FDA Expands Use Of Keytruda for NSCLC

Posted by Merry, Alumni Mentor @merpreb, May 3, 2019

Good morning. As everyone knows these past couple of years have been a boom for lung cancer. New treatments, new uses for older drugs, new techniques and better survival chances. In my 22 years as a cancer patient I have not been given Immunotherapy as a treatment, or option for that matter. I have multifocal adenocarcinoma of the lung. The best way to treat my cancer the last two times has been with SBRT. (https://www.mdanderson.org/treatment-options/stereotactic-body-radiation-therapy.html). It has been extremely successful for me. I don't even know if Immunotherapy would be an option at all.
But for those of you with NSCLC there are options now. https://lungcancer.net/news/fda-keytruda-nsclc/
Has anyone discussed this option with their doctors?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Lung Cancer Support Group.

@merpreb I know of Ketruda from add on TV, but have no personal experience with it. That is an interesting article. I would like to learn more about Ketruda by reading more from those who have actually experienced it. Also I would like to learn more about immuno-therapy. We are fortunate to be living in times where there is so much hope for treating lung cancer and other lung diseases.

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Thank you Merry.
At one point in my husband's cancer testing they found a very, very small expression of the marker making Keytruda available to him (they still don't have a definitive diagnosis of Lung Cancer but are leaning that way slightly)........they suggested Keytruda...BUT you had to have had Chemo first and we declined that given that they didn't know what kind of chemo to use. It looks like this study has opened that drug option for my husband now, as you don't have to get chemo first........might be of some help. Thanks for posting this information!

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@cindylb- Oh wouldn't that be wonderful Cindy!! Have you checked with your husband' doctor yet?

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@alamogal635

@merpreb I know of Ketruda from add on TV, but have no personal experience with it. That is an interesting article. I would like to learn more about Ketruda by reading more from those who have actually experienced it. Also I would like to learn more about immuno-therapy. We are fortunate to be living in times where there is so much hope for treating lung cancer and other lung diseases.

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@merpreb

@cindylb- Oh wouldn't that be wonderful Cindy!! Have you checked with your husband' doctor yet?

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We haven't talked with the doctors yet. We're due again in July for a scan. So far the cancer is actually getting smaller but we can't count on that. We take it day by day. I am going to reach out to the doctor about Keytruda and also a few other thoughts, things I found on this support site that might help. Hugs!

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@alamogal635- There are tons of sites on Immunotherapy just be googling it. Since it's not that old a treatment I was surprised.

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@merrpreb Thank you. It really isn't very old, but is fainting in its potentials IMHO.

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@alamogal635- Good morning. I'm confused by your last statement, " but is fainting in its potentials IMHO"
Can you unconfuse me?

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@merpreb

@alamogal635- Good morning. I'm confused by your last statement, " but is fainting in its potentials IMHO"
Can you unconfuse me?

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@merpreb Sorry about that. Told you all I need a proof reader. more exactly, need a new glasses RX! I mean to write fascinating in its potentials. I am thinking of not just with cancer research, but in uses with such issues as MS and others such diseases. Will get my vision checked out next month. Maybe it's time for getting cataracts removed. Anyway, will check my writing meter from now on.

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