Alimta?

iamhopeful · New User Joined: 30 Jul 2009 Posts: 4

My dad has stage IV lung cancer with Brain mets. His brain mets were treated with Gamma Knife and are getting small, although still present. He had 29 treatments of radiation with 8 weeks of Chemotherapy (weekly doses). Now it is time to decide on the next course of treatment. He doctor ordered an MRI brain and CT chest he thinks he will be recommending Alimta (dad's cancer is Nonsmall Cell) does anyone have any personal experiences with Alimta? I don't want to watch him suffer but I want to have him with us a few more years.

Any information would be helpful

brainman · Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 10:30 pm Post subject: Re: Alimta?

Hi imhopeful,

I am sorry that your father has lung cancer. All that I know about Almita is that it is used to treat nonsquamous, non-small cell lung cancers and Mesothelioma. I have heard but cannot confirm that patients on Almita are told to take folic acid and one of the B vitamins... maybe B12 (?). Other than that, I leave it to others to share their experiences and knowledge.
_________________
Jim
Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2405
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2528
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 3: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Twitter: @JimHawkins54

pbj11 · Site Admin Joined: 12 May 2007 Posts: 2403

Hi,

There are many on the forums who have used Alimta as one of the tools in the fight against lung cancer. Some have had HUGE success and tolerable side effects. In others, it can work, but the side effects are not easily managed. My husband went through 5 cycles of Alimta. He received it on about his 5th line of therapy. I recall it worked for awhile to keep the cancer stable, but it was an irritant to his lungs and set off his pleural effusion issues again. That's the downside, but I've noticed that this seems to occur more frequently in people who already had "touchy" lungs and pleural effusion problems.

I hope things go well on this new regimen. It's one of the relatively newer drugs out there to treat lung cancer and does wonders for many people.

One of our members -- Dano, has been on it for an extended period of time with great results.

Keep us posted.

God bless,
PBJ
_________________
Husband diagnosed with NSCLC Stage IV. (Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer) Fought & lived 2 1/2 years with multiple lines of treatment.

Post describing our battle: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=7026&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

terrismom · Regular Joined: 19 Mar 2009 Posts: 46

I have not had any first hand experience with this treatment yet. I sure hope it works for your father.

Monell

simplyklb · Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 3:21 am Post subject: Re: Alimta?

My mom had two rounds of Alimta. However, Alimta did not work for her. Her cancer continued to grow while getting Alimta. Mom do not have too many problems with the side effects from Alimta. Her counts would bottom out and then bounce right back.

Kristi
_________________
Dad - Andy, 70, diagnosed with SCLC in May 2008
2/20/38 - 10/15/08 Fly high, Dad!
Mom - Jackie, 67, diagnosed with NSCLC in May 2008

dano · Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:47 am Post subject: Re: Alimta?

Hopeful;
I am still being treated with Alimta after over a year and a half. I have some side effects but to me they are minor being as that I've been back to work for over a year now. My first rounds of treatment with Carboplatin/ Docetaxel was far harder on me effect wise. Alimta treatments go much faster than most, side effects hit in 2-3 days and can last 4-5 more days, the day after chemo treatment you take a Nuelasta shot to boost your white cell count, this has a side effect too which is bone and joint pain and it can be very painful but can be treated by taking allergy medicine, it's side effects last about as long as the chemo's does. I lost my hair with my first treatment and whole brain radiation, but Alimta has not let my hair grow back much, my hair is still pretty funky. But all in all Alimta has held my cancer in check at worst and some continual growth reduction. I wish everyone that takes Alimta had these results but that does not seem to be the case. Your dad seems to be in the care of good doctors at a good hospital who will make needed adjustment in treatments and medicine to deal with it all. The important thing is to keep them informed on your dad's condition. There has been constant adjustments in medication in the last couple years and each step was an improvement. The docs look at several factors to determine what they think will work for his cancer and odds are they are right, but odds are not a guarantee, and there are no guarantees with cancer.
God Bless
Dan
_________________
55 year old male, Diagnosed Nov. 9,2007 with NSCLC IV with Mets to the lymphs and brain
Had full brain radiation treatment in Jan 08 treatments now every 4 weeks with Alimta, taking Lovenox for blood clots, Now working full time
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=9993

iamhopeful · New User Joined: 30 Jul 2009 Posts: 4

Thank you all for responding. Your words are more helpful than you know. My dad has not yet started Alimta. When his results from the MRI and CT came back it showed a new brain Met. The met was small (3mm). It was treated with Gamma Knife two days later. He should be resuming chemo soon!

	Cancer Forums Forum Index -> Lung Cancer Forum	All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

A website for discussions about any type of cancer, including lung cancer, breast cancer, mesothelioma, prostate cancer, laryngeal cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and others