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How do you cope with immune-related side effects from Keytruda and Lenvatinib?

Community Member

a month ago

Stage IV FHdRCC Update since 3/5/26: irAEs after 3 rounds of Keytruda & 7weeks of daily Lenvatinib my husband was hospitalized March 8-10 with pain; inflammed gallbladder & liver. Which after 2 days pain was gone and labs trending better, but scans show gallbladder problems. On 3/23 labs show great liver BUT thyroid quit working due to cancer drugs so stated on thyroid replacement meds. On Mar 30-Apr 1 back into hospital with same problem. Yeah more immune realted problems from Keytruda and Lenvatinib. Now scheduled for gallbladder removal April 9th as HIDA scan shows dysfunction of gallbladder. Oncologist does not "think" gallbladder is immune related with Lenvatinib. I even hand him a 3/14/2026 Oncology Journal artical "Lenvatinib induced Acalculous Cholecystitis" which is exactly what my husband was diagnosis with. Not sure Oncologist read it. So sacrificing gallbladder to continue on full dose of Lenvatinib...if the cancer doesn't destroy the organ the cure does. The fight continues. I did learn how to put the 72 page hospital summary into AI for discussion and "more information". AI summarized the situation and gave me great talking points for the Oncologist and GI and Internal Medicine Doc. which I was ablevto go over with the 3 docs regarding the surgery And the irAEs inflammation. I will use AI in the future it is an additional tool for understanding.

4 comments

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Community Member

a month ago

Thank you for sharing this challenging journey and for advocating so persistently for proper care. Managing immune-related adverse effects from cancer treatments can be incredibly complex, and it sounds like using AI tools to analyze medical records and prepare discussion points for healthcare providers has become a valuable strategy for navigating these complications. Many patients in this community find that being well-prepared with research and questions helps ensure their concerns are fully addressed during appointments, especially when dealing with less common side effects that doctors might initially overlook.

Community Member

11 days ago

Wow , I hope he is recovering well. I am on Lenvima too. Is he still Continuing Lenvima??

Community Member

11 days ago

Smriti - yes he started back on Lenvima on April 20th after 3 weeks off. Had to be off prior to and after gallbladder surgery. At the April 13th infusion, the Oncologist stated he had read the research paper & that the gallbladder issue was most likely due to the Lenvima. Staying informed and asking the doctor questions helps with treatment and managing issues that arise. May your healing journey with Lenvima go well.

Community Member

3 days ago

Thank you for sharing and I hope he is managing well now. If I may ask , what happened to his gall bladder from Lenvima? Does he have any GERD issues ?

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How do you cope with immune-related side effects from Keytruda and Lenvatinib?

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