Hi, just back from oncology appt, signed up for 6 TAC, been told by onc that this is what he recommends for younger ( not that young 48) medically well woman, he explained it’s a harsh regime but worth it . I’m grade 3 idc, 4/25 lymph er and pr +.
worried now as everyone else on chemo threads seem to have 3 fec First. I know we are all different but any advice ladies?
Bump
Hi
I think TAC is a combination of drugs as is the FEC T that you are thinking of? You just have them all together instead of the Tax being given seperately if that makes sense!!
I think some people just have AC as well! There are so many different ones and each onc has his own favourite I think
Good luck with it and I hope all your SE’s are little ones!!!
Thanks yeah it’s three together just had a bit of a panic cos most people seem to change regime halfway through, nightmare but doable. Thanks xx
Is there a big difference between fec/t eg 3 fec band 3 t and just 6 sessions TAC ? Worried now x
Hi Lols. I started TAC in June, recently had my 3rd chemo. My Onc advised that the regimes given at my hospital were either FEC or TAC. For me she recommended TAC for the same reasons as you have stated though I am a little older than you. I was a little concerned like you at first but decided to trust my ONC’s recommendation and get on with it. I understand that TAX is usually given where there is some node involvement and with TAC this is included each time. One benefit I see from staying on the same regime is that the side effects shouldn’t change too much though they may build up over the cycles. So far my side effects have been fatigue especially in the first week and also indigestion/slight nausea. Good luck and please feel free to keep in touch. Xx
Thankyou Taylor so nice to hear that, I will keep in touch can relax a bit now, enjoy your day xx
Hi Lols
I had 6 x TAC, started on 13 March and had the last one on 27 June. My Oncologist said he would put me on TAC which is an aggressive chemo as I was young (49 at diagnosis) and because of the size of my tumour (IDC of 3 cms with some DCIS made a total of 5.5 cms) and although it was Grade 2 and I didn’t have node involvement, I did have signs of LVI. Mine was ER+ like your’s. The SEs I had from the TAC were hard some times but everyone is different and you do get through it. I mainly suffered from bad nausea but they gave me different anti sickness meds which helped a lot and my sense of taste went completely and all my food tasted differently. As Taylor has said, the SEs were roughly the same for each cycle. I kept a diary and that way I knew when the SEs would be diminishing and I could get out and about again. I must say, I didn’t go out much during the first week as I didn’t feel great and I didn’t go out much on the second week as the white blood cell count is low and I didn’t want to catch an infection, so I really only went out and about on the third week. Wishing you all the very best and get in touch if I can help answer any queries.xxx
Thanks for reply twin number 1 , I was beginning to wonder if it was only me.gald you are at the end of it and hope you are feeling ok. How long did it take to lose your hair? Big dread of mine, but getting used to the idea. Plus I’m trying to why only certain people have this regime when lots of us have lymph involvement or vascular invasion. did wonder if oncs just have favourite regimes? Just a thought xx
Hi Lols,
At my original meeting with the oncologist, who was a Registrar, I was told I would be on 6 x FEC followed by 18 lots of Herceptin for my HER2 positive status. I signed the consent form. A few days later I got a phone call asking me to call in to sign a new consent form because the Senior Consultant Oncologist had changed my regime to 6 x TC plus Herceptin.
I asked why and was told it was partly because the TC was better for my type of tumour, and partly because of my age (65) on the grounds that the older you get the more risk there is to your heart under normal circumstances never mind on chemo. FEC can be hard on the heart (as is Herceptin) so he prefers to avoid FEC when Herceptin is needed in older people. They look at the person’s general health, age, tumour type, and evidence of spread, then apply a regime that is most suitable for them personally.
If you are worried about your regime perhaps you should ask your oncologist why he has chosen it for you in preference to one of the more standard regimes. I’m sure he will explain it all. xxx
Thanks for reply Lola, i did ask him why and he said because I was young and fit with no medical issues he wanted to treat harshly as he thought I could deal with it, he also said might affect heart but I think all chemo has same risk. I’m not having herceptin just tamoxifen. To be honest il be glad to get on with it instead of thinking about it, how we’re se’s for you? X
Hi Lols,
It’s so hard not to worry, isn’t it? One thing you can tell yourself is that if you find TAC too hard and nasty, you can always ask to be changed to a different regime, and your oncologist will do this if he feels it would be better for you.
I have been not bad at all as far a side effects go. I have recently finished my chemo and the worst I’ve had is fatigue, which everyone seems to get. I haven’t been sick once, not had any real mouth problems, and no major tummy problems. I didn’t even lose all my hair, just a few bald patches, and still have my brows and lashes! That has to be a bonus! xxx
Sounds good Lola x thankyou
Hi Lols
My hair started to fall out on about week 2 of the first cycle of chemo. It took a couple of weeks for virtually all of it to fall out. I was left with a very sparse covering of hair (very sparse!) which I thought would come out in the next round but it stayed put for all 6 cycles! The sparse layer is now growing but I’m still waiting for any of the missing hair to re-grow (5 weeks post chemo) but I think it will be about 8 weeks from the last treatment before this happens. The rest of my body hair disappeared soon after the head hair, the last to go was the nose hair which then meant I had a runny nose. Not a great look! My lashes and brows have only just thinned out about 3 weeks post chemo. I am looking forward to getting my hair back - I’m getting fed up with having to put a scarf on every time I leave the house!
