@tymish17, I do not have personal experience with small-cell and immunotherapy, but I am seeing at least one therapy that works with some advanced small-cell lung cancers (TECENTRIQ (atezolizumab)).
How are you feeling? What treatment are you on currently?
@rockpine, I agree. For help with this conversation I'll add a basic understanding of the differences between targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
The targeted therapy drugs are controlling the cancer at the cancer's cellular level. My targeted therapy is turning off the bad gene that is causing the cells to over-replicate as cancer cells. These are generally taken orally by pill. The targeted therapy generic names will end in "nib" (dabrafenib, alectinib, etc.)
Immunotherapy drugs will train your own immune system to attack the cancer, to keep the cancerous cells at bay. These are generally administered by IV infusions. The generic names of the immunotherapy drugs will end in "mab" (atezolizumab), pembrolizumab. etc.)
Not all cancers respond to either method. That's why we need research and knowledgeable oncologists.
@rockpine, I agree. For help with this conversation I'll add a basic understanding of the differences between targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
The targeted therapy drugs are controlling the cancer at the cancer's cellular level. My targeted therapy is turning off the bad gene that is causing the cells to over-replicate as cancer cells. These are generally taken orally by pill. The targeted therapy generic names will end in "nib" (dabrafenib, alectinib, etc.)
Immunotherapy drugs will train your own immune system to attack the cancer, to keep the cancerous cells at bay. These are generally administered by IV infusions. The generic names of the immunotherapy drugs will end in "mab" (atezolizumab), pembrolizumab. etc.)
Not all cancers respond to either method. That's why we need research and knowledgeable oncologists.
Hi Stramont,
My husband has lung cancer. They talked us into getting Keytruda and my husband almost died from it. One of the severe side effects of Keytruda is pancreatitis. My husband got pancreatitis and went down to 120 lbs when he used to weigh 150. He was very sick for a long time. It was his primary care doctor who referred him to the correct specialist that gave him medication that finally got him well. My husband refuses to have another Keytruda infusion and I don't blame him. This made the cancer doctor mad since the insurance company had approved another 6 months of Keytruda infusions. (These infusions cost $25,000 each! My husband was receiving 2 infusions per month.) That was 5 years ago. Since then, we have merely relied on God with a lot of prayers. Today, my husband is doing fine. He's 82 and drives the car very well, fixes breakfast, lunch and dinner, leaf blows our yard and our 88 yr. old neighbor's yard, takes our heavy garbage bags and the neighbor's down to the dumpster, fixed the kitchen drain, put sliders on chairs so they moved easier on carpeting, folds laundry and unloads the dishwasher! He also no longer needs hardly any of his breathing medications either. Basically, everyone is different and reacts to medications and treatments very differently also. I wish you the best and will say a prayer for you.
PML
@rockpine, I agree. For help with this conversation I'll add a basic understanding of the differences between targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
The targeted therapy drugs are controlling the cancer at the cancer's cellular level. My targeted therapy is turning off the bad gene that is causing the cells to over-replicate as cancer cells. These are generally taken orally by pill. The targeted therapy generic names will end in "nib" (dabrafenib, alectinib, etc.)
Immunotherapy drugs will train your own immune system to attack the cancer, to keep the cancerous cells at bay. These are generally administered by IV infusions. The generic names of the immunotherapy drugs will end in "mab" (atezolizumab), pembrolizumab. etc.)
Not all cancers respond to either method. That's why we need research and knowledgeable oncologists.
