Update & Decision Time for Chemo

14 years 7 months ago #27356 by Patricia
Replied by Patricia on topic Update & Decision Time for Chemo
Doug...here's a new treatment from MSK in NYC....I do think a major cancer center would be the best bet right now.....
www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/94199.cfm?Email_PageName=July%2FAugust+2009+Lately%40MSKCC&Email_OID=newsletter%2Dtoc%2D469648
Pat

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14 years 7 months ago #27354 by Mel09
Replied by Mel09 on topic Update & Decision Time for Chemo
My father also has mets to the bones and started about 14 months ago with gemzar and cisplatin. It was difficult for him and his kidneys had a hard time with it. It DID work well though! His PET scan showed improvement after the first 3 months. He continued it for a couple more and then switched to carboplatin. He is not on taxol, I believe because his platelets are constantly low and he continually needs transfusions.

Everyone is different and I think that if you are strong enough, you should be as aggressive as you are able. Best of luck to you!

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14 years 7 months ago - 14 years 7 months ago #27346 by RAH
Replied by RAH on topic Update & Decision Time for Chemo
Doug,
I do not have any metasasized cancer.

Mine was a preventive effort due to where my cancer was in my bladder.
I had T3a N0 Mx.
My bladder was a little deformed; it had two diverticulums (picture a Mickey Mouse balloon as my bladder, the ears are the diverticulums). Since the stretched area of the diverticulum was so thin and they were filled with tumors, they suggested I do the chemo as a preventive measure. My chemo protocol started three months after the removal of my bladder.
There was no tumor to shrink, so I can not provide you with assurance that it works. However, my two six month scans since my Chemo was complete have been all clear.

I do not want to go through chemo again. However, If I ever have cancer again, I would buckle down and live through the bad experience if it gave me a chance of getting rid of the cancer.

Take Care

Rick

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14 years 7 months ago #27331 by Blnmakerr
Replied by Blnmakerr on topic Update & Decision Time for Chemo
Rick:
Thank you for the input on Gemzar/Cisplatin. I have heard some real horror stories about their side effects, and your story gives me some hope that maybe I could get through it also.

I am stage IV with the cancer metasasized to my bones. I have several tumors on my spine that are growing quickly (from 1.5 cm to 2.8 cm in 10 weeks).

Was the chemo effective in shrinking your bladder cancer? Were you treating the primary bladder cancer or had yours also metastasized?

Thank you again and I wish you the very best....

Doug
Blnmakerr

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14 years 7 months ago #27328 by RAH
Replied by RAH on topic Update & Decision Time for Chemo
I have experience with both Gemzar and Cisplatin.
I had my Chemo treatment starting 11 Sep and ending mod December 2007.
My routine was once a week:
I had Cisplatin and Gemcitabine (Gemzar) on Day 1
I had Gemzar on Day 8
I had Day 15 off

I had four cycles

I just reveiwed a couple of e-mails I sent to relatives and friends during my Chemo time togive you an idea of what I felt at the time.
Here is an excerpt to give you an idea of my experience:
Today I completed my forth of eight treatments of Chemo. In case you have never talked to a cancer patient; “Chemo SUCKS!” My first two treatments had mild side affects. I felt slightly fatigued and similar to flu like symptoms for about three days. I had no appetite for food or drink for about six days. I was not nauseas at all after the first two treatments.

What a difference a treatment makes. After the third treatment that was a week ago Wednesday, I went to work that Thursday. About an hour before my day was done I started feeling nauseated. Two blocks into my drive home, I threw-up. Now the road I was on did not have a shoulder to pull over so I had to barf and drive at the same time. No accidents occurred inside or outside the car (I hit my plastic bag completely). After emptying my stomach of all contents, I drove to the Marysville-Pilchuck High School (MPHS) Freshman Football game. I coached the team even though I felt a little “punk” most of the game.

At midnight that night I got sick again. Since I had not had anything to eat since the last emptying, it was mostly dry heaves. I felt good enough to work from home on Friday. However, at 4 PM as I was getting ready to go to the MPHS Varsity Football game, I got sick again. I did go to the game and survived. On the way home I got sick for the 4th time.


For me the side affects were bad nausea. Even though I took several type of anti-nausea medicine, my doctor could not find the right one to make me feel well (it turned out that after my treatment we were reviewing the medical history and he put in the record to prescribe three different anti-nausea medicines that he forgot to prescribe).

I did not loose any hair. The other common side affects listed for these drugs, I did not experience. However, my new Oncologist (I fired the forgetful one), said she always does a hearing test prior to treatment. This helps determine if there is any hearing loss associated with the drugs. I think I have lost some of my hearing.

Take Care

Rick

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14 years 7 months ago #27317 by kittylee
Replied by kittylee on topic Update & Decision Time for Chemo
Correction on that nausea medication- it was EMEND on treatment days - Zofran was for breakthrough nausea that never happened

I am a caregiver to my wonderful husband, Ron
10/04 Multiple T1G3 - TURBT & 3 yrs BCG -
9/08 Invasive BLC w/distant mets
11/08 - 3/09 Gemzar/Cisplatin chemo regimen
4/09 Radiation to bone mets
6/09 lung and liver met progression - start ITP chemo
10/09 My darling Ron passed away

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