xxx
Thankyou, I’ve got some scarves etc ready really don’t think il cold cap don’t fancy not being able to wash hair much. Hope you don’t mind if I keep in touch x
Any nail care advice ladies? X
Hi Lols. I bought 2 bottles of Evonail on line. Have used about half a bottle so far applying Evonail once per day. My nails are the best they have ever been, strong and quite long. Am hoping they stay this way! Xx
well that’s good news thankyou il browse amazon tomorrow this cancer thing is costing me a fortune!!! Thankyou Taylorj. I’m still abit paranoid about why TAC but trying to tell myself he’s prescribing it to give me best chance!!! I will do it and I know I can would rather get on with it than wait, thanks again did pm you hope you don’t mind x
Hi Lols just to let you know I have replied to your pm. X
Hi all I’ve been reading though the thread and It sounds fairly similar to mine, double mastectomy after a 7.5cm grde 3 tumour in one breast and 3/21 lympho affected but all removed. I have done 3 out of 6 tac sessions and am getting used to the feelings and side effects so easier to control, I think! Except other things change each time and I personnally think its how you cope with the side effects that has the greater reflect on your overall reactions.
The first session I was constipated, so took gentle laxatives, Senna and laxodol,. Second session was told to take codeine as the laxatives caused stomach cramps, that caused greater constipation and too much laxatives caused diarrhea. So a constant yoyo in my system and have learned to use gentle treatments that don’t cause violent swings. And each way either constipation or diarrhea causes nausea. Ended up hospitalised after session two and that’s not nice and it really sorted itself out over time.now use only paracetomol painkillers, Fybogel morning and night after meals and ondansatron anti sickness and cyclizine, seem to be less harsh. A 3 week cold has delayed session four, just going back tomorrow. But will try this time to walk every day at least a mile, drink two litres of water and fruit juice, green tea, red bush tea, ginger and lemon for nausea, they all help. And small meals more often, no big dinners, it doesn’t do any good, just feel very sck after. Homemade soup with rice in or rice pudding pots, yoghurt, custards, butternut squash soup is good, little bits of veg added, lots of porridge, honey on toast, fish pie, chicken casserole, gentle and kind to the system seems to help so much.
I can cope with the few days of chemo effects in the first week (lorazepam sleeping pills are my saviour to counterbalance the mad swings of highs and lows and irritability from the steroids). It’s the nausea and stomach cramps and the yoyo toilet habits that get me down the most. Second week is all about these side effects, and avoiding infections, check out visitors for bugs, cold, flu, sick bugs. Also avoid anyone who has had a flu vac as they are live and will give you flu for the first couple of weeks. Certainly family living with you are not advised to have any live vaccine while you are on chemo.
But half way through is good, fourth tomorrow, fifth will be on Christmas eve, just my luck! Then finished by end of January and on to radiation.
I have to say after the three Tac and the next hospital visit with stomach cramps and nausea, I was offered to go down to FEC, tbh though now I’ve got halfway I don’t want to change. Tac was offered as the strongest, most likely to be successful, and I don’t want to give in. If it comes back in later years I will always blame myself for giving in. It almost become ‘mine’ and I don’t want to let go… Odd how it goes. Just need the best chance of total recovery…
I don’t know if this helps you ladies? It’s hard isn’t it, need to summon my inner dragon and crawl out of my cave in the morning and walk back in there, breathing fire and determination and ready for all those needles and drips.
Top tips:
Always find a positive out of everything, there is always one, however black!
Drink lots of liquids.
eat small meals.
avoid too much sugar and salt
I have a running away clause in place, I could run away and not go back for treatment, but of course I choose not to (so far!)
I have my dragon cave I can go into when needed, switch phones off and just stay in bed when I need to.
Sleeping pills are a godsend in the first week, accept them and agree with yourself to sort it out afterwards.
I have a happy list of positive things I can do when I feel Down.
I try to keep any tears just in the shower, then I can dry them and summon the dragon on the way out.
Get your wigs, scarves, hairpieces, etc and find some you love. Try lots.
Some I have loved that i didn’t think would have a chance, some I had to have and hate wearing.
Make it as fun as possible,
I can go in disguise and come out looking totally different if I wish.
Have a bit of fun playing games.
I’ve found also there are some fab and fun chemo hats, at this time of year much nicer than wearing wigs,
I use little hairpieces like a fringe, or a pony tail. Check out ‘heathers hair’ for a charity donation you can get fringes or bobs that you can dye and have cut to shape.
Oh and my hair started falling the second weekend of the first session. It was one of the creepiest things ever, falling out in my dinner like snow, and down the back of my neck, itching like Mosquitos. I went home and got my husband and son to shave it that night, could wait no longer. And it was so desperate I hadn’t bought any clippers so we used the dog clippers, it worked a treat! And the relief after is immense. Pick wobbled a bit walking to the mirror, but it was the best thing I did bar none. And the dog didn’t seem to mind one little bit!
Good luck girls, it’s not the worst thing that could happen!
Xx