Hi ladies
just wondering if there are many others who like me, are trying a specific chemo for a 2nd time after having a good response first time round?? I had a good response to carboplatin earlier this yr + after a 6month break from chemo, I’m back on it (I had my 1st infusion last wk). It seems quite rare even the chemo nurses seem to think it’s uncommon so I really don’t know what to expect. I know it could go either way but was just wondering what other peoples experiences were?
I naturally hoping that as it worked so well last time, surely it’s not going to be totally ineffective this time round. Early days I know but not feeling any improvement in nodes or breathlessness as yet. It’s hard not to worry isn’t it 
Any advice/ experiences welcome. Thanks
tina x
Hi Tina sorry cant help just wanted to tell you what I was told by bcn I asked if I have to go back onto chemo in jan as I had a gd responce to carboplatin wld I be able to have it again she sd no they will use something dif as my onc won’t use the same stuff straight away he likes you to have a long break first I think prob due to se here hoping y works well again when your next scan tc laura
Hi,
Not had the experience myself but do know people who have had same chemo more than once. I think it depends on the chemo and how long between, some of the harsher ones normally need a break and some are not generally repeated but others seem fine. So my muddled answer is that it does happen but depends on individual circumstances.
Good luck! xx
If there has been a long break between using the same chemo, it MAY be effective. I asked the same question last week-hoping to try taxotere again after a 4 year break, but he wasn’t optimistic it would help.He did give a technical explanation-but I was really only interested to know a straight answer. Have to admit that I was disappointed that chemos aren’t effective on subsequent use. It has something to do with the remaining tumours and cells, which it failed to wipe out first time around.I’m amazed that you’ve gone back on carboplatin after such a short break-hope it helps to some degree.
Thanks for the responses. Seems pretty rare as I thought but my onc has had some success with long term/ repeat use of carbo. Another TN lady she treated had 3 rounds of carbo before it ceased to work. I think the thing I’m holding onto is that it was still working when I finished earlier this yr- it’s not like I’d started having ptogression. So hopefully there is a little bit of mileage left in this drug for me. My onc said some tn ladies are highly sensitive to platinum based chemos. I tolerated it well too so another reason to give it another shot…
I guess it’s a wait and see situation. My options are somewhat limited being TN, so it makes sense to exhaust each option before moving onto the next.
Fingers crossed x
Hi Gingerbud,
I’m just started my secong go on docetaxol, which my onc seems to think migth well be successful. Its a few years since my last. I’m TN too. Here’s hoping its all good this time around.
I’d be interested in hearing the rationale behind long term usage of carboplatin, as it’s the one I’m on at present. I argued last week that we should continue beyond the usual 6 cycles-and have had a reprieve in that we’ll do another 3, rescan, and see what is happening.Afer 6 cycles I had had stability in some areas, reduction in others-so I would like to be optimistic-but it’s more complex than I understand at present-these tumours are just too clever and devious, so I can see the potential problems.I am very opposed to taking a break if something is working-and he agrees that to take a break and then return is not the way to get the optimum benefit-unless there is a long period between reuse.Yet at the same time he is reluctant to continue beyond the conventional 6 cycles-fine I think for primary patients, but think those of us with secondaries need to be viewed and treated differently, so we can get optimum benefit-if only a few months-of any treatment which has helped.
But he is not convinced that the conventional chemos can be used in the long term way which we see with capecitabine, for example. I’m not raising my hopes-but overall I feel well, and it seems worth continuing for this reason alone.
Hi!! I spoke to my onc today about this issue. She has said that having a Carboplatin break nd then coming back to it is an option. So my plan is…three more Carboplatins then scans. If it is still holding the cancer, then a chemo break with regular scans. If / when tumours start to grow again I could try carbo again. She did say this will help to not rush through them nd prolong things!!
We are getting mixed messages, must be down to individuals.
Hugs nd smiles,
Sadie Xx Xx
Hey sadie :)))
yes I think nothing should be written off as an option given we are all different + respond differently to different treatments. I am fully aware this is a gamble, but feel I’ve got to give the carbo another shot given it worked so well + I was still responding when I stopped in may. In the states, they tend to stay on a given treatment til it stops working so from that perspective, re-trying a drug is defo worthwhile. Being triple neg we don’t want to rush through our options too quickly do we! And at least longer term use is an option with carbo, unlike some other drugs.
Think eribulin will be my next treatment, not too keen on weekly tax but there’s a trial I could do with that. Scared that it won’t work given my lack of response to taxotere
quite liking having hair so fingers crossed carbo won’t let me down…
Tina xx