Braftivo & Mektivo

 Mark started the new targeted therapy medications last Wednesday evening. Thursday morning, he had his last dose of Hydrocodone and Haldol. He has been pain-free since then! The Fentanyl patch is on, but it was due for a change on Friday. Dr. A had us leave it on since it will gradually wear off. Mark has been able to lie on his right side and on his back, something he hasn't done for months! Obviously, tumors are already shrinking!! 

Mark has always responded quickly to these targeted medications! While they are not a cure, they have shrunk and caused tumors to disappear. Our hope is that they will shrink the tumors which have caused a total blockage on the left side of the liver. We assume that is what is currently causing jaundice. Another blood draw will be done later this week. 

Since he started these meds, Mark has been even more exhausted and weak than before. Fatigue is the first listed side effect. In the past, fatigue was most significant while the tumors were shrinking. A lot is going on inside his body, so rest is probably the best thing. 

There are serious side effects that can happen with these medications, but he has handled the past targeted therapies with minimum adverse reactions, so we're counting on the same results. 

As described below, these drugs could keep the tumors from growing for a median of 14 months. That is definitely long enough for the T-Cell therapy to be administered after the cancer cells have been cloned. 

A week ago, I wondered if it was time for Hospice, but now, we have hope that it is not the end! Once again, we are amazed and grateful!! (We are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best!)

This is what I found online to describe these medications:

BRAFTOVI (braf-TOE-vee) + MEKTOVI (mek-TOE-vee) is a targeted oral combination therapy used to treat people with melanoma that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic) or cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable) and has a certain type* of abnormal BRAF gene. (Mark has this mutation.)

BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI is not chemotherapy or immunotherapy. BRAFTOVI and MEKTOVI are two targeted therapies that, when taken together, can be used to treat this specific type of melanoma.

BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI is a kinase (KIGH-nase) inhibitor combination. By targeting the signaling pathway at different points, BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI helps to inhibit increased activity that causes melanoma cells to grow out of control.

BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI helped people live 2x longer without their cancer worsening

In the trial, patients (192 total) receiving BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI lived without their cancer worsening for a median of 14.9 months vs 7.3 months for patients who were taking vemurafenib, another targeted treatment, alone.

BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI has been shown to be more effective at helping tumors shrink or even disappear

In the same clinical trial, the overall response rate showed that 63% of patients taking BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI saw their tumors shrink or disappear, compared with only 40% taking vemurafenib alone. (vemurafenib = Zelboraf, which was the 1st generation targeted therapy that Mark was given when first diagnosed in 2012.)