Weekly Taxol for Stage 4
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No, I have not heard about that happening. But several chemo ladies on the board have caught colds or had allergies that gave them sore throats. Bummer. The last thing you need is another affliction of any kind!! With challenged immune systems, its a wonder we aren't all sick all the time. Hope you find relief quickly. Hugs, Mame
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Brigadoon, I get a mild sore throat 5 days post chemo. It has never lasted more than 24 hrs.
Saw my onc today and have heard more about the results of my scans. The lung mets continue to shrink but only marginally. Not as much as after last scan which showed 50% shrinkage. The bone mets are all stable and a few are actually healing. But, there is always a but, they found a small lesion on my pancreas that wasn't there on my last scan. The onc isn't worried about it at this stage and we are going to carry on with the taxol but change the treatment schedule after next week to 3 wks on/ 2 wks off. I will have more scans at the beginning of Sept. And we will decide what to do then. I am thinking biopsy to see why this one has grown while on taxol while the others have shrunk significantly.
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MameMe - My husband substitute teaches during the school year. I told him he would have to tell them no this year because of the threat of exposure. My DIL started homeschooling my grandson last year and NONE of us got sick with a cold or ANYTHING. That is 7 people who live in close proximity.
I am going to curtail a lot of my public activities when October comes as I do not want to challenge my immune system to work overtime. I don't worry as much in the summer but winter is definitely a threat.
Springwatch - Glad that most of your report was positive. Keep remembering that it is still breast cancer on the pancreas and not primary. It is all scary but you have responded well so far and that is a good track record.
I would think you would have the biggest reduction in tumors when you first start a chemo. Any movement after that might be smaller but you are still going in the right direction.
I have my scan on Monday and report on Wednesday. I want to know - but then I don't. STRESS!!!
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Brigadoon, Good luck with your scans and and results next week. I hope you get some positive feedback.
Still freaking out about them finding this new lesion in my pancreas. I can think of all sorts of questions to ask now which I couldn't think of yesterday; how big exactly, where in the pancreas, can it be biopsied easily, etc. My onc is on holiday at the moment and came into to give me my results, so don't know when I can speak to him again. I have been doing some research and only 3% of all metastatic tumours to the pancreas are caused by breast cancer so it is a rare event. I thought the next place I might see it is in my liver and was really not expecting the for it to be pancreas. I think the best I can hope for on the next scan is for it to be stable but if it developed after starting taxol I am cannot be optimistic.
Edited to add: I am going in very early next week for 2 units of blood. My Hb has been gradually falling since I started treatment. I get my two weeks off so by the time I go back in for more treatment I should be back to normal.
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Chris1959, how are you doing? Did you get sick with that sore throat or was it just a bump in the road?
I can summarize the Dana Farber consult with Dr Overmoyer, at their women's cancer center. She thinks biopsying mets for the histology is important, because they change easily. Even her2 can go from neg to positive, or the reverse. She wants any new met area biopsied to help decide on tx. I have a new one on my scalp that appeared a few days before that appointment, so am scheduled for biopsy July 30. Her area of interest is genetics and wants me to get a more detailed panel of testing than I had with BRCa. I was neg. for that, but have some relatives w cancer that she felt looked like a patten. She suggested starting aromasin and letrozole after Taxol tanks. Man, I hope that stuff works: when it does, people can get into really solid remissions with it, it seems. I had the first episode of CA in 2003, and the doc thinks a lot of the mets are from that tumor, even though the histology is a little different from the second one and the nodule that was biopsied.
Anyway, ask away if there are any questions I missed. Oh! We got so mixed up in their parking garage, not knowing that parking levels descend and office floors ascend. We kept going up ramps to get to level 4 parking, and were in a closed loop almost, til a fellow sorted us out. Brigadoon was right, valet parking, all the way, if you go for repeat appointments!
