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My father has Stage IV Lung Cancer which has spread throughout his chest.
In various discussions, I've read people mention a drug called "Tarceva". Has anyone used this medication or know anything about it?
Hi there -
There have been many, many discussions on this board about Tarceva. You should be able to find them by searching "Tarceva" in the Find It box near the top of the page.
Hope this helps,
Carey
Yes, I was on it and it causes a pretty severe acne like rash. It is effective for people with an EGFR mutation. You would need a gene test of the tumor to confirm that. Don't let them BS you by saying the severity of the rash indicated the drug is working. That is total BS.
Thanks Keelah.
I don't know what to believe.. I feel like a lot of the things I read and are told by SOME doctors are BS!!
I have been on Tarceva for 17 months now. My cancer came back after surgery and they could not do more surgery. That is the reason my Oncologist put me on Tarceva.
The rash is difficult but can be managed. It is definitely worth a try. If Tarceva is going to work for you, a 3 month CT PET scan will tell. I had dramatic results, and have had 5 NED scans.
If your dad wants info on keeping the rash under control and other side effects, just let me know.
Good Luck and God Bless,
Marylou
I have had dramatic results on Tarceva as well. When first diagnosed (Stage IV, adenocarcinoma with extensive pleural effusion; 5X6CM tumor in right lung, 2 in left lung and lymph glands), they were giving me about two months. Tarceva shrunk my main tumor and has given me an extra seven months now of top notch quality of life.
The difficulty of the rash varies. If it is REALLY bad, people have lowered the Tarceva dose and obtained good results. If you decide to go the Tarceva direction, let me know and I'll email you the "Tarceva Flaming Face Regime" inspired by Christine Stewart. The Regime has allowed many of us to have very mild rashes and side effects.
Tarceva has worked miracles on many of us. You can tell in a month whether it works so, to my mind, it is a no-brainer to try. You can have tests done ahead of time to see whether you are EGFR positive and it is likely to work.
Best wishes,
Sheila
sheilake@aol.com
Hi Marylou,
My mom is going to be starting Tarceva soon, after her Carbo and Gemzar wasn't as effective as they wanted. I have been reading about the rash, and saw that you may have some ideas on how to handle it. What tips do you suggest? I want to be prepared just in case!
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