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Old 07-24-2017, 07:38 PM
 
Location: Ft Myers, FL
2,771 posts, read 2,278,031 times
Reputation: 5138

Advertisements

"Who wouldn't want a chance to live longer?"

That's what Bristol-Myers Squibb asks in its TV ad for their wonder drug Opdivo.

Here's a partial list of possible side effects from the drug:

Fatigue, rash, itching, cough, upper respiratory tract infection, swelling of the extremities, shortness of breath, muscle pain, decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, weakness, swelling, fever, abdominal pain, chest pain, joint pain, and weight loss.

Who wouldn't want a chance to live longer? Probably someone having to deal with those side effects.
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Old 07-24-2017, 07:45 PM
 
Location: Southern California
29,267 posts, read 16,561,763 times
Reputation: 18901
Since I didn't know the drug, had to look it up. Used for various cancers including lung cancer. Wonder if this is one of the drugs that didn't keep sil alive, he was gone in 6months after start of treatments.
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Old 07-25-2017, 05:48 AM
 
Location: Ft Myers, FL
2,771 posts, read 2,278,031 times
Reputation: 5138
What kills me is that some of these miracle treatments cost the family fortune, but don't actually extend the patient's life much beyond the original projection.

"The good news? Auntie lived 2 months longer than doctors thought she would!"

The bad news? She lived to be 98 years and two months, in abysmal pain, and sent her family to the poorhouse in the process.

And this product doesn't tell you you'll live longer, but maybe a "chance" to live longer.

Who wouldn't want that?
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Old 07-25-2017, 06:48 AM
 
Location: Bella Vista, Ark
77,772 posts, read 104,140,979 times
Reputation: 49244
Well I truly have no desire to live just to be in pain constantly and run up the bills so I can't even pay for them or stick my family with a bunch of debt. No, I do not want to go right now. I am doing well, still have a decent mind or as decent as I ever had anyway. I have aches and pains but nothing that keeps me from enjoying an active social life and still have the energy to do volunteer work, keep up canning in the summer and spending time with my family. When those days are over, I want to go out with a smile. oh and a glass of wine in my hand.
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Old 07-25-2017, 09:09 AM
 
14,200 posts, read 11,447,661 times
Reputation: 38767
Quote:
Originally Posted by Corvette Ministries View Post
What kills me is that some of these miracle treatments cost the family fortune, but don't actually extend the patient's life much beyond the original projection.

"The good news? Auntie lived 2 months longer than doctors thought she would!"

The bad news? She lived to be 98 years and two months, in abysmal pain, and sent her family to the poorhouse in the process.

And this product doesn't tell you you'll live longer, but maybe a "chance" to live longer.

Who wouldn't want that?
Now you're exaggerating. I've had several family members live up into their 90s, and no doctor ever recommended any extraordinary or expensive treatment that would extend their lives a couple of months while making them miserable. If nothing else, the people concerned stated that they were ready to go any time and basically just wanted to be made comfortable, so that's what we went with..

Anyway, there is always a risk of side effects with any drug. By law, the pharmaceutical company is required to provide a complete list of anything that might have been associated with the use of that drug, in clinical trials. It doesn't mean that any one person will necessarily get any of them. If the side effects from a drug are truly unbearable and not worth it, then you just stop taking that drug. Nothing wrong with giving it a try in the first place.

I was treated for cancer with some pretty strong drugs, and the list of warnings on those would scare anyone, but the few side effects I got were mild and temporary. My fingers and toes are not permanently numb, and my nails did not fall off!

And of course no one can guarantee that you will live longer if you take this or that treatment. There are no guarantees, only an improved chance. I was 39 when I had cancer, and am now 48 with no recurrence, so it's safe to say the drugs extended my life. And they were covered by insurance, by the way, so no one went to the poorhouse.
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Old 07-25-2017, 10:50 AM
 
Location: Southern California
29,267 posts, read 16,561,763 times
Reputation: 18901
So many different experiences out there and we give the ones we know of, Right? Both my parents lived into 90's and mom kept holding on, dad was so eager to go .. a friend just died at 95 and in really good overall health. She went fast and left no bills for anyone. There are so many stories.
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Old 07-25-2017, 02:28 PM
 
Location: Middle of the valley
48,280 posts, read 34,411,101 times
Reputation: 73221
I take Enbrel. One side effect? Increased chance of cancer. That's pretty intimidating.

