AZD6244

My mom is on Megace and it has worked like a miracle drug in her case. She eats everything and has kept her weight up like it should be.

Pam

Jenn….I am hoping for a better experience with the more established drugs of Gemzar/Cisplatin. You might already know this but, I thought to mention it anyway: The National Cancer Institute booklet: Eating Hints for Cancer Patients: Before, During & After Tratments provides more tips about how to make eating easier and more enjoyable. It also gives many ideas about how to eat well and get extra protein and calories during cancer treatment. For a free copy of this booklet, ask you nurse or call the Cancer Information Services at 1.800.422.6237. Of course, there is plenty of advise others can give you when it comes to fighting of the weightloss generally associated with the chemotherapy treatments. Good luck, tomorrow.
Sending all my best wishes your way,
Marion

Hi All,

It has been a long time since I have posted or even looked at this site. My cancer was not stopped by this drug,AZD6244. They discontinued me the end of the year. I had been in a fog. I have lost about 50 pounds since summer, and had grown pretty weak. The James decided that my best route at this time is to follow the normal protocol of gemzar and cistplatin. I began the chemo the beginning of January, but have since had many other problems. I developed blood clots in my lungs, and my ulcerative colitis became out of control, my sodium,and hemoglobin, and potassium were all out of wack.

I have to many issues that the doctors at the James didn’t do a very good job of managing everything, and it resulted in two different hospitalizations in January. I have switched doctors, and will begin chemo again tomorrow. I am very nervous that I will return to the fog that I have been in for a few months, but am enjoying feeling well right now. We have to live in the day, and enjoy the small things. They should put all cancer patients on prednisone, or another drug to help appetite.

Jenn
37 – mom of 2, diagnosed May 2008.

My aunt Amy was recently diagnosed with CC a few months ago. Last month she had a consult with Dr. Saab at OSU to start the clinical study of AZD6244. After being told that she qualified for the study her insurance company(Anthem) told her that they would not pay. We are now in the appeal process and hoping for postive news.
My question to anyone that has been on the study is what type of sucess have you had on AZD6244? Have the side effects been managable?
Amy is losing hope everyday . She feels the insurance company would rather not help her at all. I am trying to give her postive news while we wait?

Jeff,

They did start the trial last fall, and they are still accepting patients, I believe I am #19 of the 35 they are looking for. The doctors and the nurses at the clinic say they are having very hopeful results. They have people that have been on the medication since December, and are still responding to the medication. The end date is 2009, for reporting purposes.

They originally thought that this drug would aggravate heart problems, although they have found that to be false. The current study requires patients to have a ‘good’ EKG ( my medical knowledge drops off here, something about the Qtc intervals). The doctors have petitioned, and are awaiting the NCI to remove this requirement. (So it was hard to swallow that I almost was left off this study because of the EKG) But luckily I passed it. So the evaluation was as such: Physical….(vital signs), Blood work, EKG, Chest X-ray, CT scans – Tumor Measurement,and a Biopsy (they had plenty from my liver resection in May).

I would think that some of the lab work may be a catch to exclude some people, and maybe the amount of treatment that one has previously underwent:
Criteria:

Received ≤ 1 prior systemic anticancer therapy, including chemoembolization
Received prior cryotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, ethanol injection, transarterial chemoembolization, or photodynamic therapy AND meets the following criteria:

More than 6 weeks have elapsed since any of the prior therapy described above
Indicator lesion(s) must be outside the area of prior treatment OR must demonstrate clear evidence of disease progression if the only indicator lesion is inside the prior treatment area
Indicator lesion must have clearly distinct edges on CT scan
Prior radiotherapy with or without the use of a fluoropyrimidine as a radiosensitizer is allowed, provided more than 12 weeks have elapsed since treatment

But I don’t truly understand all of the above. I am sure they can answer any questions that you may have. I am sort of new to this battle. I have had 4 doses, and so far no side effects. I am happy to just have started something.

Jenn

So far so good!
I just started yesterday.

The last week was exhausting, many bumps in the road to try to start this drug, waiting for tissue samples, insurance denial, and anxiety forcing me to repeat my EKG 7 times before I was eligable. But we are very excited about the results they have been having. I will keep you updated through the upcoming weeks.

This link has more information regarding the trial. It does not require a hospital stay,and the drug is fully administered at home. Follow up visits and labs every 2 weeks, and scans every 8 weeks.

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00553332?cond=%22Bile+Duct+Neoplasms%22&rank=18

And thank you for the post regarding dry mouth. I went last night and stocked up on hard candies, gum, along with immodium, and compazine.

Thanks Jenn

Jenn and Dan, Thank You so much for keeping us up to date. A lot of members will be keeping a eye on this trial. We are really routing for you guys. Does it require a hospital stay. Or do you know the protocol yet? Sorry, I’m a little excited when new trials pop up.

God’s Strenght,
Jeff G.

Jenn, certainly wish you the best and will look forward to your updates of this trial, as will other members of cholangiocarcinoma Organization.

Power and God’s Strenght,
Jeff G.