Abraxane
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Kaption! - oh my, so sorry. You deserve a break. I hope Doxil kicks Mr. C to the curb. Please check in with us - you are very special. I bet it's getting chilly in KS. I'm on my way to the big chair - after this only 4 more to go! Then PET at end of January. We will see more then, but TMs are dropping. Fires in LA are nearly out now. Artist - how is X treating you? Aurora - is Gemzar getting better for you?
(()) C
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Hi, friends. I'll be joining you on the A-train, with my first treatment next Tuesday 1/9. This is my 4th treatment line in less than 2 years, which is scary but I'm trying to keep hope alive. My most recent attempt was with Afinitor and letrozole, and after only a few months that combo didn't seem to do much. Disappointing.
I've never done IV chemo and thought I never would after seeing my mom's misery on it before she died in 2005, but my MO is concerned about the current aggressiveness of my cancer (which now appears to be in my lungs after having settled for bones only till recently) and he seems fairly certain Abraxane will kick it back for a good while. I hope so. I did do Xeloda (an oral chemo) and that has so far been my most successful run - 9 months and very tolerable. So fingers crossed.
I'm relieved to read how many of you have had found Abraxane doable. I like that it doesn't involve pre-steroids - my body just doesn't do well on those, and even Benadryl makes me feel a little crazy!
Anyway, glad to have such good company as I embark on this new treatment. Hope everyone is having a good start to 2018!0 -
Hi Seagan - you will do well on A-train. I have my 16th treatment on 1/10 and my final one on 1/25. If you want to keep your hair - please try Penguin cold caps. Otherwise all hair will disappear. I get decadron (steroid) before my A-train, and in the beginning had benadryl, but then asked to end it - who needs to get sleepy? Please keep us posted on how you are doing.
Claire
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Seagan, welcome. Although the transition to IV chemo is no fun, Abraxane is certainly doable. And the powerful results it can have on mets that have progressed is very comforting. The Abraxane infusion itself is super short - 20 minutes or so. No premeds are required. I do get Zofran (treatment room automatically adds it although MO told me it is not required). Ironically, I have no nausea from the Abraxane but do get nauseous from the whole scalp cooling process to preserve my hair and so I didn't fight to have it removed.
Based on my (short) time on the Afinitor thread on these boards, I have observed that Afinitor seems to fail nearly everyone - I took a 3-month run on it before Abraxane as well - so don't feel discouraged by that one not working.
LA - you are in the countdown phase, near graduation from Abraxane! I am still in limbo - continuing for now on current 3-week schedule but meeting soon with an interventional radiologist to discuss y-90 radioembolization for my liver. Not sure if that will end up as a treatment once Abraxane stops working or used in the interim during an Abraxane holiday. Have you and your MO settled on your next treatment? I recall you were considering Tamoxifen or possibly Abemaciclib.
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Hi JFL - I am 2 rounds short of A-Train graduation, then PET and either going to Xeloda if micromet in liver has more SUV or Tamox + faslodex if bones are glowing. I won't know until I see the onc on 2/1, but my veins will be glad to end this. The 4 hours of freezing caps are no fun either. Very happy in a couple of months to be able to dye my hair again.
I have creeping neuropathy in my left foot and sometimes my knee area. Just getting weaker, but I will make it and still working part time. So before you think I am supergirl, I fainted in a store line before New Years, but got IV of saline and glucose in ER. I am doing ok this week (my week off A-train). Hoping counts rebound for next week. How long are you slated for A-train? Maybe Y90 will work for you? Or Abe? Seagan- you will have good company here when I depart.0 -
LA, the fainting sounds scary! I am glad you are okay and hope you didn't get injured. Very interesting about tamoxifen + faslodex. I have heard of combining faslodex with an AI but not tamoxifen, as they each function similarly in that they eliminate the ability of estrogen to bind to the ER receptor (tamoxifen blocks the receptor, faslodex permanently degrades it). Did your MO elaborate on why combining the two? I can't wait to dye my hair too. I thought my hair wouldn't grow much on Abraxane but my roots are 3 inches long right now.
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Hi, friends. Thanks so much for the warm welcome and support as I embark on the A train. Had my first infusion on Tuesday and it seemed to go well (that is, once I got there - had the nearest to a panic attack that I can remember as we were getting ready to leave the house, yikes).
I tried the fasting approach (fasting for 48 hours prior and 24 hours afterward) as well as icing my hands and feet during the infusion to ward off neuropathy - we'll see if either or both have an effect. Thought I'd give them a try, anyway.
It's now Wednesday night and the main SEs so far are incredible fatigue, harsh aches in my lower back and hips, mild nausea and mild diarrhea. Not sure if any of this will get worse tomorrow or Frida. So far It feels doable (if strange), but I'm also very aware it's only the first infusion and that many effects seem to get worse over time.
