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Update tchan8888: Pembrozilumab Clinical Trial

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2016 4:08 am
by tchan8888
Hello Everyone,

Just wanted to give a brief update. Had my first scan after 3 treatments. The lymph node tumors were very responsive. Was advised that many people do not see an immediate response to this immunotherapy regimen. Noticeable shrinkage in swelling of lymph nodes in my neck.

As for side effects, lots of fatigue, rash, bone and muscle soreness and constipation. This has been challenging, but still not as bad as FOLFIRI and FOLFOX. Treatment day is a lot shorter.

Am optimistic about gaining more time. Let me know if you have any questions and will try my best to answer. Know that getting into trial is a challenge and was very fortunate to get in.

Blessings,

Tom

Re: Update tchan8888: Pembrozilumab Clinical Trial

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2016 10:35 am
by DK37
Great news on the efficacy Tom!!
I assume you are MSI-high?
If so, could you please add to your signature line?
Thanks & congrats again on the response to Pembro!

-DK

Re: Update tchan8888: Pembrozilumab Clinical Trial

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2016 3:12 pm
by bitchslapped
That is very encouraging news to hear & thank you for updating! I hope you will continue to update here in this thread, share your experience as participants in clinical trials are also helping educate others & info re: results is sparse.
Did you find the paperwork & testing process the most challenging to qualify or strict criteria to meet, limited openings? I'll make a guess: "all of the above."

Best Wishes
BS

Re: Update tchan8888: Pembrozilumab Clinical Trial

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2016 3:46 pm
by CRguy
Glad you got in ... AND that is working for you !

Best wishes for continued success.
CRguy

Re: Update tchan8888: Pembrozilumab Clinical Trial

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 9:35 am
by Wonderfullymade
Happy to hear you are responding well! Sorry to hear you are having nasty side effects still. Do you know if others in the trail are feeling the same way?

Re: Update tchan8888: Pembrozilumab Clinical Trial

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 12:44 pm
by stu
Hi,
Words are not adequate enough to say just how pleased I am for you. Sorry about the side effects. Thinking of you,
Stu

Re: Update tchan8888: Pembrozilumab Clinical Trial

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 3:13 pm
by NateA
Could you lino the trial or hook us up with the NCT#? Love that your getting response!!

Re: Update tchan8888: Pembrozilumab Clinical Trial

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 3:38 pm
by lpas
Really awesome news, Tom. So glad!!

Pembrozilumab (Keytruda) Clinical Trial

Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2016 10:07 am
by O Stoma Mia
tchan8888 wrote:Hello Everyone,

Just wanted to give a brief update. Had my first scan after 3 treatments. The lymph node tumors were very responsive. Was advised that many people do not see an immediate response to this immunotherapy regimen. Noticeable shrinkage in swelling of lymph nodes in my neck.

As for side effects, lots of fatigue, rash, bone and muscle soreness and constipation. This has been challenging, but still not as bad as FOLFIRI and FOLFOX. Treatment day is a lot shorter.

Am optimistic about gaining more time. Let me know if you have any questions and will try my best to answer. Know that getting into trial is a challenge and was very fortunate to get in.

Blessings,

Tom

Very good news to hear! Thanks for coming back to update us on the status, and thanks for volunteering to answer any questions -- and Happy Chinese New Year, with best wishes for good health and happiness in the years ahead!

Pembrozilumab (Keytruda) is already approved for two indications -- Advanced Melanoma and Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. So, one advantage of this is that the safety profile for use of this compound in humans is already well known, and the drug is already in stock in most hospital pharmacies. But they don't yet know for sure whether it is significantly better than other regimens in the case of colon cancer, and that is the reason for the need for the current clinical trials.

It is an expensive drug:
"Keytruda will be an expensive treatment option ... Merck has disclosed that its new PD-1 inhibitor will cost payers $12,500 per month or about $150,000 per year.... . Keytruda now looks set to become a blockbuster drug for Merck and a leading drug within the PD-1 inhibitor class..."

If an oncologist wants to prescribe it off-label for colon cancer, then I suppose he could -- provided the patient wants to pay or the patient's insurance is willing to cover the cost. But it's not quite clear whether insurance would cover the cost before the compound is formally approved for use in colon cancer.

The information for this particular trial is here: Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) Clinical Trial - NCT02460198

Re: Update tchan8888: Pembrozilumab Clinical Trial

Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2016 11:50 pm
by Wonderfullymade
It is an expensive drug:
"Keytruda will be an expensive treatment option ... Merck has disclosed that its new PD-1 inhibitor will cost payers $12,500 per month or about $150,000 per year.... . Keytruda now looks set to become a blockbuster drug for Merck and a leading drug within the PD-1 inhibitor class..."

If an oncologist wants to prescribe it off-label for colon cancer, then I suppose he could -- provided the patient wants to pay or the patient's insurance is willing to cover the cost. But it's not quite clear whether insurance would cover the cost before the compound is formally approved for use in colon cancer.

The information for this particular trial is here: Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) Clinical Trial - NCT02460198[/quote]




My insurance is covering it for 1 year (hallelujah) I think my Onc said he sent in a 30 page report of a small trial that had been done and told them it was a matter of life and death for me :( There also was not a trial that was close or open at the time and he didnt feel waiting would be good since I couldn't even get a month past surgery before I was having new lymph nodes showing up on the scan.

Yeek! Still trying to learn how to quote :oops:

Re: Update tchan8888: Pembrozilumab Clinical Trial

Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2016 7:55 am
by Shân
I am so delighted for you, very exiting indeed, thanks for posting.
S

Re: Update tchan8888: Pembrozilumab Clinical Trial

Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2016 2:18 pm
by rp1954
Tom, it might be useful to compare before and after MCV values to your previous treatments with Folfiri, Folfox and straight 5FU.
It could make a good discussion here.

The MCV parameter "missle track" has been a pretty good chemo activity indicator for us even for immuno components.