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Thank you. After reading another website on how some patients have been on Keytruda for more than 2 years it makes me wonder if they did not leave him on it long enough. He had Taxol with it to give it a boost, but they said neither was working. I feel that they should have left him on the Keytruda and added radioisotopes with that.
Replies to "Thank you. After reading another website on how some patients have been on Keytruda for more..."
It is my understanding from my oncologist that the two-year timeframe with Keytruda is based on the length of the original trial which was two years. Some insurance companies will not pay for treatment based on the length of the original trial while others continue to pay based on patient response.
Also, Keytruda itself will not "kill" cancer; it eliminates the inhibitors that are preventing the immune system from doing its job and removing the cancer cells. If they are saying Keytruda isn't working they are probably saying the immune system still isn't responding the way it is supposed to. Keytruda will only be effective on those cells that are checkpoint inhibitor positive which, it sounds like, may only be a portion of his whole situation.
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It sounds like you have prepared some grest questions for the next appointment with the doctors. I hope you appointment goes well and you get some clarity on the approach that they are taking.