Not sure I'll be able to keep the fasting going on a weekly schedule; I'd need to start on Sunday morning already! Verrry much enjoying eating again in the meantime. I may try a shorter span of fasting, maybe 24 hrs pre- and 24 hrs post-infusion, next week. Has anyone else fasted before and after chemo?
Hope everyone is hanging in there. What a ride
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seagan, I didn’t intentionally fast during chemo, however, a little more than 1/2 way through, my taste buds rebelled. For about 3 days after my infusion (weekly) I could only handle ramen and fried rice, everything else tasted like a gym bag smells, lost 25 lbs and hit an all time low. I could spare the weight loss but I missed enjoying a meal.
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Seagan, I tried a modified fast my first round but couldn't keep it up. I was worried I would be too weak to handle to whole process and would lose too much weight. I already do a nightly 13-hour fast between dinner and breakfast. I do cold caps which is a 3-hour process - much, much longer than the short Abraxane infusion and takes a lot more effort than the chemo itself. It all became too much. Keep us posted!
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Seagan - I did not fast at all and have only one session to finish 6 mos on A-train. I am down 15lbs anyway so I didn't give fasting much thought. I use cold caps like JFL, so after the extra freeze on my head for 3 hours I'm not hungry anyway. I take biotin everyday and my nails are nice! No eyelashes though. lol Let us know if your Tms drop more and scans improve. My Tms dropped by 1/2 first month and 1/2 the second month. Good luck!
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Hi ladies, checking back in since I haven't been around much. Started the A train last August and had great results on my December PET Scan which showed significant resolution of multiple bone mets, and Stable on the others! Tumor Markers just kept going down every month.
Welcome Seagan. I failed Ibrance and Xeloda after only 3 months on each. Abraxane has been doable for me with the worst SE being fatigue and loss of appetite (don't mind that though as I had and still have sufficient weight to spare).
Nice to read through all your posts and catch up a bit. Hope everyone had a good holiday season!
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New thread. Hello all! Good to read Abraxane is doable. After failure on Ibrance, did Taxol and Avastin which took care of over 60 bone mets, liver, lung and neck node tumors. CA 27/29 score went from 230 to 27. So was in remission for 3 months for the first time in years! Yay! Took 6 weeks off for some traveling with one Taxol/Avastin treatment in the middle. In December, did my scans and found mets on T1 and left Sacrum - uugh! Just finished 10 rounds of radiation on cervical spine and hip. Have you ever done a radiation therapy mask? It took 10 mg. of Valium, (very claustrophobic) but finished on Monday. I'm going to turn the mask into a bird feeder! My CA 27/29 score is now back up to 70 so hopefully it is residual. Today started Abraxane. So hoping this chemo will work! The bummer is I have about 1 inch of hair and now I hear I will lose it again. Oh well, that's ok! Hair is overrated until it's -23 when waking up at the cabin in Wisconsin. Keeping the hope alive!
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Welcome Mediclisa! I do so hope the Abraxane will kick your cancer's butt like it has mine so far! Some of the ladies here have been on it much longer than I have and I'm sure they will post some helpful and encouraging words. In the meantime, buy a beanie and keep that bald head warm!
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Hello everyone, My name is Robin and I will be joining this tread, as I will be starting Abraxane on Tuesday. Can someone tell me the side effects and what to expect. How to deal with losing you hair, I am having a tough time with this one.
Thanks for any information,
Robin
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HI JFL, Are you on a 3 weeks on and 1 off, or 3 weekly with 1 off. I am decided if I should do the cold caps, but there is no way I would do them on a weekly basis. That would wear me out!!
I hope the A-train is working well for you and kicking some c butt!
Robin
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Robin - the SEs are mainly fatigue and hair loss. You will lose all your hair, eyelashes and most of your eyebrows - plus enjoy a free Brazilian at some point. I kept my hair due to cold caps, but lost most everything else. Eyelashes were a sad loss, but I use an eyeliner close to the lid so it doesn't look so obvious. You are a strong lady and will do well on this med. I hope it kicks Mr C out. I went weekly for 3 weeks and one week off. JFL does powerball A-train and takes it every 3 weeks. Please keep us posted lovely R.
(()) C
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Hi Robin! As LA said, I take the high dose Abraxane every 3 weeks. LA is one tough rockstar to stick it out through weekly cold caps! I couldn’t do it. If one does cold caps with weekly, then you save a much higher % of your hair than doing the high dose, but it is certainly a tough regimen. I just bought a gorgeous wig that I will start using next week once ready. 5 months have finally taken a toll on my hair to where it is too visibly thin around hairline for work. I think what happened is that I took a week off treatment during holidays. My hair started to regrow during that extra week, quite quickly. When I went to take the next infusion, it was like my hair was getting its first round again, where there was one big hair loss on day 21ish. If it weren’t for that, I think I would still be fine.
