My husband and I have been look for treatment options for my Father in law. He has received a first line chemo and the cancer is back. He has stage 3 non small cell squamous cell lung cancer. I am wondering how Tarceva has worked for others with a similiar diagnosis. Also has anyone tried LDN as an alternative treatment. We would love to hear any other chemos or treatments that have shrunk or stopped the progression of similiar nsclc. Thank you.
Hi
My husband is currently on Tarceva, since Jan and he is stable. I have heard and researched what I can about LDN, I have heard of someone being on LDN who was stage IV and is still here 3 years later, working and leading a 'normal' life. I asked Dr West on Oncology talk about LDN. He replied and said that he could not approve its use as its not been tested in trials. However you must have been on the LDN website and read their testimonies. My view right not is that when and if the tarceva stops working, there are many options to try for my husband if he wishes to as there is nothing left to lose. however right now, as he is on Tarceva, i will not jeopardise its workings. I asked my cousin who is a pharmacist to contact Roche to see what supplements he can or cannot take along with tarceva, some are definete NO NO's as some are processed in the liver and Roche have done the research behind this. Some they approved to take with tarceva.
I would ask your husbands oncologist before using the LDN. Its such a shame that no one will trial it.
Wish you all the best.
Pam
Hi Pam. Thank you for the info. I am glad to hear the Tarceva is working well for your husband. I do wish someone would do a clinical trial on LDN. From what I have seen it helped alot of cancer patients.
Thanks again, Kelly
hi i was just wondering what is ldn?
www.lowdosenaltrexone.org
Low Dose Naltrexone
Hi Pam,
I am glad to know your husband's success with Tarceva. Do you mind sharing the list of the supplements that cannot be taken with Tarceva and those that are approved to take with Tarceva?
Thanks.
Hi reply fo : Zhufumama
the list includes: curcumin (tumeric extract), Melatonin, milk thistle (silymarin), CoQ10, Garlic extract, (fine in diet as is tumeric), were the most crucial ones that are big NO NO's. Pancreatic enzymes also. My husband was taking boswellia too, but they say that if there are no studies, you should not risk taking them with tarceva. So we would rather not risk it.
They said, B-complex was okay, vitamin D, probiotic, Omega 3 fish oils, Vitamin C, Zinc, Currently these are the only ones he takes. He has a very good diet otherwise.
Hope this helps.
Pam
CAN YOU TELL ME THE SIDE EFFECTS ON TARCIVA..MY HUSBAND IS SO WEAK HE IS STOPPING HIS MEDS
I have been on LDN for 21 months with stage 4B with lungs mets. LDN is the only thing keeping me alive and doing it's job.
I just came back from the 4th annual LDN conference at USC to hear all the doctors using LDN in their practices and their recorded results. Multiple myeloma, pancreatic cancer with liver mets, breast cancer, Lung cancer, melanoma and on and on. Good results just as the LDN website says at least 60 % remission on most late stage cancer.
I would encourage anyone with cancer to get on LDN. Dr. West couldn't be more wrong to wait for trials knowing all too well an already approved drug and off patent that is inexpensive, no side effects and non toxic will never come to trials as 'No money to be made"
Glad I didn't listen to doctors like him and here to say I am very alive and thankfully so.
I and others like me with cancer who failed conventional treatment take Low dose naltrexone. I was told to get my affairs in order Feb. 5th 2007 and have been on LDN since Feb 12 2007. Details are below plus all the links are in the yahoo groups ( published papers, doctors reports, etc.) My web page is attached below my name.
* Low dose Naltrexone
http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org/
http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org/ldn_and_cancer.htm
There is yahoo group which members with cancer take LDN and discuss our issues.
Post message: LDN_4_cancer@yahoogroups.com
Subscribe: LDN_4_cancer-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Dee
http://www.ldn4cancer.com
Who did you get to prescribe the LDN? I am sure my onc would have the same response as Dr. West. What is the doseage you are taking?
Pam
I have educated my new oncologist about LDN and he sees the merit. He will write a prescription but most oncologist will only follow their protocol of chemo, more chemo and more chemo....
Most of LDN users are getting their LDN prescriptions from their GP's as they are more open minded and read the LDN web pages. IF you print them out for your doctor, he may be willing to prescribe..
I also have a list of LDN prescribing doctors for the USA and other countries that help those who can't find a prescriber.
Also there are phone prescribers who will write a prescription after a telephone consultation. I have a list of those also.
If needed, send me a private email.
Dee
deealejo@yahoo.com
Low Dose Naltrexone,
many dr's don't even want to hear about LDN my wife is being treated at cancer treatment center of America not only do they treat her cancer the treat her as a whole person. when we first started treatment there we mentioned to her dr about LDN he asked for 15 minutes to research and came back in and asked if she had a place to get it we said yes skips pharmacy in florida but need a script well he had no problem writting the script also other places refused to hear about natural vitamins and meds at ctca the believe in it and even provide an nutritionist along with an urbalist .
cancer is a mean nasty thing no one knows why we get it we all have it dormany but something trigers it.
what is very important is when having chemo you have to remember it kills the good cells also and you have to do all you can to build your cells back quickly as possible coq10 essiacs tea 6 blend its nasty but i believe it helps.
vitamins and as many nutritional drinks as you can stand the key is keeping the good cells building while doing what you can to eliminate the bad.
ldn does work what you have to watch though is if you are on pain meds it wont be as efective. i cant say what doctors will subscribe it because we had gone to 2 centers and they refused to even listen then we found ctca it was a blessing .
wife has been on ldn for 4 months now and last month the tumor in her lung had shrunk a little only after 1 chemo treatment we go back to philly this week and will find out if it has shrunk more.
Oncologists only are approved for radiation, chemo and surgery so any other methods of treating cancer most are reluctant and ignorant.
My life is more important so when told "nothing further could be done" I searched until I found doctors to give me LDN and now have an oncologists who believes in it and uses it... and actually thanked me for telling him about it.
Alternatives are the "devil" in oncologists and mainstream medicines eyes....
I encourage all to watch " How healing becomes a crime"
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5528328984547372206
This has been my experience in the main stream medical community but at least I am here to talk about it.
Dee
http://www.ldn4cancer.com
I was on tarceva for 10 months and then had reoccurence in right lung and lymnodes. I still think tarceva is a great drug and you should have complete faith in it. Please tell me what is LDN?
Hi Joy
sadly my husband passed away in October. He was on Low dose Naltrexone only for one month. I wish I had done this sooner!
He got ill very suddenly and tarceva had stopped working for him. His brain mets came back and he went very quickly. It has been a very sad and difficult time for me and my girls.
My advice to you would be to find a doctor who can prescribe LDN for you and read up about it yourself on the web through google. With this disease you need every weapon you can find and I only wish I had found this for him much sooner when he was first diagnosed two years ago.
All the best
Pam
Hi ..my name is Marco and i'm from Italy.
I have a question about Tarceva. If you are a patient that use Tarceva, can you assume food in association with curcumin or anticancer spices (like rosemary, thyme, etc. )? Are there any contra for the association of Tarceva and Curcumin? Why? Thanks very much in advance. My best wishes,
Marco
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