I have secodaries in my liver & a rib and have just had 5 of the planned 6 cycles of Taxol & Gemcitabine.
Saw Onc on Tues who said that after the 6th cycle I will have a scan to see if things have improved and if so I will have a chemo break. I asked how long for? and he said for as long as the cancer decides to show signs that it is growing again or has spread elsewhere.
I asked if they do not give a “maintenance” chemo of a lower dose to keep the cancer held back and he said no as it becomes wearing on the body. He said Capecitibine is the chemo that is given long term and I have tried it and it just didnt suit me, it made me quite ill. So that option is out of the window!
Well, im scared to death to think that I will have to just wait until the cancer grows or spreads further for me to be put back onto chemo to start the battle all over again.
I have a grade 3 very aggressive cancer that had come back in my liver & bone after only finishing treatment in December 07 (was diagnosed with the secondaries in May 08 after have 3-4 months of pain in my right side).
Does anyone else out there have maintenance chemo?
Chemoptherherapy works most effectively on cancer when it is still rapidly dividing which is why if there has been good improvement your oncologist may recommend a chemo break. If there has been some improvement s/he could suggest some further cycles now though taxol and gemzar are hard chemos.
Capectibine is the main chmeo given for long periods.LI had it as mainatenance chempo for 3 months after 6 cycles of it combiined with navelklbine but it didn’t work for me…and sound s like no good for you.
Are you triple negative and therefore only able to have chemos?
If at all in doubt I’d ask for a second opinion. I did this and saw a guy at the Marsden and though he didn’t significantly suggest anything my local onc hadn’t he did give me a miuch clearer and better understanding and perspective on my treatments options. (I have a wisdespread regional recurrence which has now damaged nerves in my eye and voicebox…on taxol after trying almost evry other chmeo in the book.) I’m luckier an you in that I was first diagnosed 5 years ago and had 2 plus years in remission.
Hi Julie
I have been on a chemo break since 16th May I have secs in liver and bones so I have byphos (pamidronate) and avastin every 3 weeks. It is a great shame capecitabine did not work for you it is amazing how different we all are I was lucky it worked for 2yrs. I am due to go back on taxol but trying to hold back to have holiday and a bit of fun with hubby.
Sorry you have had to join us but you will get lots of helpful advice from the ladies on here.
Yes Jane, im triple negative so only have chemo as an option (so no Herceptin for me Peacock)
I only managed a week (in total) on Capecitibine and that was with a 3 day break 3 days after I started it! It gave me really terrible side effects, they were listed under the serious side affects catagory so my Onc took me off it.
My Onc really wants to give me a break as he said that after nearly 5 months of tough chemo my body needs a bit of time off it.
Its only a year ago that I finished my lst round of chemo so i’ve been through a lot really? (last year I had 3 EC & 4 Taxotere)
I do trust his judgement but thought I would ask if anyone else gets maintenance chemo or not.
Julie, My wife had eleven sessions of taxotere which was murder, accompanied by high doses of Xeloda, after the Tax was finished she caried on with the Xeloda for another year but it stopped working, they tried hormone therapy but it failed after three months so she is now on her 9th straight FEC.
I am lucky she was extremely fit when diagnosed as otherwise I am sure she could not have survived all of the above. She has bone,liver and lung mets, all are holding back at the moment. It is a great shame you canot tolerate Xeloda, did they try you on the minimum dose and the try to build you up on it ? Ask and see if it is an option as it really works well.
Xeolda doesn’t always work well on triple negatives. This has been found in some recent research in USA. It didn’t work for me and it does sound as though Julie’s side effects were really dire.
Julie…I do hope your scans how a good reduction in tumour. Isn’t this diasese just the pits?