Chemotherapy for Stage IV
Comments
-
Lots of people seem to have had good results with Xeloda so I hope you do too Marybe. I think it can cause problems with your hands and feet and people say to moisturize a lot.
Leukine is like neulasta or neupogen - helps you recover your white cells.
I'm having trouble getting it from a pharmacy too. Last week I had to go in three days to get it (it's an injection) but I am not going to continue to do that. I'm perfectly capable of giving myself an injection so they better find a pharmacy for me!
0 -
Ann when I got my neulasta shots they were delivered through the mail by CVS Caremark which is the CVS specialty pharmacy. You should check into that.
0 -
I am not in any position to answer your question about how much longer you will have your mother. Trust me as a mother with stage IV she's more concerned with you than she is herself. Enjoy the time you have to share the good and the bad. You'll have to rest of your life to miss her, don't start while she's still here. Love may not be a cure, but it is by far the very best of medicine.
All of my hopes and prayers to you both.
0 -
No, Marybe, I don't plan to be on Ixempra anytime soon. I've just had one cycle (3on/1off) of Abraxane/Avastin, and it's working, and I hope it keeps working for a long time!. Ixempra is just on a list that Dr. O'Shaunessey gave my onc and I during my 2nd opinion consult at Baylor. She was amazing. She said "ok, this is what I'd try if you were my patient..." As I live 4 hours from Dallas, I can be her patient at any time if I want to do one of her clinical trials, but she said to try to stay local as long as I can (for convenience, expense) and she would advise my onc on some other standard therapies that she would recommend first (oh, and he is very open to her suggestions too!) After the Abraxane/Avastin, there is Carboplatin and Ixempra *(or Trinotecan) then Halaven. I've never heard of Trinotecan... anyone?
By the way, I'm on a baby aspirin a day also in addition to the 5 coumadin... and still not a problem on the Xeloda, and my onc knew all about it. So again, ?? differences in the 'warnings' and reality? And I agree with Sueopp.... you are amazing and always so on top of it!
0 -
(((HUGS))) Poohfan, I think the ladies are right, you need a second opinion!
I am still doing the Navelbine; last week my hemoglobin dropped to 8.6 so my oncologist ordered a blood transfusion for me, I had it Thursday. I am finally feeling a little better today. I also have this coming week off from from chemo, so that should help too.
0 -
I wish I could get the Neulasta sent to my home instead of going to the center for them the Monday after my Friday chemo. Poohfan- I am not a candidate for radiation or surgery either as I have too many lesions but was never told a few months. How can that be? I am doing chemo and rescanning but never thought only a few months----
0 -
Pricilla, You are correct in not thinking a few months....you should not be thinking a few months...and neither should Poohfan. I have mets, lesions or whatever you want to call them EVERYWHERE and even I am not thinking a few months. A long long time ago my onco told me that this should be thought of as a chronic disease and we are treating it as such. No way could I get all the stuff I have to do squeezed into a few months.....heck, I am looking forward to next year's garden already, thinking how some of these plants I have added will spread and fill in and it's going to look great.
I hope you get great scans and I hope Poohfan gets another oncologist with a little better bedside manner.
0 -
Thanks marybe : ))
0 -
My DH was talking to my BS today (because of my leg issue) and she said she's talked with my MO and I've responded better than they could imagine. She said since there are so many treatments I haven't even tried yet (I'm on my first line still - AC then Abraxane) that she sees many more years for me.
And although there are no guarantees and things could change at any time she wouldn't be surprised to see me as a 20 year survivor.
And I started with mets to my lungs (innumerable), liver, bones (pretty much all of them) and pleural effusions.0 -
Reesie - I love hearing that! Just when I was feeling a little "down", I read your post. Here's to 20 years for all of us!
0 -
Reesie, gotta be that 'Tude! Bless you.
0 -
Here's to a good 20 for all of us!!! YAY!!
0 -
I am in cycle 5 of Xeloda (started in May) one week on and one week off. The hand/foot syndrome is pretty awful but my tumor markers dropped about 200 points so I was willing to put up with it. Now my lungs are filling up again and I will need another thorocentesis...the 6th since my diagnosis last June! That makes me think it isn't working. Anyone else with this issue?
