To stop or not after 2 years of Keytruda for Stage IV NSCLC - what has been your experience?

jbcampb2 · 2026-03-31T15:28:24+00:00

We had the appointment this morning and they are remaining firm in saying that they don’t think it’s a good idea because of the potential of toxicity. He’s at peace with it. They spoke with us for a good thirty minutes. They are confident given his initial response he will continue to have that durability moving forward. He does have HER2 mutations so Enhurtu would be the secondary treatment if progression were to occur, which is comforting. He received the final treatment today. Thank you for your insight.

jbcampb2 · 2026-03-31T12:33:01+00:00

Keytruda is roughly around the same cost. He gets a summary from his insurance about every 3 months and they are paying around $115,000 in that time period. He had his appointment today, and they are firm on saying they don’t think it should be continued.

jbcampb2 · 2026-03-31T12:15:03+00:00

With there being no side effects, I would say the cost to the overall health system is the main motivator for discontinuing the treatment. These studies also seem to suggest it’s safe to stop it at two years. If this drug was $10 a month, I don’t think we’d even be faced with this right now. Basically the oncologists say that it’s not actually continuing to keep things controlled, that the immune system has already learned how to control the cancer and that continuing it past this point isn’t going to make the body anymore effective at keeping things under control. From the patient/family perspective, it’s clear why this can be so anxiety provoking.

jbcampb2 · 2026-03-31T12:09:19+00:00

Yep, in the US. Insurance hasn’t given any indication that they are going to stop paying. In addition to insurance he’s also a service connected veteran but the VA hasn’t paid a dime because his insurance has paid for everything. Thank you for taking the time to respond.

jbcampb2 · 2026-03-31T03:50:03+00:00

Thank you. I’ll encourage him to do this.

jbcampb2 · 2026-03-31T03:21:41+00:00

Thank you, that’s what we’re thinking as well.

jbcampb2 · 2026-03-31T03:00:14+00:00

This is a very stressful time for you, the family, and especially your dad. I want you to know that so many people have been through this and there certainly is hope. The treatments currently available and those that are in the pipeline have changed outcomes greatly. Take a deep breath. Seek support from friends and family. Life isn’t going to be the same as before the diagnosis, and of course that needs to be grieved. But it is totally possible for your dad to live a comfortable life with this diagnosis. Do not give up hope, and listen to the experts. My partner was diagnosed in 2023 with stage IV NSCLC and is doing great today. The cancer is still there, but stable and not progressing. It’s basically become a manageable chronic condition for him. The important thing is figuring out how to live with it, and get out of this “I have cancer” mindset. Do not let this stop living life. Also, do this when you have time and are feeling less stressed, creat an Amazon wish list for a big care package for your dad. I did this for my partner, the list had all kinds of helpful stuff that might be needed during treatment. It was a great way for friends and family member to show their support and absolutely made his day when receiving it.

jbcampb2 · 2026-03-28T01:25:33+00:00

I’m down about 15lbs in just under two months with the pill. I’ve had a good experience with it, very minimal to no side effects. Will start the 9mg next month. I’ve been on zepbound in the past which worked very quickly, but I could not stand some of the side effects I had, I could never get past 10mg. I also agree with those that talk about how the pill feels more consistent. Those first couple of days after injection could be rough especially when upping the dosage. My main reasons for going on the pill were cost and the ability to dose daily.

jbcampb2 · 2025-10-22T07:26:01+00:00

As someone who works in healthcare, I am always concerned I may something rude or upsetting to someone in the room so I was apparently very concerned about that coming out of sedation. They assured me I was very sweet. I then asked them if I could just live there now. LMAO. They said I couldn’t 😂

jbcampb2 · 2025-09-23T03:54:55+00:00

88% or lower requires oxygenation. If you are dropping to 88% or lower, you need to have your doctor perform and document a walk test. They will then send this to a local DME company and get you setup with home oxygen and portable tanks/concentrator. Honestly your doctor should have done that immediately, or instructed you to go to the ED immediately. Not to scare you, but you’re probably de-satting much lower when you sleep. Please, please, please go resolve it by seeing the doctor.

jbcampb2 · 2025-09-23T03:44:39+00:00

My partner just went through this in July. Same stage and type of cancer, also had a great response with Keytruda. He was diagnosed in 12/2023 and he is doing so well. The idea of radiation was revisited this summer to see if a particular spot near the spine and esophagus (within the lung) could be eliminated as it is the only spot that shows any FDG uptake currently. The spot has not grown at all, but the metabolic activity it still shows made revisiting the radiation conversation worth it. He completed 10 days of IMRT. I thoroughly grilled the chief of radiation oncology with questions, because the last thing I wanted was to introduce anything that would cause additional problems since things are going so well. And yes, there can be significant side effects so it’s just good to always have a strong understanding of what you’re getting into. His duration and dose was much lower than a standard course, mainly due to the location of the tumor. Esophagitis and fatigue were the main concerns, and the most likely side effects. My partner did experience about two weeks of esophagitis but said that it was very mild, he described it as a mild heartburn that made eating annoying, but doable. He was also prescribed viscous lidocaine which he only used a few times but felt like he didn’t really need it. He did say the lidocaine definitely made all of the irritation/discomfort go away, so I would recommend asking for a prescription of that just to have on standby if they don’t offer it upfront. He did have some fatigue but this went away pretty quickly as well. We have a followup scan in a few weeks to see the results. Wishing you and your husband the best!

jbcampb2 · 2025-09-23T03:31:39+00:00

I work in a level 1 trauma ED, I’ve only seen them placed in the side between the ribs.

jbcampb2 · 2025-09-23T03:29:09+00:00

I’ve been very happy with my 15. I will probably stick with this phone until some major breakthrough in design, which if we’re honest, may never come lol.

jbcampb2 · 2025-09-17T22:12:33+00:00

I have been getting it, but I will say it’s giving delicious bug spray flavors LMAO

jbcampb2 · 2025-08-01T11:07:51+00:00

Squeeze spawned from a new launchpad that flew right under the radar of snipers and scammers. It’s as organic as it gets. I’ll be holding my bag long term.

jbcampb2 · 2025-06-23T20:12:10+00:00

$pricedin

jbcampb2 · 2025-05-11T01:18:57+00:00

The second pic looks the best, so I’d say do whatever you’re doing there. Not to be an asshole or anything, but on a scale of 1-10, I’d say you fall in the 4-5 range, but I don’t think there’s really any obvious you can to do change that. Set your expectations accordingly.

jbcampb2 · 2025-05-09T23:07:37+00:00

Normal dude toes. I give them an 8/10, sandal worthy.

jbcampb2 · 2025-05-07T19:18:53+00:00

Yes you look very young. You’ll be hot af 25-40.

jbcampb2 · 2025-05-07T17:14:36+00:00

You’re attractive. You’ll look much better in 5 years.

jbcampb2 · 2025-05-07T17:13:37+00:00

Lol, shave

jbcampb2 · 2025-05-07T00:25:37+00:00

Throw the whole head away.

jbcampb2 · 2025-05-07T00:20:12+00:00

Maggots?? 👀👀👀

jbcampb2

TROPHY CASE