weekly chemo

[Diana1515]

hi,

has anyone had good results with weekly chemo as opposed to every three weeks? studies seem to indicate that it works better but not sure.

any help, much appreciated

adina

[kittie]

Hi Aioanes, I had weekly chemo (carbo/ taxol) in late 2012 early 2013 18 weeks in total and I had 22 months before I had a recurrence in January of this year. I was put back on carbo/taxol again because I had a good 22 months but this time I had chemo for 3 weeks on and 1 week off for 6 months , I finished last week, I am not sure if it works better or not but I am stage 3c and feel it was good for me to have it this way. I know we are all different so I am sure more Ladies on this site will be able to tell you more, the best of luck with your treatment and let us know how you are getting on. Kittie.

[Diana1515 in reply to kittie]

Thank you Kittie. I find doctors so uncooperative, I asked if I could go on it and they said yes but it's highly toxic. Did you find it so? Don't suppose you knew the dose they gave you?

Xx

[kittie in reply to Diana1515]

Hi Aioanes, what I was still getting the same amount of chemo but instead of getting the full amount of Taxol on day 1 of each cycle it would be spread over 3 weeks so the way it was for me was Day1 of cycle 1 Carbo/ Taxol , Day 8 Taxol , Day 15 Taxol and then following week start on cycle 2 until I had 6 cycles . 18 weeks in total. I just found white and red bloods cells dropped quickly, where this time when I had a week off between each cycle bloods just about held up . Kittie

[daisies]

HI. Had started a reply earlier, but got way-layed. Anyway. 1st time around I had the usual 3 weekly session of carbo/taxol. 2nd time around, I was give the drugs on a weekly basis for 9 weeks - then scanned - and then reverted to 3 weekly cycle again. I think it was to give a reduced dosage regularly - but then 3rd time around I was back to 3 weekly cycle.

Mind you, Avastin was also added in when OvCa recurred - so that might have been the deciding factor.

I suppose with us all, we find we are all on slightly different dosages, routines and sometimes drugs and the dosage level can also depend on your height and weight.

Keep pestering your Onc if you feel you are not getting answers or if you don't understand what it being said.

Best wishes & regards,

Daisies

[Bookermel]

Hi I had 3 weekly in frontline but with a bit of a cocktail which varied over the 9 rounds. (Carboplatin 9 rounds with Piclitaxol added to 4 rounds in the middle and Avastin from the 4th round, continuing for a further 6 rounds) It worked well but my Ca125 had started turning 2 months after completion (I was still on Avaistain so still had regular bloods done.

After a treatment break went on Cisplatian for about 7 rounds bloods were not coming up to allow for 3 weekly so settled on 4 weekly worked to begin with then Ca125 started to rise a bit rapidly.

Changed to Caelyx (Doxil) 4 rounds bit of a disaster didnt work for me at all. Bad numbers bad scan.

On my 4th line I had weekly Piclitaxil and this worked very well, better than any of us expected brought CA125 from 10,000 + to 300+ before it started rising again. I did 9 weeks without a break and then did 3 weeks on one week off and then a week on a week off for a few rounds but numbers were rising again.

I have now switched back to 3 weekly Carboplatin/Gemciteibine (Gemzar), but am a bit wrecked drug working well on CA125 but has hammered my bone marrow and so the bloods are really slow coming back up have already had to delay for 2 weeks after 1st treatment!

But we all react differently to the various drugs and regiemes and what works for one may not work for the other similarly something that has a low statistical outcome may work brilliantly for some.

Side effects and possible things to think about:

On 3 weekly and 4 weekly regiemes I found that I had a few days that I felt totally rubbish with the odd slightly off day, but most of the time I felt fine if a bit lack lusture! So some days were no choice duvet days, just had to rest and some days very achey and flulike!

On weekly I found that I was always a bit lack lustre, with the odd slightly off day but very few rubbish days, although as treatment went on I did feel like there was no break. Knowing that I am likly to be on one Chemo or another for the rest of my life this was a bit depressing it feels very different when you have set times for the duration of treatments. At no time did it stop me doing what I wanted to do so not so bad.

If your blood counts are low on 3 weekly it may be possible to get drugs to help boost your bone marrow. This may not be possible because of the time scale in which they work on weekly.

I think whether weekly works better or not will be down to the individual case and situation. If I had weekly as front line I dont know whether it would have prevented me from having a reoccurance quite so quickily but I dont think so.

But if I couldnt have had weekly as 4th line with my cancer accellerating so fast and in the condition I was I dont think I'd be here today.

Hope all goes well with your treatment!

[Lovis]

Hello. I've just started weekly Taxol as my fourth line. I have had 3 weeks on and next week off and then start again. I'm really hoping it's going to work. Adina, perhaps you and I could keep in touch as we are doing the same regime at the moment. Where in the country do you live? I'm in Suffolk. Lovis x

[Diana1515]

Lets do that. I had one chemo 3 weeks ago then my second cycle of 3 weeks today then last cycle before operation each week. Wanted to start today but doc says it can take a week to get bupa approval as it's non standard. I had my Ca125 drop after first chemo from 263 to 169 which is encouraging.

Looking at Intraperitoneal chemo after operating. Such fun

Xx

[Strawberryfield]

Hi iv been on weekly carboplatin for 10weeks now out of 18.i wasn't able to have it for 3 of those weeks due to low platelets.im now on a reduced dose.i don't really know about results because information doesn't seem to be given freely.the nurse did say my markers were down last week but what does that mean theyv come down 1point or a100 I don't know.being on a reduced dose doesn't really sit well with me because to me that isn't going to be as effective.i guess time will tell.regards carolyn

[Diana1515 in reply to Strawberryfield]

I guess if I were you I'd push for three weekly cycles instead at full dose for your peace of mind.

Xx