As for other symptoms, the two big ones for me are extreme bone pain on days 2-5 after infusion, with days 3-4 being the worst. However, I take preventative Aleve on these days which resolves the issue. Also, neuropathy in feet/hands. Vitamin B complex sublingual is a miracle worker for neuropathy.
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Thank Claire!!! You are a rockstar!
JFL, I thought you were on cold caps? And did you say you lose more hair on weekly, than if you were to do it every 3 weeks?
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JFL, I reread you post and understand it now. You can save more hair with cold caps on weekly regime. NO caps for me on weekly.
Claire, I admire you persistence on using the caps.
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Also posting to other threads
I received a PM from Aurora (Auroaya) today. She wanted me to pass along a message from her. As some of you know, she recently had progression to her brain, and she has not had a good response to treatment. Her MBC continues to spread. It has become difficult for her to manage by herself, and she is meeting with hospice tomorrow. Although she hasn't posted here as much lately, I know that many of you will remember her kind, encouraging, supportive posts. Please keep her in your prayers.
Hugs and prayers from, Lynne
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Hi Lynne - sorry to read this about our sweet friend. I think our report card for A-train isn't doing so well. Robin and JFL - I am rooting for you to pass! I do Vitamin B sublingual every day and use IV C when I can.
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Lynne, thanks for passing along Aurora's message. I am so saddened to hear this. Things can really change so quickly in a few months time. She is missed on this thread and please pass along our support. She is in my thoughts and prayers.
Everyone seemed to be doing so well on Abraxane for a good stretch there. I have a scan in a few weeks. Fingers crossed
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Can someone please help me. I am starting abraxane Thursday with herceptin. I have had growth in lymph nodes, liver, bones. I had taxol last year, then taxatore with perjeta and herceptin. Then just perjeta and herceptin. That is when the growth happened. I am terrified this is won't work and I am at the end of my life. Please give me hope. I read through all your posts. Strong woman. Please someone respond. I found out this yesterday. I cannot sleep or eat.
Lisa S
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Lisa - Abraxane (A-train) knocked my TMs down by 1/2 the first month, and then by another 1/2, then lower still. I handled IV chemo 3 times a month with one week off, no port at UCLA for 5 1/2 mos before progression. I am now headed for rads and then xeloda. You have a great clinic in Cleveland which is where I would try to go in Ohio. A-train is a taxane wrapped in a human protein which is an easier delivery system. Not sure why they are putting you back on this after taxotere fail? Can you post your ER/PR/HER status so some of our savvy ladies can help you? You are likely HER+ to be using perjeta and herceptin, but again let us know more about you. Take a deep breath, you are in good company here. (())
Claire in LA
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I am Triple Positive. The taxatore took my markers down to normal and then as soon as I went off they started climbing. Are there other options besides abraxane if it doesn't work? I had ER+Her- 2b cancer in 1998. Came back in 2013 in a couple of lymph nodes. Aromasin took care of it. Then one small bone met-radiation. Then more bone mets. biopsied a node-triple positive. then taxol, then just herceptin-then liver mets-taxatore with a partial response. Now it is growing.
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Lisa - there are more options for triple positive ladies if A-train fails. Please discuss with your onc. And there is a Triple positive board which you may wish to join to discuss options/SE's with ladies like yourself. Xeloda (a pill) may also be a choice. Let us know how Thursday in the big chair goes. Again, please list your ER/PR/HER status on your profile and prior meds. It's easier to get help that way.
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Lisa - here is the triple positive group. https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/80/topics/764183?page=23#idx_661
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I have mets, is there a triple positive group for mets
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I started abraxane and herceptin. I am in a dark place. I have it in my liver, bones, nodes. I am a teacher. I need to work to save sick days. Otherwise, come August I will have to go on disability. I am a teacher-three years to retirement. I just don't know what to do. I can't sleep. I cry. Terrified of the death process. What if abraxane does not work? How much chemo can a body take?
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Lisa, while I don’t know your general overall health or the particulars of liver mets, I can say that I think you’ll find abraxane a manageable treatment. It may not apply to everyone but is possible to work and function fairly normally.
I had weekly abraxane with herceptin and perjeta for 5 months, I did have some mild SE’s mostly but my dose did get reduced by 20% about 1/2 way through due to neuropathy. Despite that, it worked so well that my almost egg sized tumor shrunk to almost nothing and post chemo ultrasound found nothing in my nodes which earlier biopsy proved positive. I worked everyday except chemo day and walked my first 5k on abraxane too. That was last January through May and I’m doing very well now, I don’t think I’m dying anytime soon but if cancer starts acting up again, I’ll be back on the A train in a heartbeat. Best of luck to you.
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