Hi Stramont,
My husband has lung cancer. They talked us into getting Keytruda and my husband almost died from it. One of the severe side effects of Keytruda is pancreatitis. My husband got pancreatitis and went down to 120 lbs when he used to weigh 150. He was very sick for a long time. It was his primary care doctor who referred him to the correct specialist that gave him medication that finally got him well. My husband refuses to have another Keytruda infusion and I don't blame him. This made the cancer doctor mad since the insurance company had approved another 6 months of Keytruda infusions. (These infusions cost $25,000 each! My husband was receiving 2 infusions per month.) That was 5 years ago. Since then, we have merely relied on God with a lot of prayers. Today, my husband is doing fine. He's 82 and drives the car very well, fixes breakfast, lunch and dinner, leaf blows our yard and our 88 yr. old neighbor's yard, takes our heavy garbage bags and the neighbor's down to the dumpster, fixed the kitchen drain, put sliders on chairs so they moved easier on carpeting, folds laundry and unloads the dishwasher! He also no longer needs hardly any of his breathing medications either. Basically, everyone is different and reacts to medications and treatments very differently also. I wish you the best and will say a prayer for you.
PML
I am grateful for your testimony. Right now, not yet having my first treatment, I can only hope for the best tolerance and results. Thank you for the much needed prayers!
@rockpine, I agree. For help with this conversation I'll add a basic understanding of the differences between targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
The targeted therapy drugs are controlling the cancer at the cancer's cellular level. My targeted therapy is turning off the bad gene that is causing the cells to over-replicate as cancer cells. These are generally taken orally by pill. The targeted therapy generic names will end in "nib" (dabrafenib, alectinib, etc.)
Immunotherapy drugs will train your own immune system to attack the cancer, to keep the cancerous cells at bay. These are generally administered by IV infusions. The generic names of the immunotherapy drugs will end in "mab" (atezolizumab), pembrolizumab. etc.)
Not all cancers respond to either method. That's why we need research and knowledgeable oncologists.
Thank you for that clear distinction!
My Pulmonologist just put immunotherapy on the table as a potential treatment option for me. I was diagnosed two years ago with multifocal adenocarcinoma in lung (stage 1s)- To date I have removed two lung nodules with VAT surgery and done one round of SBRT on another nodule. I go back for PET scan in January, and they may propose ablation at that time. The Pulmonologist also told me because I have so many nodules in lungs, they may consider immunotherapy down the road. Am wondering about immunotherapy side effects during and after treatment. Would like to go on vacation somewhere.
Ablation and Immunotherapy cured my stage 3a lung cancer. However, I was told "No THC" during and for a year after immunotherapy because it blunts the curing effects of treatment.
Treated by Mayo onco who okayed the use of medical marijuana while on immunological drug for cancer treatment-. Since then, have heard of this (no MJ when on immuno’s). Dispicable.
Treated by Mayo onco who okayed the use of medical marijuana while on immunological drug for cancer treatment-. Since then, have heard of this (no MJ when on immuno’s). Dispicable.
I just did a Google search: "No THC during immunotherapy". All the Hits on Google were very disappointing for an old Hippie.
Doctors and their patients should be aware that cannabis consumption may negatively impact outcomes in patients receiving immunotherapy. Findings from an observational study from Israel suggested that cannabis could reduce tumor response to therapy in patients undergoing treatment with the immunotherapeutic drug nivolumab (PMID: 30670598). In another study, these same researchers found that the use of cannabis in patients being treated with checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy drugs led to a shorter time until their tumors progressed (grew in size and/or spread) and a decreased overall survival compared to those patients not using cannabis (PMID: 32872248).
Solid tumor in the top left and small one in the lower left. They ablated (cooked) the large solid tumor before I started the 2 rounds of immunotherapy. They removed the top lobe and did a wedge thing on the lower lobe about 4 weeks after my last immunotherapy. I also had a couple of small tumors in my right lung but they disappeared after the immunotherapy. The only reason the doctor cut out my top lobe was to prove that the "Ablation & Immunotherapy" worked and stage 3a can some day be treated outpatient.
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@tymish17, I do not have personal experience with small-cell and immunotherapy, but I am seeing at least one therapy that works with some advanced small-cell lung cancers (TECENTRIQ (atezolizumab)).
How are you feeling? What treatment are you on currently?
