why does our medical team go to the trouble of weighing us before each cycle, calculating body surface area and all that only to give us a standard dose?
I’m quite small yet I’m having the same dose of tax as a man who weighs 1.5 times as much as me.
The chemo-nurse was concerned I’d had such a bad reaction to my fingers from AC altho onc didn’t flinch and I’m wondering if Ive had too much! I really don’t want too much paclitaxel. I’m having 175 every 2 weeks and I weigh almost 9 stone, but that’s reducing as at least half a stone is baby-weight that’s coming off.
I haven’t got the answer but am so please you’ve posted this as it’s something that’s worried me.
I was very carefully weighed & measured pre-chemo in order, according to chemo nurse, to calculate dosage. During chemo I put on 2 stone and was worried I wasn’t having enough! But when I mentioned this to nurses on chemo ward they were highly amused and said it wouldn’t make any difference. I’m as puzzled as you!
Hi jane gud question i only ever got weighed once that was b4 my treatment started i no it goes of height and weight thats what the nurse told me maybe i didnt have my share then as i put 3 stone on in 6 month period not that sure how they realy work it out i had a 25% reduction on my last tax
I wondered the same as you. I went from just over 9st down to 8.5st during docetaxel and although I was weighed every time, my dose didn’t change as a result of that. It DID change (reduced 20%) after I was hospitalised with neutropenic sepsis. I queried that the dose was never altered to match my weight and was told that they only bother if weight loss/gain is quite significant.
I see (drugs.com/dosage/paclitaxel.html) the usual dose for breast cancer is 175mg/m2 but for other cancers, the dose is different. So I’m guessing you’re either having the same TOTAL dose as the man because he has a different cancer, or your doses are both 175mg/m2, but obviously the actual amounts given are different, based on your different weights. If you see what I mean.
Here’s a body surface area calculator if you want to check you are getting the right dose/play around with dosing options.
I lost a lot of weight mid chemo (FECT) due to septicemia, and when my weight had dropped by 10% then the chemo dose was altered. Don’t know if that helps or not - 10% seemed to be the magic number.
I am never weighed only blood tests. I have put on 2 st so far in 6 months. I wonder how they work it out too. There is a lot of calculator action going on before they poison me.
x sarah
I put on two stone during chemo and was told that 10 % was the magic number, but even then it only altered a very little bit. When they rechecked me and phone pharmacy the alteration to the the dose was 1 mg for my weight and height, so they phoned the onc who said I should have it anyway and not change it.
My dose was reduced for my last two chemos but that was because my bloods didn’t recover well between chemo despite the neulasta injections. They assumed that the dose I was on was completely wiping me out.
i wondered the same thing when I had my chemo. I was very sick on FEC and lost nearly two stone but my chemo never reduced. I asked my Onc but he said there wouldn’t be any change. Only had a reduced dose when I developed neutropenic sepsis after my first taxotere.
There’s no harm in mentioning to your Onc for reassurance if nothing else.
take care, Elinda
HI all
thank you for your responses - thanks for the links Tanya. I am about to do the sums. I would have thought half a stone at 9st is significant. And why is it someone at 9st has the same dose as someone who starts off at 10st? I don’t understand.
Sarah - know what you mean about poisoning you!
I think I’ll try and ask my onc although he doesn’t want to see me again until treatment is finished. Hey ho. xxx Jane