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mameme
I did get a chance to ask my dr about the sore throat and she didn't seem to think it was a se of chemo ,and she looked at my throat and she said it looked a little red but she said she thought it was something going around so she put me on antibiotics and it has gotten better .thank you for thinking about me .gosh it seems like my last two infusions last week and this week on the 3rd day afterwards I get so sick .my sick pills help a little but oh its so miserable . I usually try to just fall asleep and when I wake up im feeling better but this time I cant im just too sick . oh the things we go thru ,,, love chris
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Chris - Sometimes acid stomach/reflux can cause sore throat and redness. Just a thought.
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Here's a weird one; I've been getting tooth aches, randomly. Yes, I'm on Xgeva that puts one at risk for ONJ, however, I have no ONJ. Went to the dentist today and had a cleaning and check; did X-ray of the tooth that's been aching the most, no problem found. In fact could find no problems with any of my teeth. I'm thinking the aching is similar to bone pain I get 3-4 days following chemo. Has anyone else had their teeth ache but not have a problem found with their teeth? My other theory is maybe it's a form of neuropathy in the mouth (?) I'm a grinder & have been for years & have a mouth guard, so it's not that either.
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Syrmom--I also have some tooth sensitivity in my mouth, but nothing is wrong. I also take Xgeva and have been on it monthly for 2 1/2 years. Also, I've been on Abraxane two different times, for 3 cycles and 5 cycles during that time.
I hadn't had a cavity for 50 years, then after my year of surgeries, I suddenly had 3 and needed a crown. So they did that, but my mouth has never felt quite the same.
I think all these things are connected. I don't believe that my teeth are getting any worse and as long as I keep getting my 3 month checkups, I'm pretty satisfied that nothing is going on.
Luckily, I'm NED (hip, hip, hoorah...) and am taking a chemo sabbatical. I'm also guessing that I must be reaching the end of my Xgeva routine. Maybe my teeth will feel better then.
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hi all
Have had 2 weekly taxol and just had port placed earlier in the week. Interesting that first chemo was difficult, pain fatigue and low blood pressure and pulse. Felt better by 5 th day. This second chemo was much better. Had pain at night after infusion and restless legs. The next day oncologist gave me fluids, magnesium and potassium. Day 3-4 good except just a little tired. I think still getting used to the chemo but feeling optimistic.
Syrmom I also had some weird tooth pain. Not constant just an ache then it goes away. My jaw and teeth are good so I think related to taxol. The pain I had first infusion was like body pain wherever my body touched the bed at night. No pain during the day only at night. But this week much much improved. Next week is taxol number 3. 👍. I believe it is already killing cancer. Yep. 💪💪💃💃
Keep on.
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diana50--I hope you have the same Taxol experience that I had. I had very good results after 3 cycles of chemo (had to quit because of unrelated emergency surgery). After 2 years, I had a local recurrence lighting up my lymph nodes and after 3 rounds of Taxol, I am NED. I just finished round 4 & 5 to 'mop up', and am going on a sabbatical. The second time I was on Taxol (started 3/14) was significantly better than the first round regarding side effects. Keep the faith. When Taxol works, it can really be a miracle drug.
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alexgram
Thanks for the info. So happy you are NED. 👍. What I have read and from many other stage IV peeps that taxol can be very effective. Still learning about stage IV, options and consequences. 🌅.
Keep on
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Syrmom,
Yes I have had bad toothache but nothing was wrong. At least, not in my mouth. The X-Ray showed my sinus cavity bowed way low into the area with infection!
Anita
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MameMe, Thanks for letting us know your experience at DF. I hope your biopsy goes well and opens up some new tx possibilities for you. My onc said he would be in favour of starting me on hormone therapy after 18 rounds of taxol, if my bone biopsy had not come back as TN. But we both agreed that this biopsy was probably suboptimal for testing and we would biopsy a soft tissue tumour, in the future.
