Any experience with Keytruda?

Posted by scottmcf1431 @scottmcf1431, Dec 13, 2025

I am 62 yo and have recently completed treatment for throat cancer (OPSCC). Recent PET scan shows that my throat cancer is gone but I have a single small metastasis on the outside of segment 5 of my liver. I want them to cut it out now, but the doctors are telling me that I need to complete 6 months of Keytruda prior to be insiders for surgery. Does anyone have any experience with this?

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cskippy | @cskippy | Jun 26 2:27pm

Hello, Please get a second opinion before you start. everyone has a different reaction to treatment. 😉

scottmcf1431 | @scottmcf1431 | Jun 27 8:05am

In reply to @cskippy "Hello, Please get a second opinion before you start. everyone has a different reaction to treatment...." + (show)

@cskippy I am getting my 5th injection on Monday. All good so far!

Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sepdvm | Jun 27 9:10am

In reply to @scottmcf1431 "@rosback I am so sorry to hear of your experiences with Keytruda. In my case, I..." + (show)

@scottmcf1431 You are one of the lucky ones who is hopefully seeing benefit from Keytruda without the nasty side effects. My husband became hypothyroid on Keytruda for his bladder cancer, but daily thyroid replacement therapy is an easy fix. Unfortunately it didn't stop the cancer. I have had a great response to a similar drug Libtayo for my metastatic SCC from ear origin. I understand that skin origin like mine responds better to this form of PDL1 inhibitor than Keytruda. Keep up the hope that Keytruda is successfully redirecting your immune system to stop this cancer. So glad that you are tolerating it so well.

sf2026 | @sf2026 | Jun 27 11:22am

Is that requirement due to your insurance company? Or is it standard of care from the Dr ?

scottmcf1431 | @scottmcf1431 | Jun 28 7:18am

In reply to @sf2026 "Is that requirement due to your insurance company? Or is it standard of care from the..." + (show)

@sf2026 The drug is covered by our Provincial healthcare in Canada. The treatment would be the Oncology Team’s choice. In the end they removed the tumour first and then started the Keytruda.

ingleside | @ingleside | Jun 28 11:31am

78 yrs old. Cavernous Sinus squamous cell carcinoma. Craniotomy July 2019. 8 Chemo 35 radiation, almost 4 years of Keytruda every six weeks. No serious side effects, no change in cancer since my operation.

scottmcf1431 | @scottmcf1431 | 6 days ago

As an update, I had a PET scan done in June 2026 that showed the retroperitoneal lymph nodes were still active and new potential sites in my ribs. The plan was to stop the Keytruda for a month or so, have another CT scan, then start chemotherapy (5FU/Cisplatin/Cetuximab). After 30 days, I had the CT of my chest and abdomen, and went to clinic expecting to get the go ahead for chemo with PICC line et al. Apparently the CT looked better than expected and somehow they had missed the fact that I have been taking Nexium for years and it interferes with Keytruda. So against normal recommendations for tapering, they had me immediately stop the Nexium, and restart Keytruda. I had the first dose on October 5th. As expected, I have had severe rebound reflux for which I was told just to take OTC Pepcid. I am left confused because I was expecting a much worse outcome of treatments (which may still happen in the future) but can’t help wonder if the Nexium had been stopped prior to my initial 4 months of treatment with the Keytruda if I would have had more success. I am disappointed that the entire team missed this drug interaction.

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