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Suggest Medication For Pancreatic Cancer
Question: I was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer on January 8 of this year. It covered pancreas, wrapped around spinal chord, and spread to lungs in the form of little black pepper sized spots, half a dozen or so in each lung. Inoperable. Because I was otherwise healthy, my oncologist has had me on the strongest chemotherapy he could give me. I was originally supposed to die by XXXXXXX am still here, and don't feel the best but my friends say I look great. Oncologist has switched me to a half hour Gemzar infusion for one day, three weeks in a row, with fourth week off. At present I have no pain and only regularly take Creon before meals and snacks, and Marinol occasionally for appetite. What are your thoughts?
Brief Answer:
Gemcitabine is known to significantly increase the median survival rate
Detailed Answer:
Hello, Madam.
I can understand your concerns.
I really feel happy for your miraculous improvement.
Gemcitabine/GEMZAR is known to improve the median survival in patients with unresectable/ metastatic pancreatic cancer.
Recently a combination of drugs has been proposed to further increase the survival period.
In patients with metastatic disease, the combination of gemcitabine and erlotinib has led to a significantly higher median survival and 1-year survival than has the use of gemcitabine alone. This has led to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of erlotinib to be used in combination with gemcitabine in advanced, unresectable pancreatic cancer.
Hence, please check with your physician if he can prescribe this combination to you considering the risk-benefit ratio.
Continue Marinol and Creon as prescribed.
Post your further queries if any.
Thank you.
Gemcitabine is known to significantly increase the median survival rate
Detailed Answer:
Hello, Madam.
I can understand your concerns.
I really feel happy for your miraculous improvement.
Gemcitabine/GEMZAR is known to improve the median survival in patients with unresectable/ metastatic pancreatic cancer.
Recently a combination of drugs has been proposed to further increase the survival period.
In patients with metastatic disease, the combination of gemcitabine and erlotinib has led to a significantly higher median survival and 1-year survival than has the use of gemcitabine alone. This has led to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of erlotinib to be used in combination with gemcitabine in advanced, unresectable pancreatic cancer.
Hence, please check with your physician if he can prescribe this combination to you considering the risk-benefit ratio.
Continue Marinol and Creon as prescribed.
Post your further queries if any.
Thank you.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Answered by
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