I live in West London and have been suggested last week that now is time to start chemo. Calquence is suggested treatment and I wondered whether anyone here has experience of this drug?
Calquence (Acalabrutinib) is the next generation up from the drug I have been on for 7 years, Ibrutinib, and is a non-chemo targeted therapy, like Ibrutinib, an oral inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK).
If you cannot get info here, I recommend you join the CLLSA forum at Health Unlocked, https://healthunlocked.com/cllsupport where I am sure you will find people with experience of it.
I am in my second week of using Acalabrutinib so very early days yet. Have gret confidence that this new drug will be the way forward. First 5 days and then started to get headaches especially towards the end of the day and in the middle of the night.
I dont have any physical symtoms (no swo;;ens nodes anywhere which was a surprise to the consultant) but a bone marrow biopsy shoed I had CLL. Low white and red blood counts as well as Neutrofils. Slight muscle wasting and loss of about 12lbs (now 12st 9lbs), but that may be because of worry about my situation. I am 68 and am told that I will live a full life with this as it should be controllable with the medication.