SyrMom, Prior to BC, I was having pain in my upper right jaw which made me think I had a bad tooth. Nothing showed on the X-rays. Eventually I was found to have a middle ear infection. Just another possibility to throw in amongst the suggestions you have already received.
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Thanks, Springwatch. I hate the thought of more biopsies but appreciate the value of gearing the drugs or chemo to the specific proliferating cells. Sounds like you are in good hamds there, and have a decent working rel. with your providers, no?
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Thanks for the "tooth" input from everyone. I've learned to expect the unexpected; I'm grateful there's no problem showing up as I was concerned about ONJ because of the Xgeva, yet the Xgeva is important for me to have given my mult. bone mets, especially in the spine!! So who knows if this is another possible s/e from Taxol, that's not well known or related to sinus or something else - nothing showed on the X-ray, so I'm thinking maybe a rare or unknown s/e of Taxol. As long as the Taxol keeps holding the beast down, I can deal with it. Saddling up for #32 infusion tomorrow.
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I have my first CT scan since starting Taxol tomorrow. Results on Wednesday. Trying to keep real busy with tasks that don't allow my mind to wander.
Picked up the DRINK at the Radiology Dept and it is my old friend the medical milkshake. (UGH). At Dana Farber they use a iced tea thing that tastes soooo much better.
At least we have sunshine today and the haying is almost done so I can hang clothes on the line again.
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Brigadoon--good luck on your scan. May it show great results!
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Brigadoon/...good luck on the scan. will be thinking about you.,
remember; you (we ) have more healthy cells in our body then cancer cells.
keep on...keeping on
diana
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Brigadoon, keeping fingers and toes crossed that all will be well with your scan. Great that you're given the contrast to drink at home, it must cut down on some of the hanging around. Here they do the scans on the same day we have chemo, it makes the day very long but at least it obviates the need to come in specially for the ct etc. Hope you had a good weekend and were able to enjoy the sunshine... hugs xx
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dear brig
thank you I do have acid reflux and I woke up this morning with my throat hurting real bad again .so maybe that's it ...thank you
love chris
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Brigadoongood luck on your scans ..will be keeping fingers crossed for you
love chris
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Thanks for all the encouragement. That (and a xanax may get me through ;-) Now for bed after I drink that lovely milkshake.
The hay is done and the fields look like a golf course and there are still one or two square bales to give it that bucolic charm. I think the easy access is inviting the wildlife. The coyote were howling the other night and we have seen them in the far fields. My son had a bobcat come right up to the deck off his bedroom. I would love to have seen that.
Chris, I hope that solves your problem. Are you on any medication for reflux? It might need to be increased or changed. Nexium didn't work for me and neither did one other ( can't remember which one). I am on protonix and have been for several years. I rarely have a problem.
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Thinking of you, Brigadoon, as you await scan results. Newly mown fields are beautiful, such a deep summer sight.
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Brigadoon, Keeping my fingers crossed for your scan results on Wednesday. Taxol is a good chemo and I am more than hopeful that you will get a positive response.
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CT scan done but it will take 3 to 5 days for results AFTER they get the discs from other hospitals. You would think that someone would have thought of that already. Oh well, I am not organized sometimes either. Not going to change the results.
By the way, thanks for all the positive comments. Taxol is good AND do have a lot of normal cells in my body. Perspective is a nice gift!
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Here is one of the fields. This one is from our deck.
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how beautiful is that? Wow.
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Fingers crossed for your scan result Brigadoon. taxol 42 for me today and I'm so over it. I know I'm in no position to complain, Taxol had been kind to me and it's holding me steady. There were a couple of people on their last treatment today and I just bought it home that I'm never going to have that. Well I will but only when I run out of options. Stage 4 really sucks.
There rant over. I've got to get organised and head off to work. Those bills still need paying.
hope everyone else is having an easy time of things this week.
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Shazza,
I understand, although I am only 28 treatments in, it just won't end!
Anita
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