CMF Question
Comments
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Mandy and ritajean, thanks so much for your replies. It's good to know I'm "on schedule" at least. ;-)
BonnieBee, I definitely got more tired toward the end. Treatments 1-3 were a breeze but 4-6, I really noticed the fatigue.
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Just checking in to see you you gals in treatment are doing! I hope you all have a good weekend.
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I had my third of eight CMF treatments on Wed. and had my second Neulasta shot yesterday. The first shot brought my numbers up nicely and therefore my MO thought it would be in my best interest to continue with them for the rest of my treatments, with the exception of the last one. The disturbing information I got this week was that my liver enzymes are suddenly elevated. I had them checked prior to starting chemo and they were all within normal range. Now my ALT, AST and ALP are all elevated. My MO has scheduled me to be re-tested 2 days prior to my next scheduled chemo treatment. I really hope this is totally due to chemo and/or the Neulasta in my system and nothing worse. It seems to make sense given my normal numbers prior to start. I also hope this doesn't delay the treatments - just want to keep things moving along. Thoughts from anyone?
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Hi all, finished my 5x of CMF 1 1/2 weeks ago .. Got a terrible rash after 5 days, the second time this happened. Was in sun for a short time but the rash was not on the exposed skin. Has anyone had this problem? Hair is still shedding, seems like more after this treatment. Otherwise all is well. Never had liver enzymes checked .. Should this be done?
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My liver enzymes were checked just routinely at this point. You may want to ask your MO next time. Congrats on finishing treatment #5 - you are on the slippery slope to being finished with the chemo part! I look forward to saying that! I felt like tx. #3 this time was very anti-climatic. Next time I can at least say I am halfway done. Hang in there : )
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fad60: My liver enzymes were normal during chemo which I finished in Feb 2010. A few weeks later my AST was 69 and ALT was 135. I was very worried but the onc did not seem overly concerned and the levels returned to normal in a couple of months. In my case, I presume the elevated levels were a late side effect of chemo. I was very concerned at the time and started this thread - Elevated liver enzymes after chemo but as you will see, it resolved itself.
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MaryNY: I appreciate your input. Your numbers are similar to mine. My husband and I were away on vacation the week before this past treatment and blood test. I am wondering if the wine with dinners took its toll on my liver along with the chemo? I think I know the answer. No vino or Tylenol until the next blood test and hopefully my numbers will go back down.
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Good afternoon ladies!
I hope everyone is having an enjoyable weekend.
smva, I never had a rash but one of my friends did while on CMF chemo. She went right in to have it checked. Hers was an allergic reaction to the steroids they were giving her. When they changed them, the rash disappeared and never came back. In her case, it wasn't the sun at all.
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Ritajean, thanks for asking. I'm doing okay but of course, can't help but be worried. Praying.....
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Cabmom....so glad you're doing well. We all know that worrying doesn't help or solve anything and still we continue to worry. Your prayers WILL help, though. I'll keep you in my prayers, too. Hugs!
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So how are you gals in treatment doing? I hope the inactivity on this thread means that everyone is doing well and enjoying the spring weather! I also wish each of you a wonderful Mother's Day! Who has special plans for the day? We are just going over to Peoria for the buffet at the Riverboat. My son and his family won't be back this year because we're heading south to their house next week and then on to Disney for our first extended family vacation. If it's at all possible, get out and enjoy this lovely day and soak up some vitamin D3 from that sunshine!
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I have my treatment plan. I start CMF weekly on May 25th for 12 weeks, then daily rads for 6 weeks, then CMF weekly again for 12 weeks. I'm having it weekly because my onc. says the SE's are better. I'm just considering this next long period of time as my job, kicking any remaining cancer out of my body. But I'm wondering how my body will respond, that's for sure. It's pretty aggressive treatment for being in the "gray area" but I expect to live a long life and want to do everything I can to prevent a recurrence. I only wish I hadn't dyed my short hair red when I thought I wasn't going to have chemo...I'd post a photo if I could figure out how!
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Well, I say watch your liver carefully...methotrexate is very toxic to the liver.mine was. Fried..it will never get better..just a word of caution from one who knows
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Jeannie, are you doing the CMF by infusion or pills?
Lisa, did you have any indication or suspicions when you were doing the treatments that it was damaging your liver or did this problem show up when you were done with the treatments?
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My liver enzymes were "normal" but my liver hurt and I could feel the edge of it...they only discovered how badly
damaged it was when they took out my gall bladder and did a biopsy. I had my surgeon do a looksee when she did the lap so she did and saw it was bad so did a biopsy
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I am doing Cytoxin by pill, the M-F by infusion.
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Oh, Lisa, at that point, there wasn't anything you could do either. That's terrible. I'm glad you alert others to this possibility.
Jeannie, I did the infusions but several gals on here have done the pills and had very few side effects. Hopefully a few of them will pop on and give you some more input. Do you feel more settled now that you have a plan in place? I thought that the decision-making process was almost as hard as the treatment. Once I had my plan in place I at least felt like I was starting to attack the demon. It does appear that they are hitting you with lots of different things. Do you mind if I ask your age? Sometimes the oncs suggest more aggressive treatments for the younger gals. Hugs to you!
I did have the daily rads and I got along just fine with them. I found them much easier than the chemo.
