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Hello, My dad has been taking Iressa for 2 months. We went today for a CT to check the benefits. I can't give you any info yet other than to tell you he did experience some side effects. But they are minimal compared to the way he felt after his first round of infused chemo. He is Stage IV and had previously taken Taxol and Carboplatin with some good shrinkage. Keep good thoughts for your friend and my dad.
Kay

:angel: My brother with advanced lung cancer took irresa, and it just worked great. He spent 9 months going back to most of the life he had before lung cancer. But in one week, the cancer started woking itself around it, and the tumors starting growing again. Clinic tests are now showing that iressa works only for a while, about 9 months, and the cancer out smarts the medicine. But it does buy time............... best of luck to you and your family. gail

gailbanks >>> Clinic tests are now showing that iressa works only for a while, about 9 months, and the cancer out smarts the medicine.

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I agree. I have been closely monitoring Iressa results as I had hoped that my wife will eventually be switched to it. Iressa does show promising short-term results, particularly in a very specific treatment group. Namely, non-smoking females ( esp. Japanese ) with NSCLC, sub-type adenocarcinoma. I have recently heard from 3 or 4 patients / caregivers that the drug worked great for the first few months then suddenly stopped working with a progression of the cancer. In all cases the patients were MALE and not in the above-mentioned target group that reportedly responds best to the drug. I don't know how well the results are holding up within this female target group. The disappointing results that I keep hearing about involve male patients taking the drug.

My dad is taking Iressa and it has resulted in some shrinkage and no new tumors. He will continue to take it another month, then check things. It has however done a number on his skin, lots of sores and rashes, reminds me of an elephant's skin. He also experiences diarhhea and loss of appetite. Those are the "bads" for the "good" it does. He is 74 and stage IV squamous cell.
K

My hubby has just started with Iressa. He is taking it in conjunction with infusion (cisplatin & gencitabine). He also has sores, but who knows what side effect is from what. He ended up in the hospital because the sores became infected from dangerously low white cell count. He's hoome now, but can't seem to stay awake for more than 3 or four hours a day. Don't know which drug that is from.