0 -
Hey, Debbie, someone will speak up who has effusions. But I can see how confusing your progress is. Lungs are delicate, I know from being a nurse. Effusions start easily. Can you post a new thread asking about lung mets or on xeloda thread so people will be more aware of the topic you need answered? I'll ask a few too. Hang in there. Kathy
0 -
Is anyone on Halaven? It is a new drug that got released by the FDA in December 2010, the side effects are typical of all the other chemos but a lot stronger. My onc had to decrease the dose by 20% to keep the side effects at bay, mainly the diarhea which kept sending me to the hospital for kidney failure and dehydration. So far it has worked good for me though, it has shrunk my big main tumor on my liver from 34 mm to 4 mm. I just wanted to know if anyone else had good luck with it.
0 -
I'm new to this forum. Is anyone on Doxil and are you experiencing problems with the nation wide shortage?
0 -
Hey Swenson, I had 4 cycles and could not tolerate the SEs. I thought they told oncs yo not start NEW pts on it. Are you having trouble?
0 -
Jeumann, I am sorry to tell you halaven did not work for me, but I sort of figured it was not working as I had very few SEs......lost hair, but only about half of it, had some neuropathy, but not bad and I was very constipated, but that went away the last few weeks I was on it. There is a halaven thread. Day1 Halaven and also another one Halaven you been? or something like that....it was very catchy whatever the phrase. If you go to search and put in halaven in the subject line it will take you to posts about it. I know many women who had great results with it, both on the theads and at my onco's office. If your tumor shrunk that much, I would say you have had excellent results with it!!
Sorry I don't know anything about doxil or lung effusions.
My big news is that I am going to be doing the Xeloda without the Ixempra which was what I wanted. The PA went to check with the onco to see if he would be OK with this,but I think the big deciding factor was that the test they did on me last week which I actually forgot about to see if my tumor had changed was elevated and I asked hee what test? and what did the elevated numbers mean? and she said that it meant I am now her2+ and can be treated with herceptin which is easliy tolerated and most people have excellent results with. So it's herceptin next Wed and i am going to start the Xeloda pills tomorrow. I guess they will be checking my heart with EKGs every few months and there is a list of SEs as with all of them, but I was talking to this woman in the chemo room and she's been on it for 8 years and said it saved her life. Soooo, I am excited and do so hope this combo is something that will work for me. Guess I will have to change my stats now to triple positive.
0 -
Marybe! That's GREAT NEWS ! ! I'm so happy for you! That's like me finding out I was ER+ (30%) and not a triple neg like I thought.... it opened up many more routes of treatment, and today with all the different rx's out there, that's more and more HOPE and stories of years of survival with this disease! Praise God!
Hey, the hair is finally starting to come out, week 2, 2nd cycle of Abraxane. Hair today, gone tomorrow..
But, the lymph glands, skin mets, and angiogenesis in arm area are looking great... it's working !!!0 -
Karen, Mine started coming out about day 22 on the abraxane....thought I had it beat after I hit 3 weeks, but no such luck. The good news is, it will grow back. I am really glad it is working for you.
0 -
Marybe, it sounds like a Herceptin and Xeloda combo is the answer to your prayers. So happy for you!!
0 -
I have not had halaven now for three weeks?....I think, may be a bit longer. So all of a sudden I notice yesterday that I barely have any eyebrows left at all!!....how long after chemo does this go on? I am now watching my eyelashes very closely to see if they are next.
0 -
Sorry about the eyebrows! Maybe it's just temporary, and they'll start right back in. I'm never sure what meds are causing what...I ended up in the ER yesterday; thought I had another darned DVT in my arm, but it's cellulitus and I'm on antibiotics. Thank God.. I did NOT want to end up in the hospital again with those darned stomach shots...!!!
My eyelashes are coming out some too... hair is thinning, but it's still not as 'rapid' as the Adriamycin/Cytoxan with initial BC chemo. It fell out like crazy then.
0 -
Hey Karen, I'm right with you there on the DVT arm- neck deal. I'm your DVT sister. Glad you can Tx w antibiotics this time. Take care if that arm!
