Well, I've now been on Tarceva for a couple weeks and I've been feeling good, no negative side effects to date. I'm loving my new doctors and my experience at Dana Farber. The doctors listen with interest to what you have to say (as opposed to with one foot out the door) and work together to figure out the best game plan for you as a patient. Things happen fast. If they think you need a biopsy, you'll be getting one the next day. Everyone is friendly and accommodating. Needless to say I'm very happy with our decision to come here for treatment and grateful to Tim for pushing us in this direction and opening doors for me.
I miss my California friends and am looking forward to my next trip back, which should be within the month. Thanks again to my Criminal Minds family and other friends who have been so supportive of my journey. I hope to see everyone on the next trip.
I've started exercising lightly. My muscles are gone because of the bed rest. Hopefully I can build up my endurance and start to get back into shape soon.
Thanks again for all the support.
Andy
Monday, June 7, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Moving FORWARD
Wow. I can't even begin to describe the emotions for Andy, Jen, I, Mom, Dad, and others who have just heard the news. Dana Farber came through quickly (THANK YOU!). The preliminary results from Wednesday's biopsy are in, and as suspected / expected by DFCI, Andy's cancer has a somatic genetic mutation called EGFR+. Getting this information is HUGE both physically and emotionally.
Andy will begin a targeted therapeutic treatment path using an oral drug called Tarceva tonight. This is a much different approach to fighting cancer (the way of the future) than the treatment path he had been on this spring.
Chemotherapy is the first line treatment for Stage IV cancers. Stage IV, by categorization, have spread beyond the initial site and have metastasized. Chemotherapy is a systemic poison - it travels throughout the body, ideally killing the cancer cells that have spread; the down side is that it also kills good, healthy fast growing cells (like hair, for example) and has some pretty nasty side effects. And, while there are recommended paths, it can be hit or miss. In Andy's case it was miss.
Targeted therapeutics work in a different manner. As indicated by the name, they kill just those cells with those markings. In this case, Tarceva will target cells that have the EGFR+ gene mutation.
This is a great new option for Andy. By no means is his fight over, the way that we are looking at it now is that he has a new weapon in the arsenal that has a better success of fighting his specific type of NSCLC cancer, with less harmful side effects. We
Thank you all again for the help in getting here - it has been a long road already, and we continue to gain strength in our fight
And to those at DFCI who I have added to the blog - thank you. Your dedication to treating patients make you heroes to patients and their families everyday.
Andy will begin a targeted therapeutic treatment path using an oral drug called Tarceva tonight. This is a much different approach to fighting cancer (the way of the future) than the treatment path he had been on this spring.
Chemotherapy is the first line treatment for Stage IV cancers. Stage IV, by categorization, have spread beyond the initial site and have metastasized. Chemotherapy is a systemic poison - it travels throughout the body, ideally killing the cancer cells that have spread; the down side is that it also kills good, healthy fast growing cells (like hair, for example) and has some pretty nasty side effects. And, while there are recommended paths, it can be hit or miss. In Andy's case it was miss.
Targeted therapeutics work in a different manner. As indicated by the name, they kill just those cells with those markings. In this case, Tarceva will target cells that have the EGFR+ gene mutation.
This is a great new option for Andy. By no means is his fight over, the way that we are looking at it now is that he has a new weapon in the arsenal that has a better success of fighting his specific type of NSCLC cancer, with less harmful side effects. We
Thank you all again for the help in getting here - it has been a long road already, and we continue to gain strength in our fight
And to those at DFCI who I have added to the blog - thank you. Your dedication to treating patients make you heroes to patients and their families everyday.
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