I was diagnosed with stage 3B non small cell lung cancer in September 2016 at the age of 60. After some furher testing I started on a clinical trial in November 2016. I received infusions of pembrolizumab every 21 days. My first CT scan after 6 weeks showed a noticable contraction in the tumour mass. This response continued throughout the clinical trial and the only notable side effect was fatigue for a day or so after an infusion which lessened as time went on. After 35 cycles the tumour looks to have contracted by about 70 %.
If anyone has had a similar diagnosis I would recommend that they ask their doctor if they think that they would be elegible for immunotherapy as the NHS has now made it available as an option for lung cancer treatment. It doesn't work for everyone who qualifies but it can be a game changer for some.
My only concern now is that I would like to continue with treatment after 35 cycles but the trial has finished. I would like to get in touch with anyone in the same position as me to compare notes on treatment duration.
