40 yrs old gct,bilateral oophorectomy & hysterectomy. Chemo(abraxane) coming up. Has anyone had experience? What should I expect from chemo?

[Artichoke78]

40 yrs old gct,bilateral oophorectomy & hysterectomy. Chemo(abraxane) coming up. Has anyone had experience? What should I expect from chemo?

[Lindaura]

Dear Artichoke,

So sorry to hear that you are afflicted with this disease at such a young age.

I have not had this particular formulation, but basically it is anothe form of Taxol (Pacitaxol) that is one of the gold standard chemo drugs for Ovarian

Cancer.

Abraxane is called protein bound Pacitaxol and it is supposed to make your infusions easier.

Otherwise you will experience some of the same side effects we all get in varying degrees. Although some lucky ladies may only experience a few.

You definitely will lose your hair, but here in England, your local MacMillan charity will help you purchase and fit a charming wig.

I myself was laid very low by Taxol, and the first week is often pretty rough, with nausea ( which can be averted with Emend and careful use of Ondansetron and Omeprazole, along with anti constipating meds).

Loss of Appetite is usually a problem, and your taste buds might become wonky.

You may suffer pains in your legs and you may just be too fatigued to do much of anything. Try to rest as much as possible.

Now is the time to enlist family members and close friends to help with house keeping and meal preparation.

It’s also good to have a trusted partner to come with you for your Chemo infusions and Oncology Appointments.

Try to find entertainment from Netflix or Audio books, and most important, try to have your bed near a toilet.

I moved into the basement studio to be near ours! Too many stairs from the first floor!

Anyway, try to think of this as an adventure. You really don’t know how everything will affect you, but you want every cancer cell to be destroyed, so let yourself relax into treatment.

I hope this helps,

Kind regards,

Laura

[Artichoke78 in reply to Lindaura]

Thank you! May I ask is it important to be near the toilet bc of diarrhea or vomiting? Also have you been on abraxane? I am told it is a bit more modern with fewer side effects....

I was finding that the Zoran was making me nauseous as I have to take it to help with Flagyl. Surprisingly a half dose of Zofran has been more effective than a full.

May I ask did you also have gct?

[Lindaura in reply to Artichoke78]

I don’t actually know what GCT is. I have High grade serous carcinoma ( Ovarian Cancer).

I don’t Know anyone here on Abraxane, but I read that it is Taxol with Albumin added that somehow makes the Taxol easier to infuse.

I use zofram (Ondansetron) sparingly. But it does work. I also use Cyclazine, which is not constipating. I think it’s called Mersine in the USA. But Emend is a new anti nausea med that I have only just starting using in the first days of Chemo and it is amazing.

Best wishes,

Laura

[19Mary in reply to Lindaura]

I didn't lose my hair while in Abraxane though it did change texture. I rarely used the cold cap.

[Manchesterlady]

Hi , I had carboplatin on its own , I had my dose reduced after my second infusion as I felt so weak , I wasn’t sick , just wiped out and got a urinary infection. The constipation was awful because I wasn’t taking enough ductlese . We all react differently and are on different drugs , just let your team know how your feeling, don’t suffer in silence. Good luck

Sheila xx

[AusTig]

This time last year I was put on abraxane. The side effects for me were losing my hair (I regarded this as a badge of honour) and the development of neuropathy. Because of the neuropathy I didn’t finish the course. Taste affected, tiredness but nothing all that bad.

[Artichoke78 in reply to AusTig]

Hi did you lose all your hair? I started losing some. I'm hoping to find people on abraxane who didn't lose all...

[Yoshbosh]

Hi Artichoke,

I’m on weekly Abraxane at the moment, and my main side effect has been hair loss. I’ve just finished cycle 4 (12 doses) and the neuropathy in my hands has just kicked in (numbness/tingling in the finger tips). I’m going to ask about a dose reduction for cycle 5/6.

I haven’t had any nausea whatsoever, no bathroom troubles, hardly any fatigue etc. If it weren’t for the baldness, I wouldn’t really know I was on chemo. Life has continued without interruption, although the weekly trip to the hospital has been a pain!

It’s also a relatively quick infusion of about 30mins with 10mins for the flush through.

Good luck with it.

Vicki

[Artichoke78 in reply to Yoshbosh]

Thank you!!!

[Artichoke78 in reply to Yoshbosh]

Hi Vicki, may I ask if all your hair fell out and how quickly? Mine started coming out Sunday but hoping it wont all fall out...

[Yoshbosh in reply to Artichoke78]

I think it was about 3-4 weeks. I ended up looking a bit moth eaten so went for the full head shave, rather than wait and see what happened.

[Di16]

I also have gct, a rare type of ovarian cancer. I had had my hysterectomy &. Oopherectomy in February 2008.

[Artichoke78 in reply to Di16]

How are you now? Thank you for sharing.

[Di16 in reply to Artichoke78]

I have a recurrence which is currently being treated with Letrozole tablets. It's a hormone blocker that can help to hold back the progress of the cancer for a while. I'm finding it very easy to tolerate & I'm feeling well. I have my next scan at the end of next month, & an oncology appointment the following week to find out the result. I hope you are able to have as good a Christmas as you can, knowing you have chemo coming up. My husband & I are spending Christmas Day with our elder daughter & her 3 teenagers (& I believe the eldest one's girlfriend) so we'll probably be part of quite a noisy crowd. Di

[Di16]

Sorry, I accidentally posted my message before finishing it. I have not had Abraxane, but had weekly Taxol, & found quite easy to cope with apart from a bit of neuropathy & thinning of my hair. No nausea at all. I hope you cope with your chemo ok, & it does what you hope it will for you. Di

[Fitmumof2]

Hi, i am really sorry to hear your diagnosis. I am having surgery on 8th Jan for a very large (23x18x12cm) mass that the gyn onc thinks is a GCT. I am also youngish, 42. I am hopeful that they have got it wrong for me. My inhibin levels were normal a few weeks back. Can I ask if yours were checked pre surgery? Was yours found incidentally and did they suspect gct or only realise during the op? I am in Australia so I have no idea of the time difference!