I have progression on my bone mets on Arimidex and Herceptin, but thank the Lord, no new organs are involved. (Are bones an organ? I know skin is an organ...but I digress..) Looks like it's time to to move up to the "hard stuff"--my onc has tentatively decided on Taxol.
It's funny though, I was complaining about my neck and left shoulder blade hurting. Thats why we did the MRI and PET/CT. There is nothing showing on my shoulder blade at all. Thanks for the heads up, Mysterious Forces of the Universe! I owe you bigtime.
So...am I going to hate taxol? thanks, all. --donna
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Duffymom Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 167 |
Nov 4, 2009 11:32 pm
Duffymom wrote:
I had the same issue when 1st found out cancer moved into my bones. Lots of pain in back shoulder blade but scans didn't show anything there. Happy to say that almost 1 year later I don't have that pain anymore. I've had 4 rounds of Taxol both with 1st diagnosis and after reoccurance when I was having 15 rads to my spine. I didn't lose my hair but it thinned quite a bit. Biggest problem has been neuropathy with feet - pain after walking but I've learned to deal with it. I'm currently on Gemzar/Avastin. I hope Taxol works for you and you don't have any major SE. Kathy Diagnosis: 10/2008, IDC, 6cm+, Stage IV, Grade 3, 0/12 nodes, ER-/PR-, HER2- |
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clemson93 Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 56 |
Nov 5, 2009 08:16 am, edited Nov 5, 2009 08:17 AM
by clemson93
clemson93 wrote:
Donnabee, I had 4 rounds of Taxol with my initial diagnosis of stage 3 (I was actually stage 4 but they didn't know at the time). I was concerned that it wouldn't work well for me because I had read that sometimes it wasn't effective for hormone sensitive cancers. It did work very well and really helped obliterate a huge tumor! I had a rough time with the very first infusion - lots of pain in my legs. I had a hard time sleeping for about 2 days but after that, I had very little pain. The other infusions were much easier and I only had some aches. That was all with dose dense chemo so your situation may be different. Good luck to you. Susan Diagnosis: 9/17/08, IDC, 6cm+, grade 3, stage 3, nodes, dx with bone mets 9/09, stage 4, ER+/PR+, HER2-"Get busy living, or get busy dying."
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ChrisC433 Joined: Feb 2009 Posts: 292 |
Nov 5, 2009 08:27 am
ChrisC433 wrote:
I had 4xAC and then 4XTaxol. I had some aches during Taxol...took Percocet at night to sleep through them. My hair started to grow back after my 2nd treatment. Alittle neuropathy, but nothing too bad and it didn't last long. Take care.... Diagnosis: 2/5/2009, IDC, 2cm, Stage II, Grade 2, 2/8 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2- |
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RetrieverMo… Joined: Nov 2008 Posts: 26 |
Nov 5, 2009 10:26 am
RetrieverMomNancy wrote:
Donna, I did 6 cycles of Taxol last fall for bone mets and found it pretty darn easy to handle. My hair thinned to the point that I did wear a wig in the cold months, but my eyebrows and lashes stayed pretty much intact. I had some tingling in my left hand and toes, but B6 kept in from getting too bad. The Taxol did a bang up job and I was NED after treatment. When my 6 month post chemo PET this Sept. showed a return of mets to the spine we jumped right back in on the Taxol again. I've finished two cycles and although pretty thin, my hair is hanging in there! I'm doing three weeks on and one week off. Feeling just dandy and back to working out four or five days a week. Good luck to you! Nancy Diagnosis: 9/26/2008, ILC, 6cm+, Stage IV, Grade 1, 11/13 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2- |
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Fitztwins Joined: Dec 2004 Posts: 7,731 |
Nov 5, 2009 10:48 am
Fitztwins wrote:
taxol is very tollerable. Taxotere, its evil cousin, knocked me out. I had great results on both. With herceptin, it can help. I hope the stuff you all posted about shoulder pain and bone progression is a bad omen. Much easier to wear wigs in winter. That is for sure. Wash away my troubles, wash away my pain, with the rain of shambala
Diagnosis: 12/12/2004, IDC, Stage IV, Grade 2, mets, ER+/PR+, HER2+ |
