Comparing Cetuximab vs Pembrolizumab

For Head and Neck Cancer: Have been on cetuximab weekly for 15 months for head and neck (hnc), I.e. secondary tumour in pharagyal space. Tumour has shrunk and now stable with no metastasis elsewhere. Side effects of rash, nail infections, flaky skin, fatigue are bearable. My original mouth cancer surgery and radiotherapy has left me debilitated with no taste or smell, poor swallow and hence limited to a soft diet. Also my speech is poor. Quality of life has deteriorated. However cetuximab has kept me going and seems to have given me an extension of time.

For Solid Tumors: Given keytruda for metastatic epithelial pleural mesothelioma in Feb. 2017. Traditional chemotherapy did not work. Pain -- even with meds -- was a serious problem. Hope was rapidly fading. I joined a clinical trial of pembrolizumab in June 2017. The response was immediate and significant -- tumors smaller, and pain disappeared. It is now 9 months since starting pembro. My tumors continue to respond to treatment ... and hope has returned!

For Solid Tumors: After 1 1/ 2 years of TURBT treatment my husband had removal of bladder prostate and 50 lymph nodes 2 showed positive. We treated with diet and essiac with no reoccurrence. 20 months later ONE lymph node showed changes. Biopsy confirmed cancer no other signs they would not remove it, so we chose to do Pembrolizumab. We had always said no chemo or radiation period. But this was said to be working with his immune system. So he has had 2 treatments 3 weeks apart. No symptoms until 1 week after the second treatment he is complaining of back and thigh pain. We are reevaluating..... Another thing that is not being talked about is the CT scans. One nurse reluctantly admitted a small percentage of people are getting new cancer from all these scans.