BUT, the result of not taking Enbrel?

Pain, disfigurement and becoming crippled beginning at age 45.

Five year results? No cancer (knock on wood), almost full use of my body physically, no disfigurement and no pain.

It's a personal choice on whether or not the treatment is worth the results. For me? Unequivocally.

My late husband had OA in his hips, it caused him a lot of pain, but he didn't want the surgery. I was for it, as he was young and could not do a lot exercise, etc. and impacted his quality of life. The doc told me he would want the surgery when the pain exceeded his trepidation of the surgery. That made sense.

I've taken a lot of meds over the years, and 9 times out of 10 the side effects were nothing like the potential side effects listed, and they did what they were supposed to do.

It's a choice, no one is forcing them down your throat.
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Old 07-25-2017, 02:53 PM
 
Location: Ft Myers, FL
2,771 posts, read 2,278,031 times
Reputation: 5138
Don't get me wrong - I'm sure there are great, relatively inexpensive drugs out there.

But consider this, about the subject drug:

Opdivo ads vs. the reality of stage IV cancer treatment

Quote:
A case in point is the drug nivolumab marketed under the trade name Opdivo. It is manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb to treat certain types of lung cancer – but only after the sick person has failed conventional chemotherapy. Over half the patients taking the drug experience severe side effects – some are so severe the patients stopped taking the drug. Still the drug is being heavily promoted on prime time TV with an advertisement that begins with a surprisingly healthy-looking father and his son sitting at a baseball stadium. Dad, presumably the one with cancer, is smiling and clearly enjoying himself.

The narrator begins, “For adults with an advanced lung cancer called squamous non-small, previously treated with platinum based therapy, it’s not every day that something this big comes along”. The scene changes as we watch the father and son look around a city scene where flashed across the city’s buildings is a bright sign that reads, “A chance to live longer.” We then see other healthy middle aged men and their spouses looking up and smiling at the “A chance to live longer” sign.

Technically, the advertisement is accurate. Clinical trials showed that compared to a group who took conventional chemotherapy, those taking the drug nivolumab lived an average of 90 days longer. Is this a huge clinical advance? Well, it depends on your perspective. Some patients feel 90 days doesn’t sound like much, while others say they would give their right arm to live another 90 days – but only if their quality of life was high. But, before you decide if would you take the drug, also consider that the drug costs about $150,000 for the initial treatment, and then about $14,000 a month. Not all insurance will cover the cost.
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Old 07-25-2017, 03:30 PM
 
Location: on the wind
22,858 posts, read 18,137,155 times
Reputation: 74036
There are always people gullible or frightened enough to believe the scenarios presented on TV. That's what advertisers count on. If that wasn't so, TV ads wouldn't produce customers. What always irritates me about these sunlit "snapshot of perfect family life" type ads is the incredible list of potential side effects they try to squeeze into the 30 second spot as well as the ridiculous suggestion to tell your doctor about any other health issue you happen to have. Who in their right mind wouldn't do this? What doctor in HIS/HER right mind wouldn't go over potential side effects of any prescribed medication? I know, I know, advertisers have to play down to the less discerning among us. Someday I almost wish I would be selected to participate in a test screening for a prescription advertisement so I could tell them just how idiotic their little scripts are.

Back to the OP's question....I've never seen the point in that desperate desire to live longer. I would much rather have a productive rewarding life of 60 than a elongated dwindling existence just to check more days off the calendar. People who spend their waking hours seeking every potential miracle cure for life's challenges seem to miss what's more important. Living in a world outside themselves. But, that is my choice and I wouldn't expect everyone else to see it the same way.
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Old 07-25-2017, 03:40 PM
 
Location: Ft Myers, FL
2,771 posts, read 2,278,031 times
Reputation: 5138
Kinda reminds me of the cliche: "Live your life as if this were your last day."

Yeah, like I wanna live in horrible pain in a hospital bed with tubes hanging out all over.

.
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