Wife's Diagnosis SCLC- Chemo Next Week-What Should I Do?

I completed 26 treatments (2/month) of durvalumab (Imfimzi) in February of this year. I hade very little side effects (some minor fatigue) except once, when I had pneumonitis. This can be serious if it left untreated. Treatments stopped for 6 weeks while I was on prednisone. Doing well so far. Now getting 3-month CT scans of the chest and abdomen. Good luck and stay optimistic.

Hi @mgamga2003 , thank you for your reply. It's good to hear you that your side effects weren't too bad. One of the side effects my wife has experienced is total loss of all hair. This is really nagging at her. I'm hoping her treatments with Imfimzi won't restrict the regrown of her hair.
I will pray that your scan results are all good.

I can’t comment on the hair loss because I was bald before anything of this happened. But I understand and will pray for the best results and least side effects for her

My wife had her first Immunotherapy with durvalumab (Imfimzi) on June 25. The only side effect she has had from this one treatment is rashes and bad itching. We contacted the oncologist and he prescribed a prescription and cream. They didn't help at all. We went to an Urgent Care (big mistake) and they gave her a steroid shot and a prescribed a pack of steroid pills. That worked at first but then the rashes and itching returned even worst.
By then it was time for her 2nd round of durvalumab (Imfimzi). Once the lab saw the rashes we were sent to the oncologist. He said the 2nd round would have to be delayed until the rashes and itching were treated and gone.
Clobetasol Propionate cream and Prednisone 10mg were prescribed. She has been taking the pills and using the cream for 5 days and the itching is finally letting up and rashes slowly clearing up. The rashes are all over her body except her face and stomach. And now the cream is all gone and no refill for another 3 weeks.
Anyone else had this rashes and itching problem (side effect from durvalumab (Imfimzi)? If so, did you find any OTC help?
Thanks for reading!

@bovic21, This rash sounds miserable. Reach out to her oncologist for more advice and an earlier prescription renewal if she needs it. Is she continuing to improve?

Hi @bovic21—treatment-related rashes can be miserable, but a dermatologist can often help quickly. When similar skin issues flared up for me, the dermatologist prescribed creams I’d never even heard of, and the rash calmed down within days.

After seven years of living with lung cancer, I’ve learned the value of building a small “village” of specialists—cardiologist, nephrologist, dermatologist, gastroenterologist, neurologist, even a personal trainer. Each one tackles a different piece of the puzzle and makes the journey easier for both patient and caregiver (my wife.) Don’t hesitate to lean on that expertise; you don’t have to manage every symptom on your own nor should you expect your oncologist to specialize in everything.

All the best to you and your wife.

hi @bovic21 - that rash sounds miserable. I wonder if benadryl might also help. I second @flusshund's recommendation to see a dermatologist. I see one at my cancer center that treats skin cancer, but also skin based side effects from cancer treatment. (I also lost most of my hair and the dr has me on low dose oral minoxidil, which has helped it grow back!) I hope your wife feels much better soon - and it's very loving of you to seek info that might help her feel better. 🙂

@lls8000 Thank you for your response. She is doing better. Her oncologist prescribed prednisone and a couple of different creams. Very quickly the itching went away and the rashes are slowly fading away. Not sure which on of the three medicines should get the credit, but thankful for the results.
The next problem is the oncologist said she has to taper off the prednisone. She was on 30mg, now on 20mg and in a week goes down to 10mg. Her second treatment has been postponed twice, waiting to get this itching and rash under control. It is now schedule to restart in 2 weeks, after a scan and MRI. We worry the itching may return.

glad to hear she's feeling better! I would ask her care team which pre-meds they can give with her next infusion to try to mitigate that reaction. maybe benadryl + a steroid?

@mamajite That is a great idea to ask about pre-meds before her next treatments. We will do that.
My wife made a statement last night that I thought I would never hear from her. She said she is finally adjusting to the fact that she has cancer. After six months of chemo and radiation appointments, scans and MRIs, and all the rough side effects, she's come to a point where she sleeps better, enjoys life a little better and does not worry as much about what's around the corner. Surprising, I feel better now also.