Carboplatin is it the big hitter

[rosebine]

A lot of chemotherapy seems to start off with carbo and carry on with something else either separate or combined. Is Carbo the big honcho and the others mainly back ups?

[Lyndy]

It’s the gold standard and frankly I love the stuff! Yes it can have side effects like any chemo but it works wonders for me. Other agents like taxol can be rougher and are often paired with carboplatin for maximum effect. xx

[Katmal-UK]

Hi, as Lyndy says its the gold standard and has others added. I became allergic so can no longer have carbo .

[Irisisme in reply to Katmal-UK]

Hi Karnak,Glad to hear from someone else who has had an allergic reaction to Carboplatin. I had to swap to Paclitaxel for 2nd line, it’s much nastier!

I hope you’re doing ok.

Iris x

[Katmal-UK in reply to Irisisme]

Hi Iris. I swapped to Cisplatin which I am led to believe is the forerunner to Carbo and yes that was harsher but doable. Im doing well thanks, off for routine scan this morning. Hope you are doing ok xx

[Irisisme in reply to Katmal-UK]

Hi Katmal,

Yes, thank you, I’m doing fine.

Good Luck with the scan.

Iris xx

[Hidden]

Unfortunately we are all different, I have a particularly aggressive form of OC and have tried Carbo/Taxol - Carbo/Caelyx and Carbo/Gem all have reduced my tumours, but they grow back almost immediately I stop. That said others on here have had excellent results with all of the above, all you can do is talk to your team and go for it. x

[Nadie2018 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Lyn1987. I seem to have a similar response to Carbo. Had Carbo/Taxol initially and just finished 2 chemo with Carbo/Gemzar/Avastin. I had almost a complete reversal of a very ugly PET scan but already have rising Ca-125 and abdominal symptoms in less than 8 weeks of Avastin alone. What was your next step?

[Hidden in reply to Nadie2018]

In between Caylex and gemcitibine I tried Niraparib, I felt that, that just made my cancer spread to lots of new areas really fast. I have just started weekly Taxol. I sympathise, I really do as it is devastating when they can't find a combination that keeps this blasted disease at bay. Good luck with your continued treatment. x

[Lizzieanne in reply to Hidden]

Hi Lyn interested to see you felt niraparib made the cancer spread. I think i will be offered a parp inhibitor when I see onc. on Wed. just finished carbo and taxol for recurrence and feel wary about these drugs. Read somewhere that the cancer was more aggressive when avastin stopped . How true this is I dont know. Did you just feel something wasnt right? Or did yr CA125 increase. Thank you

[Ruebacelle]

Hi. Think they start w this as lst line protocol but the other combos can be as effective

[mrstadpole]

I have always responded well to Carbo. I was told by my oncologist that it is the main player.

[AlaNtO]

IMHO the chemo drugs used most often and therefore seen by Oncologists as effective are grouped into the Taxols and the platinum based. Their basic aim is cytotoxic - like some snake poisons - and kill cells . Hopefully the bad ones. There is a plethora of drugs nowadays and new ones come out all the time. Some have distinct purposes like maintenance others to reduce red blood cells etc. Some of the older drugs work despite reputations for nausea etc. Your Oncologist will suggest certain drugs he/she feels will control or eliminate the cancer. If you do not have health insurance or medical aid some can be very expensive although not effective. Just be sure your Onc does your bloods, takes your BP and weighs you with each treatment or at least weekly. This should tell the Onc if the drug is working. What we endure to get on top of the disease! Best wishes.

[Barlow1951]

I was told that Carboplatin is the main drug but that combining it with Taxol has even more effect. This combination is considered to be the Gold Standard for first line chemo in Ovarian Cancer. I was too weak to tolerate full dosage of either drug, so had 75% of both for first 3 treatments. Then I developed peripheral neuropathy after the 3rd dose, so my oncologist left the Taxol at 75% but increased the Carboplatin to 100% for the remaining 3 doses. I completed chemo in April 2016 and have been NED ever since, so taking reduced doses does seem to work.All the best for your treatment, Barbara