It is super weird to lose eyebrows. It's the most important part of your face, I realized when I lost mine. Gotta pencil some on. But they do come back. In my case along w all the undesirable facial hair. K0 -
What caused the cellulitis? Last time I had a blood clot was a few months ago when I had to go off my warfarin for something, really forget what it was now, but I knew it was a blood clot....the area was hard and hot and it hurt to stand on my leg. So the Dr.on call tells me not to baby it (I asked him if I should elevate it) to do normal activities and to put warm compresses on it.....like that was going to make it better or make it go away. I asked him if I should give myself a shot since I had lovenox in the closet from the last time and he says Oh no, don't do that. So by that evening when it was really causing me some discomfort I called the answering service again and told them to tell him I was going to the ER. I had to sit for about 4 hours and what did they do for me....gave me a shot of fragmen which is pretty much the same thing. I have only had two DVTs the rest have all been superficial and I know when I have one. I am anticoagulated for life and hate it, hate it.....my legs look like a road map and I bumped into something two weeks ago and still have a bruise.
Last time when my eyebrows were growing back I kept looking inthe mirror thinking I had bruises above my eyes and then I figured out it was my eyebrows under the skin starting to come back. I had the facial hair also, but it went away in a few months. I wonder if you keep losing your hair and brows if they get to a point where they don't grow back? The hair on my arms of which I have quite a bit is always the last to go....now that I wish would not come back.
0 -
hahaha... I know about the eyebrows and lashes. We look "fine" as long as we have them, but when they go is when you look "ill". I use a lot of make up and draw in the eyebrows, and even false eyelashes at times when I would go out in really public places. Unfortunately, my chiney chin chin hairs don't seem affected... they still grow and I still pluck. LOL! I know a lady (she's a inspirational speaker on breast cancer, has been fighting for 10 years) who says she's lost and gained her hair so many times, she doesn't know what real hair is like. But, she said it (everything, eyelashes, etc) comes back in time depending on what treatment you are on.
Cellulitus is just an infection in the skin and underlying tissue, usually Staph or Strep bacteria, from a small cut or lesion. I'm not sure where I picked this up, but when we were at Six Flags over Texas last weekend with my husbands band, I went swimming in the hotel pool, and it was cloudy, and my warning bells went off, but I didn't listen...
I bet it was from the pool. Anyway, antibiotics are already working and it's feeling better. Cellulitus can LEAD to a DVT if not treated, because of the inflammation and constriction of blood flow. The ER doc told me the "trick" between DVT and Cellulitis is the redness... my arm looked sunburned. The swelling and heat can be both. They did an arterial doppler ultrasound anyway just to be sure.0 -
Hello All...I'm new to this forum/site. I have never heard of some of the meds and se's you are all going through. I've been in treatment since May 23, have 2 more Carboplatin/Docetaxel/Herceptin treatments to go. Have been getting Herceptin weekly followed by Neulasta, then Xgeva once a month. Got mid treatment scans last month, shows some improvement. May not have to do Radiation, but talking Bi-lateral masectomy in September.
I read on another site that scans so soon after chemo can show false results and therefore should not be done sooner than 3 weeks after chemo and preferably 4-6 weeks after chemo. Has anyone heard of this?
0 -
Hi MemaSue, sorry you had to join us. My first scans were just a couple of days after chemo (although I had been on chemo for 6 months at that point) - I don't think any of us stop chemo just for scans (sometimes we stop for obvious progression or SE problems). I think especially in the case of HER2+ tumors since they can be so much more aggressive.
I do think that you need to a couple of rounds of treatment before you can be sure if the chemo (or hormone) treatment you are currently on is working or not.
Where are your mets - bones, liver, lungs? There's a great group of women and men here that can help you with answers to your questions or just listen to you vent when needed.
Edited to add: You might want to start your own topic in the Stage IV Forum so your question doesn't get lost in such a long thread.
0 -
Thank u Reesie, the mets is in my spine, ribs and of course nodes, last scan showed some carcinoma in lower lobes of lungs, but my onco didn't discuss this, just said things look good and treatment working. Am thinking about getting another opinion, maybe going to Phx (my ol hometown) to Cancer Treatment Center there after my last chemo, which will be Sept 6.
Sounds like so many of you have had more than 6 treatments, so I'm wondering if 6 is the norm or just the start.
Oh...didn't kno I could start another forum...thank you for that advice!
0 -
I'm pretty sure that it's like me - I had AC then Abraxane (both chemos) but now, after 8 months, I'll be moving on to a Hormonal (Anastrozole) because the chemo has gotten the cancer under control (to a point).
Maybe once you finish the 6 rounds, since you are ER+/PR+ you might move on to a hormonal (but will probably continue with the Herceptin for the HER2+). But then I'm not HER2+ and I don't recall if they do Herceptin with Hormonals. There are others here that can help you with that.
0
