Chemotherapy after immunotherapy any experiences?

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For those of you who have had or relative chemo after immunotherapy not working did the chemo help. My dad has pleural mesothelioma and started immunotherapy end of August his November scan showed it wasn’t working and the cancer had grown:( it was such a blow. Next steps are to discuss chemo and wondered if anyone has any experience good and bad . Were symptoms worse ? 

thanks 

  • Hi Hope83 welcome back. I noted that you hadn't had any responses as yet so my reply will bump it to the top in the thread. I Hope that others will be along soon to offer up some information and advice for you. Best wishes for now.

    gail

     
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  • Hi, my husband has just had his third chemo dose. He was on immunotherapy for nearly a year and after initially showing some improvement, we were then told that the cancer had grown and therefore there was no point continuing with immunotherapy- hence the move to chemo. Like you, we were shocked, as my husband seemed so well physically, and we’d been encouraged by previous reduction in growth….

    So far, he is tolerating the chemo reasonably well. He feels pretty rough for the first week after treatment- nausea, stomach pain and fatigue- but then picks up again. He has his next scan on 17th, so we won’t know until early January whether the chemo is doing anything.

    Wishing you and your Dad all the best,

    Julia

  • Hi Julia 

    thanks for reaching out. I’m very sorry to read about your husband. It sounds like your husband had good response for a good length of time so I feel the devastation of hearing the immunotherapy treatment has stopped working. With my dad he had 2 months of immunotherapy but it’s spread a little into his stomach they told him it’s not responding at all to treatment. Back in May/June he was told he was stage 2-3. What stage was your husband when he started immunotherapy? My dad is dreading starting chemo. This disease for my dad has moved so fast. 
    Hoping the scan goes ok for you both and you get some positive news. Did your husband have steroids with his chemo, my dad was told it will help side effects nausea etc, though I read your husband did have nausea. 

    hugs 

    Liz