagnosed with MS in 1995. Started Iressa in Jan of 2005. Very good response in tumor markers. As of 7/29/05 in remission.A brain met was found in occiptal part of brain so they did rads on it on 11/15/05. Have switched to Tarceva since the FDA says no more Iressa. Also am taking Temador every other week. Quit tarceva due to horrible burning skin rash. 2 more tumors found in April, 2006. Ster radiation. Too much swelling around Nov 2005 tumor so had a craniotomy May, 2006. Have lost the lower left quadrant of my vision from the first tumor. LC seems stable at this point. Got off decadron in August 2006. Have had lots of pain in various parts of my body and heart pain since then. Extensive testing on heart and no problems. Attribute pain to getting off decadron.

Ken,

Welcome to the site. I have been taking Tarceva since August 2005. I take some supplements and herbs. Sloan Kettering has a web site where you can get information on many herbs and supplements:

http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/11570.cfm

You might want to fill in the profile and post on the Introduction Forum. You will get more response there. If I can answer any questions let me know.

Stay positive,

Ernie

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[size=75]Photo: Wife Carol. Myself and my Mooney Ovation

Turned 70 March 2007

7/6/05 Annual physical, was told I was in great shape. Requested an X-Ray.
7/7/05 X-Ray showed fluid in right lung area.
7/8/05 CT scan showed tumor 2.4 cm
7/15/05 Fluid about a cup of fluid drained for biopsy. It was malignant.
7/18/05 PET scan positive showed main tumor plus many nodules. Said it looked like someone took a paint brush and flicked it inside my lung. Was told that it was inoperable. Stage IIIb or IV nsclc with a pleural effusion of the right lung.
8/1/05 Second opinion at Sloan Kettering. Agreed with planned treatment of Carboplatin and Taxol. Only thing they would do different would be to drain the fluid from the chest area. I asked if the fluid would go away by itself and was told “Not a Chanceâ€