Keytruda

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    • June 9, 2017 at 11:03 am
    JC
    Participant
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        • June 9, 2017 at 4:57 pm
        casagrayson
        Participant

          I have a question about Keytruda. A have a friend who was just diagnosed with lung cancer.  Based on testing of the tumor they determined that Keytruda would be the treatment of choice.  He had one treatment and ended up in the hospital with colitis, on steroids, etc. The doctors have decided that he isn't a candidate for this drug due to, as his doctor said, "unanticipated side effects" and will start standard chemo and radiation.  My questions:  aren't these rather standard side effects for the drug, and don't doctors often lower the dosage somewhat to see if the body tolerates the drug better?  

          Doctors were convinced than immunotherapy gave him the best chance for survival, yet they seem to be giving up so quickly.

            • June 9, 2017 at 11:26 pm
            betsyl
            Participant

              Hi Susan,

              What the doctors are doing is backing away quickly because colitis is very dangerous. It can be extremely painful, difficult to manage, and life threatening if it gets out of hand. It can result in tears or holes in the intestine, which would pretty much destroy whatever quality of life your friend has. The doctors are probably thinking that based on the immediate reaction to just one treatment, decreasing the dosage probably wouldn't do the trick as reactions are cumulative.

              Hope that makes sense.

              -Betsy

              • June 10, 2017 at 3:17 pm
              casagrayson
              Participant

                Yes, Betsy, it does.  Thanks for the comment.  I was just so in hopes immunotherapy would be the magic bullet for him.

                • June 10, 2017 at 8:55 pm
                betsyl
                Participant

                  Yeah, I kind of know how you feel. My husband has stage IV melanoma, but based on his prior history of ulcerative colitis, the doctors chose not to give him Ipi + Opdivo. Instead they are going with Keytruda and only for six months max. They are watching him closely for any flareup. If he were to have one, they would stop the Keytruda.

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