Tarceva - Does it work?

My trial month with Tarceva is almost over. Tarceva targets a specific mutation on a specific gene location. I have a similar mutation, but on a different gene location, so the cancer may not be sensitive to the drug. I decided to try it anyway on the chance that the drug might work. It's been a nervous month for me. I did a non-medical self-evaluation in an attempt to determine if Tarceva was working. In the first two weeks, I continue to have aches and pains, sometimes more intense and in new places. The aches and pains have subsided some. I also had an episode where I saw light gray stripes, which makes me very anxious about the results of my brain scan. There have been inconclusive studies that the drug is working if the patient has face and skin rashes, which I have. After weighing the pros and cons, I was hopeful, but not that optimistic.

It turns out that my feeling was about right. My doctor told me that my CT scan results show that the lung tumors are stable, except for one, which grew. At first, I felt neutral about it. I was definitely glad that the cancer is mostly stable, but somewhat bummed that there was growth and no shrinkage. My doctor suggested that we monitor my progress again 3 weeks later of Tarceva. I'm still hoping for some shrinkage. Shrinkage is better than stable, but mostly stable is better than growth. So the news is not all bad.