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1 Reaction@rockpine, I agree. For help with this conversation I'll add a basic understanding of the differences between targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
The targeted therapy drugs are controlling the cancer at the cancer's cellular level. My targeted therapy is turning off the bad gene that is causing the cells to over-replicate as cancer cells. These are generally taken orally by pill. The targeted therapy generic names will end in "nib" (dabrafenib, alectinib, etc.)
Immunotherapy drugs will train your own immune system to attack the cancer, to keep the cancerous cells at bay. These are generally administered by IV infusions. The generic names of the immunotherapy drugs will end in "mab" (atezolizumab), pembrolizumab. etc.)
Not all cancers respond to either method. That's why we need research and knowledgeable oncologists.
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4 ReactionsThanks for that clarification! It ends a lot of confusion. Always learning on this portal!!
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1 ReactionHi Stramont,
My husband has lung cancer. They talked us into getting Keytruda and my husband almost died from it. One of the severe side effects of Keytruda is pancreatitis. My husband got pancreatitis and went down to 120 lbs when he used to weigh 150. He was very sick for a long time. It was his primary care doctor who referred him to the correct specialist that gave him medication that finally got him well. My husband refuses to have another Keytruda infusion and I don't blame him. This made the cancer doctor mad since the insurance company had approved another 6 months of Keytruda infusions. (These infusions cost $25,000 each! My husband was receiving 2 infusions per month.) That was 5 years ago. Since then, we have merely relied on God with a lot of prayers. Today, my husband is doing fine. He's 82 and drives the car very well, fixes breakfast, lunch and dinner, leaf blows our yard and our 88 yr. old neighbor's yard, takes our heavy garbage bags and the neighbor's down to the dumpster, fixed the kitchen drain, put sliders on chairs so they moved easier on carpeting, folds laundry and unloads the dishwasher! He also no longer needs hardly any of his breathing medications either. Basically, everyone is different and reacts to medications and treatments very differently also. I wish you the best and will say a prayer for you.
PML
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4 ReactionsThanks Lisa for clarifying!
I am grateful for your testimony. Right now, not yet having my first treatment, I can only hope for the best tolerance and results. Thank you for the much needed prayers!
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionThank you for that clear distinction!
My Pulmonologist just put immunotherapy on the table as a potential treatment option for me. I was diagnosed two years ago with multifocal adenocarcinoma in lung (stage 1s)- To date I have removed two lung nodules with VAT surgery and done one round of SBRT on another nodule. I go back for PET scan in January, and they may propose ablation at that time. The Pulmonologist also told me because I have so many nodules in lungs, they may consider immunotherapy down the road. Am wondering about immunotherapy side effects during and after treatment. Would like to go on vacation somewhere.
Treated by Mayo onco who okayed the use of medical marijuana while on immunological drug for cancer treatment-. Since then, have heard of this (no MJ when on immuno’s). Dispicable.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionI just did a Google search: "No THC during immunotherapy". All the Hits on Google were very disappointing for an old Hippie.
Doctors and their patients should be aware that cannabis consumption may negatively impact outcomes in patients receiving immunotherapy. Findings from an observational study from Israel suggested that cannabis could reduce tumor response to therapy in patients undergoing treatment with the immunotherapeutic drug nivolumab (PMID: 30670598). In another study, these same researchers found that the use of cannabis in patients being treated with checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy drugs led to a shorter time until their tumors progressed (grew in size and/or spread) and a decreased overall survival compared to those patients not using cannabis (PMID: 32872248).
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsSolid tumor in the top left and small one in the lower left. They ablated (cooked) the large solid tumor before I started the 2 rounds of immunotherapy. They removed the top lobe and did a wedge thing on the lower lobe about 4 weeks after my last immunotherapy. I also had a couple of small tumors in my right lung but they disappeared after the immunotherapy. The only reason the doctor cut out my top lobe was to prove that the "Ablation & Immunotherapy" worked and stage 3a can some day be treated outpatient.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 Reactions