Weekly Taxol not working anymore, what other options?

[vmichel]

Hello,

About to start my 5th weekly Taxol cycle tomorrow, and just got confirmation for what I suspected last month: it’s not working anymore. After a very good start (CA 125 went down from 300 to 40, then was 49 a month ago), the marker is now 97. I guess I will finish the 5th cycle and probably the 6th, but wondering what options you were proposed for those of you who had Taxol/Carboplatin (+ a few cycles of Avastin), Caelyx/Carbo, tablets (cannot remember the name, did not work at all) and weekly Taxol? Was asked in December to choose between weekly Taxol and weekly Topotecan, so guess that’s what I’ll have, but apparently it comes with a lot of nausea...

Also, forgot to ask: do some of you experiment immediate memory loss under Taxol? Keep forgetting everything, it's a pain... Not sure it's specific to Taxol or due to the fact that my only chemo "break" over the last 2 1/2 years has been in July-August 2014 for a debulking surgery...

Thanks!

Véronique

[Lyndy]

Hi Veronique

I can't help with your question but just wanted to wish you well and hope they offer you a better solution. I had just commented elsewhere about how good I am feeling at the moment but knowing a bit about this disease now I am also aware that it can be very up and down... Sending positive thoughts to you xx Lyndall

[vmichel in reply to Lyndy]

Thanks Lyndall. Enjoy, you deserve it! Keep well! Véronique

[peanut2]

Hi I had weekly taxol  8 altogether and have been told it's not worked. Im due to start cisplatin today waiting on a hospital bed . Also had the Carbo Caelyx last year, it stopped working after third one .  Never been offered topotecan . 

Good luck with treatment xx

[vmichel in reply to peanut2]

Sorry you're at the hospital... Good luck for your next treatment, hope everything will go smoothly. Focus on your daughter's wedding, you definitely have to be there!!! Best wishes, Véronique

[trix70 in reply to peanut2]

Hi,  peanut, why do you have to be in hospital for cisplatin ?

I am like you with treatments,  carbo/ caylex stopped working after no 4 and weekly taxol around no 14.  But they still wanted me to carry on and complete the course, which I did. Taxol must have worked a bit as the scan showed 3 tumours had shrunk and the others stable so I am on 3 months watch and wait. But another drug was mentioned but I can't remember what and it may be cisplatin, so will be very interested in how you get on.

Wishing you all the very best that this does the business for you.

Trix x

[trix70]

Hi Veronique,

Although I have just finished weekly Taxol , sorry  I can't help with the memory question, as I am getting on a bit now 72 going on 73, any memory problems will probably be age.

So sorry you have had 2 and a half years of chemo, that is so much, thought I was bad enough with 10 months recently. 

I am surprised your oncologist is asking you to choose, I would have thought they would choose the best one for you.

Weekly Taxol has not been too bad , no sickness, just the aches , taste and hair loss.

But whatever you choose I wish you the very very best. Trix X

[vmichel in reply to trix70]

Hello,

Sorry for not answering earlier on, chemo day yesterday, and the antihistamine makes me sleep (and the steroids keep me fully awake after that :-)). 

Do you know what my 1st thought was when I looked at the marker? That will be the 3rd summer in a row I won't be able to go on holidays with my son, that there won't be anyone around at least 2 weeks at the beginning of August as all my friends have already booked their holidays...

And yes, my oncologist aksed me to choose. Was pretty surprised too. He told me I had two options now: either weekly Taxol or weekly Topotecan. I first asked him what would make him choose one or the other, but he replied giving me the side effects for Topotecan (I already had Taxol) and to choose between nausea and losing my hair. I chose to lose my hair, but still have them

Unless I have symptoms, the intern yesterday told me we'll go for the 6 rounds and then have a scanner.

Véronique

[LesleyGreengran]

I'm on cisplatin. It's tough but is working. There's also calyx which was suggested for me but we went for the cisplatin. The docs kind of gave me a choice but with strong recommendations.

[vmichel in reply to LesleyGreengran]

Hi Lesley,

Yes, heard about it, but I'm platinum resistant, so guess I cannot have that one.

Good luck with your treatment? How many cycles left?

Véronique

[LesleyGreengran in reply to vmichel]

Just one next week so I'm nearly through with it - for now. I've got some holidays planned for the summer.

[Di16]

My tumours are hormone sensitive, & after weekly Taxol I went on to hormone therapy.  I had a year on Exemestane tablets.  At my onc appointment 2 weeks ago I was told it seemed to have stopped working, & am now trying Tamoxifen.  Not everyone is suitable for hormone therapy, & I don't know what I will have when I run out of options, probably back on some kind of chemo.                                         

Di

[vmichel in reply to Di16]

Hi,

Thanks for your answer. Having PPC, so don't think they'll propose me hormone therapy.

After my last scan, the oncologist told me that in a few months time they'll be able to analyze samples for my surgery to see if the cells muted and became BRCA positive. Found it pretty strange as I'm BRCA negative, but apparently, the cancerous cells can mute and display this gene. Anyone heard about it?

Véronique