Talk Cancer

Question:

As i have mentioned before My step dad has cnacer of the lung and liver I am confused though because he was on all this chemo and the cancer is getting bigger and bigger they have changed the chemo many times and he went from taking chemo for about four hours each time  to a drug that only takes 10 minutes does this mean it wont be long? does it mean there is nothing else enlighten me to why they cut it down to 10 minutes…oh and in the last week he lost another 8 pounds can anyone help me? You can email me at

Response:

As i have mentioned before My step dad has cnacer of the lung and liver I am confused though because he was on all this chemo and the cancer is getting bigger and bigger they have changed the chemo many times and he went from taking chemo for about four hours each time  to a drug that only takes 10 minutes does this mean it wont be long? does it mean there is nothing else enlighten me to why they cut it down to 10 minutes…oh and in the last week he lost another 8 pounds can anyone help me? You can email me at

I’m assuming that when you say "changed the chemo" you mean that they have switched from one drug to another. The length of time it takes to infuse a particular chemo doesn’t reflect how "good" the chemo is. For example, 5FU, considered the "gold standard" chemo for colo-rectal cancer for years, can be given with a simple injection- takes just a couple of seconds. If they’re changing your step-dad’s chemos and the cancer is growing, this means that the chemo isn’t working, unfortunately. And typically doctors will try the chemo most likely to work first. I’m just guessing, but probably they switched from the 4 hour chemo to the 10 minute chemo because the 4 hour chemo wasn’t helping your step dad, or because the chemo was causing too many side effects. Do you know the names of the chemos he’s been given? Unfortunately, it sounds like your step dad will soon reach a point where no more treatment to extend his life is available. Have you talked at all to your step-dad’s doctors or nurses? They will understand the situation much better than we do. Has your dad stopped eating? Or is he vomiting? Depending on the reason your dad is losing weight, there may be ways to stop the weight loss. Again, I urge you to talk to your step-dad’s doctor, his nurses. Are other family members involved in his care? This situation can feel overwhelming and scary, I know, but these people are the best source of information about your step-dad’s prognosis. You’ve got to ask them the questions. Unfortunately, we can’t give you very accurate information. Hugs, Michele

Response:

Hello, Different drugs take different times to infuse.  It doesn’t mean that they are less effective. My husband has multiple myeloma.  He was given aredia at first which took over an hour.  He is now on zomeda which takes 15 minutes.  Both drugs help his bones to retain calcium and fill in the bone lesions he has from the cancer. Linda

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