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cancerkicke… Joined: Oct 2008 Posts: 62 |
Nov 5, 2009 11:33 am
cancerkicker wrote:
Donna, I am sorry to hear that you have to move on to Taxol. No one likes progression. I am on Taxol + Avastin and I have found it to be very tolerable. But the best news is that it is destroying my cancer - unlike the hormonals I had been on! So right now I am kind of lovin' chemo - in a sick sort of way! Fatigue is the worst side effect for me - but it's not debilitating fatigue. My hair thinned and I couldn't take it any longer so I shaved it off. Now it is growing?! So if you can handle the thinning, you might be able to keep your hair. I couldn't - I felt like I had male pattern baldness! Good luck to you! Diagnosis: 6/19/2008, IDC, Stage IV, 0/0 nodes, mets, ER+/PR-, HER2- |
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pitanga Joined: Sep 2004 Posts: 564 |
Nov 5, 2009 06:40 pm
pitanga wrote:
Donna, I am so so sorry, honey! what f**ing crap. and how very weird that the pain that sent you for more tests was NOT coming from the mets. Definitely chalk that up to some higher force watching over you. May it continue watching as you venture into the Taxol experience...and may it let that other pain subside now that its purpose has been served. I had Taxol 9 years ago as the 2nd part of chemo for my initial dx. Compared to the Adriamyacin/Cytoxan cocktail that had already knocked my on my a**, Taxol was a piece of cake. I had moderate pain in my shins and ankles for a few days after each treatment but it always went away within 4-5 days and after that I felt fine. I had already lost all my hair so I dont know for sure if Taxol would have made it fall out, but the truth is it didnt start to grow back tilla week or so after I had finished my last Taxol treatment. They always had me take decadron (I think that was the name--a steroid) the night before to prevent allergic reaction. ((((((((big big hugs))))))))) Lisa ps--if skin is an organ, bones must be too. Unless organ can only apply to soft tissue??? if so, sounds a little arbitrary. First dx 1999, age 39, Stage IIA. 2009--Local recurrence and mets.
Diagnosis: 2/5/2009, IDC, <1cm, Stage IV, Grade 2, mets, ER+/PR-, HER2- |
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LisaSDCA Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 2,247 |
Nov 5, 2009 09:57 pm
LisaSDCA wrote:
I have not yet had Taxol but I had it's evil twin, Taxotere. Might your MD consider using Abraxane instead of the Taxol? No difference in efficacy I believe, and waaaay fewer pre-meds! Good luck with your new regime! Lisa Stage IV mets to brain 11/2008 Mets are Her2 pos (!)
Diagnosis: 1/24/2007, IDC, 2cm, Stage IIa, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER-/PR-, HER2- |
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LuAnnH Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 8,741 |
Nov 5, 2009 11:19 pm
LuAnnH wrote:
Donna sorry to hear that Arimidex failed. Have you been on any other AI's??? If you haven't I was just curious why you would jump to taxol if you still have hormonals left to try. I have to say I really can't remember where your mets are and I may be out of line on my thinking. Anyway, let me know what I can do to help you out! We are all here for you. LuAnn -- www.luannsblog.typepad.com
Diagnosis: 7/2/2006, IDC, 2cm, Stage IV, mets, ER+/PR+, HER2+ |
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RobinWendy Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 1,283 |
Nov 6, 2009 02:36 pm
RobinWendy wrote:
Donna, I was on Taxol and Avastin for five months a few years ago. Except for losing my hair (which like some others, actually started growing back while on the drug), I had no side effects of any kind. And for me, the fact that you need Benadryl to prevent an allergic reaction to the Taxol was a blessing in disguise. I was having a LOT of trouble sleeping but the Benadryl put me out like a light and then when I got home, continued with a fantastic nap. I am sleeping much better now but it was a decent consolation prize for needing chemo at that time. In any event, I hope it goes very well for you and that you, too, have minimal to no side effects! Robin dx Stage II primary BC in Jan. 2001;dx with DCIS on other breast in Jan. 2003; dx with mets to lungs in Jan. 2004 (What's up with me and January, anyway?)
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