Chemo imminent - Ocean Trial

[Lovis]

Has anyone else been on the Ocean regime? I'm going to have gem, carbo and avastin on day 1 and then gem again on day 8 then rest for the rest of the 3 week period. How did you feel? I was pretty good on taxol & carbo for firstline.

[Whippit]

Hi Lovis

My oncologist in Wales recommended me to join the Ocean2 trial in order to access Bevacizumab but it was temporarily closed by the time I arrived at the Royal Marsden.

I have had the same prescription as you - with the exception, I believe, that the dosage of Avastin (Bevacizumab) is 7.5 mg half the dose you would get if you accessed the drug via the National Cancer Drugs Fund. I didn't have too many bad side-effects with the chemo/avastin combination but did get incredibly tired. Perhaps influenced by the fact that I was travelling back and forth from Cardiff to London for treatment.

I got a bit of joint pain and backache but you can take painkillers bought over the counter for that. Some ladies in the group I joined had constipation though I didn't. Overall it wasn't a bad concoction ... and I had a post-chemo meeting with the oncologist who said the combination had done what was hoped so it seems a very hopeful sort of regime to me.

Good luck with the trial. Hope it all goes well. xxx love Annie

[Izzystep]

Hello Lovis, I am on the same regime as Annie but only ever got the gemcitabine on day 8 on one occasion because if very low blood counts. The oncologist didn't want to keep delaying the carbo/gem/Avastin so they dropped it completely.

My only side effects have been tiredness, constipation and a constant runny nose (resulting in a sore nose). All in all not a bad combination.

I hope to getting my final cycle next Monday, then the dreaded CT scan!!

Best of luck, let Annie and I know how you get on, you never know we may have some good tips.

Love n hugs Izzystep xxx

[Kaskin]

Hi

I have had gem/carbo and avastin via the Oceans trial, and did well, although very tired due

to low blood counts. I have continued on avastin since November, my Ca125 is starting to rise, so I have a scan booked for next week to see what's happening.

I hope it is successful for you

[Hidden]

Ocean Trial sounds like quite an exciting cruise so I do think the name is unfortunate. Hoping you do really well. Xx

[Whippit in reply to Hidden]

I quite like the sound of an Ocean trial but then I'm a keen sailor lol. Wish they'd think up some cheerful and more pronounceable names for chemotherapy and drugs. Gemcitibane sounds like rat poison to me. Bevacizumab could be a Harry Potter spell and could be said with a swipe of a wand. xx

[Bridgemate]

This was my secondline treatment. Much easier to tolerate than carbo/taxol. No severe permanent side effects (I still have very painful neuropathy from the taxol). The carbo/gem/avastin combination got my CA125 count down from 900 to 131. After five cycles my CA125 count did not change so my oncologist stopped the carbo/gem but I stayed on the Avastin. Only side effect of Avastin appears to be runny nose. I am exhausted all the time but is that the cancer or avastin or both? CA125 now increasing and will soon start third line chemo, possibly to go on the PROCEED trial.

[iamstillme]

Hi loves have just finished the 6 cycles gem/carbo and will continue on the avastin. I had a bit of a miserable time with sore mouth/altered taste/loss appetite which resulted in a lot of weight loss . Runny nose with avastin. I have had other issues but was really unwell before started chemo with ascites/pleural effusions and clots on lungs so unsure what is due to chemo and was due to overall condition. Hope things go really well for you

Love

Ally

[copperpenny]

I am doing this second line. I had piteakial hemmoraging from the carbo( my hand and legs) and spent 5 days in hospital. platelets were almost gone. 7 units of platelets and 2 of blood. felt good the whole time , blood work told another story, am going to stay with the gemzar/avastin and add afinitor soon to target the p13k ,.