Hi all,
So we met with my dad's oncologist yesterday. He qualifies for a trial of which one of the requirements is a try on chemo first. My dad is 88 yrs old but they seem to feel that he could tolerate low doses of chemo.
Anyone on here with experience of low dose chemo? Specifically with seniors?
I would suggest discussing weekly infusions to reduce the risks. This is commonly done with older patients, his doctor may already be planning that.
Heres an article about chemotherapy for older men with prostate cancer.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...
A quote from the article: "One strategy when administering docetaxel to older patients is to use weekly scheduling, which is generally perceived to be better tolerated due to lower rates of hematologic toxicity compared to the standard 3-weekly regimen."
Hi there and thanks for your reply.
I've been reading that in a couple of sites. He suggested lower dose, every 4 weeks.
I think I will bring this up to him. We were kinda on the fence about doing the chemo anyway with his age but supposedly many seniors have tolerated it ok.
Another good thing about doing chemo on a weekly basis is that is a much smaller commitment and allows you to monitor how well he is doing in a shorter interval. You are working with smaller doses so if it doesn't work, it's faster to get off of it and recover. I think it's really the safest approach for older patients. He may be able to tolerate the full dose, if delivered on a weekly basis. That would give better results. The dose can always be adjusted if needed.
I know a fellow in his 70s who tolerated chemo well. His was for lung cancer but he is doing great! His dose might not have been all that low... but all his scans for cancer have been clear.. fingers crossed I hope they stay that way. Hugs and prayers for your dad.
Thanks so much softwaremom. Just finished his type and screen this morning for transfusion on Monday. His oncology seem to feel secure with this approach but the whole chemo thing is so scary with his age.
Are you a Developer by chance? Just noticed your name.
I'm 75 and will get my 6th docetaxil on Tuesday. I've tolerated it quite well - only spells of fatigue and loss of tastebuds (and I only need to shave once a week). My oncologist credits this to my (other than cancer) excellent health and high level of physical fitness - I've done heavy gym workouts 3 times a week for decades.
So I'd say if your dad is otherwise in good shape, he should tolerate it well. My oncologist sized the dosage according to my age anyway - he said if I'd been a lot younger I would have gotten a stronger dose. I've always been slightly anemic so that probably had something to do with my fatigue reaction.
Remember this stuff is poison. Your body will be fighting against it.
Thank you so much for your response. He was a very healthy senior up until his diagnosis. At this point, he still gets around, just a little slower.
His doc did specify low dose but I didn't know they could do it by age as well.
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