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Thanks for your encouragement, RitaJean! I was nauseous with all 3 pregnancies, so i guess even with the C. pill my chances of nausea are higher. Meds for that! It does feel better having a plan in place even though it's longer than I ever imagined. It's aggressive for my Oncotype score of 13, which is why the MO wasn't pushing the chemo hard. If I didn't have significant but contained cancer in three nodes it would be a different story. We ultimately decided that since I am a very healthy 57 with no significant health problems besides "fbc," as we call it, I would normally live a long time; let's hit it hard and maybe lessen the recurrence chances. The MO did say if I hated the chemo I could always stop. The decision-making process was torture! And then I have up to ten years of Tamoxifen/AI's to look forward to starting next year, as well as recon. I do have the beginnings of weak bones so we're doing Tam. first. Thanks again for asking about it. It's so nice to connect with an encourager.
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Hi- looking for some input. I have been researching the different chemo's and all of them scare me, but I need to make a decision. I have read that cmf is not so harsh on your heart. My grandmother died from heart disease so it is a concern for me. I had an lx and 4 positive nodes and an oncotye was done and I got a score of 6. I didn't get clean margins so 4 and a half weeks ago I had a bmx. I had 14 more positive nodes. I have seen 2 oncologists and both are saying chemo. AC followed by TC seems to be the standard. Is cmf just as effective. I am ER and PR positive and her2 negative. My largest tumor was 1.5 cm with a lot of microscopic lobular. I have had all of the CT scans, PET scans, etc.... and nothing found. I was leaning towards the cmf, but I don't see any stage III ladies on this thread. I am 51 and not sure if age is a factor. Did most of you decide on your own to do cmf or was it the doctors choice?
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One more question. Is anyone not using a port for their chemo?
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Hi, Diana,
My MO suggested CMF because it is "Chemo-lite" and I am in the gray area as far as chemotherapy goes. I am getting it every week for 24 weeks, with rads in between, because the weekly treatments mean fewer side effects. As far as getting a port, I am getting one in a few hours! I will be getting too many blood tests and treatments to constantly poke a vein. Rarely, as in the case of my internist when he was fighting cancer, the chemo can leak into your arm and cause damage. But that is a rare case. Good luck with your decisions! I have decided to fight this hard -- throw it at me. I think there is a thread for Stage III sisters, don't know how current it is. I wish you peace and health. Hugs.
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Jeanie- do you know if weekly treatments are as effective as dose dense treatments? Good luck getting your port today. Let me know how that goes.
I am stage III because of the # of positive nodes. My grade is a 2 like yours along with ILC.
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Hi Dianarose. CMF chemo is supposedly easier on the heart but I really think it is used mainly for early stage cancer. I imagine your oncs are going with the AC and TC because of your lymph node involvement. I am certainly not an authority on this, so if I were you, I'd research it more thoroughly, especiallly since both oncs agreed on the prescribed treatment. I did not make the decision to do CMF by myself. My oncologist suggested it. Although my tumor was small and did not involve any lymph node involvement, it was a grade 3 which is highly aggressive. Thus the chemo decision instead of just radiation. Many gals who go with the CMF infusion treatment do not get a port, but that too is an individual issue.
I wish you well with your decision-making process and the following treatment. Once you have made your decision, just go with it and don't even look back. You can do it!
Please let us know what you decide.
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Thinking of you today, Jeannie, as you get your port. Hugs! I love that "go get 'em" spirit!
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Diana, I had the option of getting CMF every 2 weeks but I wanted fewer side effects so chose weekly. MO thinks it's effective for me.
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Thanks, Ritajean! I am so forgetful. I forgot to get bloodwork and labs Friday, a requirement before port placement. And I forgot my medical card today. I need a personal assistant.
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Jeannie, I'll be praying for you today as you get your port and the other tests done.
Hugs,
Deborah
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Hi Ladies - Haven't been around for awhile, but have read all posts on my email.
Dianarose - Have had bc twice 10 years apart. The first time I had AC and the second time CMF. My onc wanted me to have CMF because it's not as hard on the heart. My oncotype score was 24, but I had no positive nodes with a grade 2, ER/PR+. Also had no port. I had CMF every 3 weeks for 6 months. I went with the recommendation of my onc, whom I trust. Don't know how helpful this is. The first time the bc was her2+. Had a lumpectomy, but had to return for a mx because the margins were not clear.
Hugs to all of you going through chemo - you'll make it just fine!
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Thanks, Deborah. I'm in recovery. I'll be sore, that's for sure. And, as always, pain meds are an issue. But I'm not nauseous. The bigger incision closed so nicely by itself that they only put "glue" on the outside (stitches inside) as well as "glue" on the small neck incision. I was awake for almost the entire time and remember it all so far, despite the Versed. It really wasn't that uncomfortable. Only now do I feel it. I will have to be extra brave to get my next fills tomorrow. Cancelling the appt. messes up a lot of other things.
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Dianarose: It's the A in AC-T that is hard on the heart. A = Adriamycin® (doxorubicin). If you are concerned about heart issues, ask about having a MUGA scan before starting chemotherapy. If your score is low on that, you might want to ask the oncologist to reconsider AC-T and instead give you TC.
With positive nodes, the Oncotype score is really not reliable. The only study done on node positive women was on those who had 1-3 positive nodes and the study group was too small to be regarded as reliable study.
And yes, age is always a factor in deciding on chemotherapy, along with menopausal status. If I were you, I would be as aggressive as your health allows. Any kind of chemotherapy is scary, but I feel if you are going to put yourself through it, try to make the best decision possible for your situation. It will be tough but you can do it.
Also, your situation seems more complicated than most with the low Oncotype score and yet a large number of positive nodes. Did both of the oncologists make their decisions quickly on their own or did they consult with other oncologists in their group? Many cancer treatment centers have "tumor review boards" where they all weigh in on complex cases and make a group recommendation. It would be useful if you could avail of something like that.
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