Combinations

Hi everyone when I started my chemo last September I was having paclatixol and carboplatin.on my second session I had an allergic reaction to the taxol,they restarted it after half an hour and I was fine.when I went to the next session I had a reaction again so it was stopped.i don't know but I assume they are given together for a reason I was told it didn't matter.so now I am asking myself if my cancer is active again after only 3 months would the result have been better if I'd stayed on the combination.i just wondered if anyone else had had the same.regards Carolyn x

[kaz14]

Hi Carolyn, I finished my treatment 22 months ago, stage 3c and am fortunately still in remission. I also had a reaction on second session of carbon tackle, it was extremely bad and very scarey. They said I wouldn't be able to have taxol again, so I continued on carboplatin only, I was told taxol only does 10% of the work and carbo does the rest. It worked well for me, so I don't know if it would have made a difference if you'd had the two, unfortunately you've been very unlucky. I hope you have a much better response to the next chemo that you have. Good luck.

Love Kaz xx

[kaz14 in reply to kaz14]

Carbo taxol I meant not carbon tackle. Flipping predictive text !!

[Hidden in reply to kaz14]

Thank you for your reply .the reaction certainly is scary I thought the cancer isn't going to kill me this is it only lasted moments but felt like hours.i just can't get my head round being given carboplatin again.my onc said having it weekly is more effective...I guess I have to trust her she knows what she's talking about.regards Carolyn x

[angeladale]

The reactions are very scary ....I have reacted badly to caelyx , then re introduction of carboplatin . The oncologists however , see it all the time , and take it all in their stride....and it seems to me , that they have the experience and we have to go with that. I am now on weekly cisplatin ( again ) ....and hope we knock the bugger back for a bit . Tried and tested , but very little new being offered ( to me ) .

Hope you fair well this time .

Angela

[Whippit]

Hi Carolyn

I had single-agent carbo-platin and had a very good response to it. My locum consultant, same hospital as Karen's, also told me it does 10% of the job. It does make you wonder what might have happened had you had both agents but at least I hope it's reassuring for you that there was a good medical reason why you were unable to have paclitaxel. It was because it might well have done you a lot of harm rather than doing you any good.

This idea of 90% and 10% is a bit confusing. It's not a tablet of stone because treatments for ovarian cancer are still in the development stage and they can't yet predict who will respond to one or another treatment though this is something that is going to be available to us and let's hope it's in the near future.

I was told the reason we are given two treatments is that the two agents cause cell death at a slightly different point in the cell's life cycle so hitting us with a combination, if we can tolerate it, covers all eventualities.

I'm hoping, reading your post, that nobody has actually said the tumours are active again after just three months. It's natural to worry and particularly if you are disappointed you weren't medically suited to taxol. If you're worried it's worth phoning the Nurse-led line at Ovacome. They're so knowledgeable and will be be a great reassurance to you. I can only share my experience and say I did OK on carbo-platin alone. I really hope it's the same for you and that you don't let worries get you down.

xxx Annie

[Hidden in reply to Whippit]

the onc did say the cancer was active after 3 months.anyway your response about the carboplatin has made me feel much better I don't feel as worried about it and I do feel now that the result could be positive.thank you once again today will be a better day.regards Carolyn x

[Whippit in reply to Hidden]

Thinking of you and hoping the consultant comes up with some better news. Sending loads of love xx Annie

[daisies]

Carolyn. I see Annie has explained it clearer that I could. But we may all be given different combinations of drugs - & also some 1 drug only. If we began to doubt the benefits of which option is best for us, we would drive our minds & brains into overdrive.

I had carbo & taxol originally and then on the 1st recurrence Avastin was added in. As the period between recurrences was over 6 months - the 2nd recurrences, the last 3 drugs combinations were used. Stayed on avastin (maintenance) for over 2 & 1/2 yrs and off it now.

Always believed the Onc knew the best options, even though at times I asked about other drugs.

I still live in hope of no further recurrences - might shock the medics yet.

best wishes, Maureen

[Wiganw]

Hi Carolyn

I think everyone is different. I had a reaction to the taxol on my second session. The taxol was stopped and I was not able to have it again. My Ca125 started to rise after taxol was stopped. I had 7 months before I had to start chemo again. I then had carbo/ gem combination and have now been 20 months not needing treatment. I strongly believe different treatments suite different people and different cancers.

Sharon.

[valeriel]

Exactly what happened to me! My onc explained that carboplatin was the gold standard but they have paclitaxol so they like to hit the cancer with all they have got. I guess there is no way they could continue if there is a re-action. He assured me that it wouldn't make any difference to the outcome. I also only had 5 cycles as my last one was cancelled as the chemo was attacking my bone marrow to the extent that I was in danger of a life threatening infection. Are you due for a check up soon?