@besswillis– I'm not sure what you mean by an ap window. Have you come to any solution with the insurance company? What does the dr. say about her treatments?

Ap window is a space in the chest between the lungs and heart. I have been constantly on the phone with the Dr the insurance and everyone else. So we actually finally got the order sent to insurance and is finally approved, now we are going tomorrow for chemo education and a de appointment and the infusion scheduler is trying to get us doing treatment tomorrow.

@besswillis– Phew! I have been very scared for you. This must make you feel a lot more at ease if this is possible. Please let me know how you make out!

Good Luck to you. Nancy

Tomorrow is an important day for Pop. We see his oncologist to get his Pet Scan results after having had just two rounds of treatment with chemo and immunotherapy. Since starting treatment just 7 weeks ago, he has has little or no side affects. Pop’s weight is steady so far with a healthy appetite , plays golf once a week and pickleball 4 times a week. Other than his hair loss, nothing has changed thus far. I truly believe his getting 10,000 plus steps I , 5 days a week, has helped him through this.
Has anyone heard about the new drip which was released in December and approved for a fast approval by the FDA? It is the first drug in 20 years for relapse of small cell lung cancer. I read that it will hopefully be available by August 16th, providing the EOA approves it.

@popkorhn– What incredible inner and outer strength your husband has shown! Can you keep up with him? lol. My am sending you postive thoughts and high healing energy for tomorrow!
I believe that you might be talking about:
Topotecan, a water-soluble, semisynthetic derivative of camptothecin, is a specific inhibitor of topoisomerase and is the only drug approved as second-line chemotherapy for relapsed SCLC by the FDA It was released in August 2018.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3932054/
https://go2foundation.org/blog/first-new-treatment-approved-for-small-cell-lung-cancer-in-20-years/
Have you checked with your husband's oncologist to see if this might be something that he would consider for popkorhn, if needed, in the future?

@popkorhn– I'm thinking of you today and wishing you the best of the best test results! I understand the angst prior to the test results. I hope that you both got some sleep last night. Warm hugs

Thank you Merry. We are heading over to meet with his oncologist now. I appreciate the articles on sensitive Abdul relapse studies you sent over. We are praying too.🙏🏻

@popkorhn– Am thinking about you and your visit yesterday. I hope that you hear some good news!

Pop’s treatment is working! His tumors shrunk after the two rounds of chemo and he finished his 3rd round. We are blessed that he has had no real side affects with only hair loss. Prior to the 4th round ,at the end of March, he will have another CT scan. 🙏🏻🙏🏻 His activity of 10,000 plus steps a day, seems to help.

@popkorhn– What a great morning this is for both of you! yayayay! Such wonderful news. I think that his positive attitude is carrying him into a wonderful future!

We hope so!🙏🏻

Hello All- Did you know that the FDA approved Imfinzi for Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer? Have you taken this? Have you found any difference in the results of your cancer?
https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resources-information-approved-drugs/fda-approves-durvalumab-extensive-stage-small-cell-lung-cancer
FDA Approves Imfinzi for Patients with Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer
The Food and Drug Administration approved Imfinzi in combination with certain standard-of-care chemotherapies in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, as the therapy improves median overall survival.

Ryan McDonald
March 30, 2020
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday approved Imfinzi (durvalumab) as part of a combination treatment for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). (cure magazine)

Imfinzi was approved in combination with etoposide plus either carboplatin or cisplatin, all considered standard-of-care chemotherapies, as a first-line treatment option for adults with ES-SCLC. Imfinzi, a human monoclonal antibody, counters the tumor's immune-evading tactics and releases the inhibition of immune responses.

Approximately two-thirds of patients diagnosed with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) are diagnosed with ES-SCLC, which means cancer has spread throughout the lung or to other parts of the body. Prognosis is rather poor, as 6% of all patients with SCLC will be alive five years after diagnosis.

“Patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer continue to face a poor prognosis and finding new medicines to improve outcomes in this setting has been a formidable challenge,” lead study author Dr. Jonathan Goldman, an associate professor of hematology and oncology at UCLA Medical Center, said in a press release. “The CASPIAN trial enables clinicians to choose durvalumab in combination with etoposide and either carboplatin or cisplatin, making this an important new first-line treatment option for patients that is both effective and well-tolerated.”

The FDA approved Imfinzi based on the results of a clinical trial involving 805 patients with ES-SCLC. Patients received either Imfinzi in combination with etoposide and either carboplatin or cisplatin chemotherapy or Imfinzi and chemotherapy with the addition of tremelimumab (an immune checkpoint blocker), versus chemotherapy alone.

The primary outcome of the trial, known as the phase 3 CASPIAN trial, was overall survival. Patients who received Imfinzi plus standard-of-care chemotherapy had a 27% lower risk of death and had a median overall survival of 13 months versus 10.3 months for patients who received standard-of-care chemotherapies alone.