Designer Drugs

We were both anxious to meet with my oncologist this morning. We already knew that the CT scan showed a very slight enlargement of the tumor, now we wanted to know what change in treatment plan lie ahead. I had been double-booked to squeeze me into a full schedule. Even so, my oncologist took time to discuss the results of the scan (even showed it to us), and laid out all the options, and allowed me to decide. Since the growth is so small and hard to define, the Avastin I have been taking is worth continuing. At the same time I will begin taking Tarceva, another targeted “designer” drug. It is in pill form and seems to be most effective for women non-smokers. The most common side effect is a skin rash… experienced by 66% of Tarceva patients. The main goal for Tarceva is to increase survival. “In a large clinical study, 31.2% of patients taking Tarceva were living with their NSCLC (non-small cell lung cancer) one year after they started Tarceva, compared with 21.5% of patients not taking Tarceva (placebo). That’s a 45% increase in one-year survival.” The drawback? Cost. And is it worth the cost to increase a person’s life by a few months? That is a big controversy now.

I don’t know yet what the cost will be to me. I have a good insurance plan. The nurse and pharmacist say they have to go through a lot of hoops before I will know. But I got a fancy little Tote Bag with the Tarceva patient starter kit, which includes “a Tarceva magnet to post on your refrigerator as a handy reminder to take Tarceva every day, A hat to protect your skin from the sun, Face serum and body lotion to help moisturize your skin,” and a compartmentalized pill container. We’re talking about the Rodeo Drive of cancer drugs. Is it worth it? I don’t know. Read the December 8th New York Times letter to the editor, Cost of Living: Who Gets New Drugs?

... P. L. Morningstar