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Has anyone taken the targeted therapy osimertinib (Tagrisso)?
Lung Cancer | Last Active: Jun 16 6:00pm | Replies (139)Comment receiving replies
Matthew, thank you so much for your story. You sound amazing. So it’s been six years and you’re going strong. Do you show any signs of cancer at this point are you getting scans every three months? I realize the brain surgery sent you back, but you’re a Nassau rocket scientist. That has to be in an amazing career. I am on the chemo that you stated my second round is today and I’m taking Tagrisso with it. My oncologist is very optimistic. It had not metastasized to my brain yet. So at this point, we’re doing the chemo medication and after the third round of pet scan to see if anything is working. It’s definitely been an emotional roller coaster as I’m sure you know. I’m glad you’re doing so well. I am going to ask about the biotin for my nails to be proactive on that. I’ve only been on it for a week so the side effects have been very minimal at this point, but I am anticipating a few of them. I’ll keep you posted. I’m going to ask for more information on my mutation today, I’ll keep you posted. Enjoy your day!!
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@tinae you're welcome. I was also 58 years young when I was first diagnosed!
The brain surgery was to remove the cyst in my left parietal lobe which controls muscles on my right side and coordination between the two sides. I didn't recognize the "mini seizures" as such because we had just moved. In my mind, I would work out, move boxes and furniture, and have muscle spasms the next day. I didn't think anything of it at the time. Today, I'm still doing PT to recover muscle tone and eliminate manageable pain.
Yes, I still get scans every 3 months, including a brain MRI, CAT scan, and blood tests. I've convinced my imaging center to schedule them all together so I only get poked once.
I did have a recurrence in February when there was increased activity in the area where the cyst was removed. My radiologist and oncologist consulted and agreed to give me one more round of radiation to kill the newly active region. Their theory is that the original brain surgery and radiation missed a few cells that took 3 years to grow large enough to be detected because I'm taking Tagrisso. The one round of radiation had no side effects at all.
Best of luck in your meeting today! I've started a Note on my phone for each of my doctors where I can record a question when I think of it. The first time, I forgot to look at my notes before the meeting, but I've got it down now! Have a good one!