Can I manage the last cycle of Carboplatin

[Catfeeder]

Hello to you all, hoping you have had some happy times over Christmas

My tumour burst during my surgery so I agreed to 6 rounds of carboplatin, I was diagnosed with stage 1c endometriod .July this year.

I have my 5th round of chemo on 31st December and not sure I can stomach a 6th in .January. The 3rd was the worse re side effects and my oncologist then reduced the dose and gave me an extra week before the cycle started again which did help with some of the side effects but the neuropathy and tinnitus are worse, perhaps cumulative? As my kidneys are so good, I have a high dose of the chemo, with the normal dosage 300-400 and my starting dose was 625, now reduced to 500.

I have my next oncologist appointment in .Jan and she knows I want to discuss not having the last one, I am expecting her to convince me to have it, so if you have any advice, wise words or experience it would be appreciated.

Thankyou and happy new year x

[Heart12345]

The way I look at it is chemo is a relatively temporary thing that could cure us. We need to give the cancer a good wallop of it. I would probably go for full number of treatments. I imagine they have come up with that number for a reason. Good luck with your decision 👍🤗

[Catfeeder in reply to Heart12345]

Thankyou x

[Yorkiepudd]

For my last two cycles I had a slightly longer and slowly reducing course of steroids afterwards which really helped. Perhaps ask your CNS about that possibility? My last cycle dose of chemo was also reduced slightly as the neuropathy hadn’t gone since the previous session. I can understand where you’re coming from but you’ve broken the back of it so unless you desperately can’t face it or get some more help with the side effects then hang in there ❤️

[Catfeeder in reply to Yorkiepudd]

Thankyou x

[MarleyZ]

Cat you're so close to that finishing line in chemo, think of it as your favourite sports game and the win depends on you finishing that line, if you're going for the 5th one would do the 6th however I understand that the way your feeling presently it's just maybe some thing which will bring you side effects and that is off putting in itself, are you just on carbo or is it a mix? Would definitely ask if dosage could be reduced if they haven't done that already, wishing you luck as you go for the 5th one and hopefully you will decide about the 6th one even maybe if you feel you need a extra week or two break after the 5th one they should be able to cater for that.

[Catfeeder in reply to MarleyZ]

Thankyou, wise words x

[Katmal-UK]

On my second recurrence I was NED after 3 cycles and ask to stop chemo. My onc explained that they give 6 cycles for a reason so I went ahead with the last three. It’s hard but think how you’d feel if you had a recurrence….. you would kick yrself because you would always wonder……

[Catfeeder in reply to Katmal-UK]

Yes it’s that magic 6 I’d like to understand as the tumour was removed and the chemo is just for the remaining cells as the tumour burst x

[Katmal-UK in reply to Catfeeder]

Some cancers are 4, some 6 and some 8. It all depends on the cancer you have. 6 is obviously the optimum for OC. Having had 2 recurrences I totally get why you would want to stop.

[Catfeeder in reply to Katmal-UK]

thankyou, happy new year.... x

[Katmal-UK in reply to Catfeeder]

Thank you, you too. I hope you make the decision that is right for you. Best Wishes xx

[Starbarn]

Hi . I had carboplatin and had a similar experience to you with it. I started high at 780 and after my third had it reduced every month. They told me the first 3 months is the hardest. My last chemo was fairly easy going so try and stick with it. Speak to you oncologist. I’m sure they would rather reduce it again rather than you not have your last chemo. You are nearly there.

[Catfeeder in reply to Starbarn]

Thankyou and a great idea re reducing further x

[Cropcrop]

Personally I would have the last treatment, it’s a course of treatments just like antibiotics are a course of treatments, the whole course is what does the job IMO. The side effects are grim and they are cumulative but it will be the last one and you’ll recover so why not finish the full course? Remember that hindsight is a marvellous thing. ❤️Xx Jane

[Catfeeder in reply to Cropcrop]

True Jane thanks x

[Ruebacelle]

How about a reduced dosage 4 weeks instead of 3?

[Catfeeder in reply to Ruebacelle]

Hi, I’m already in 4 weeks from 3 and reduced dose to 500 but I’ll enquire about reducing further, Thankyou x

[Sunni0987]

Hi this is my first post even though I've been 'lurking here for a good year now. I do feel strongly about this as my tumour(in ovaries) burst during surgery and I was staged 1c3 at the time and given a choice of chemo or watch and wait. Two years later I'm on 5th line chemo with mets to outside of liver and what they call 'stranding' in peritoneum. I've never been able to complete a full course of chemo for various reasons.

If you can bear to I would say complete it as you never know where those cells may be lurking.

[Catfeeder in reply to Sunni0987]

hi, sorry to hear where you are now, but thankyou for your words x

[Tillymint61]

Sorry to hear of your complications. I do work by a simple adage of 'will I regret not having what's offered?' I know exactly where you are coming from I have just finished 2nd line chemo. The side affects were far worse than first time which really shocked me and made carrying on with all 6 treatments very hard but I asked myself if maintenance treatment isn't effective would I always regret and question not having had all 6. (I really came close to pulling out after 5th)This is only my way of dealing with it you must do what is right for you but you are so very close to your last one it might be worth reconsidering . Good Luck with tomorrows treatment and then whatever you decide. Xx

[Catfeeder in reply to Tillymint61]

Hi, sorry for the late reply, Thankyou for your wise words, logically I understand about finishing it and the what ifs…. X

[Tillymint61 in reply to Catfeeder]

Hope you are doing ok after your 5th treatment on Friday. Day 5 and 6 were my worst emotionally when I questioned wether I could keep it up. My treatment was 3 weekly so I wrote of 10 days post treatment and then started to feel a little more normal apart from the fatigue. If I'd been asked on day 5 of first chemo did I want to carry on I would probably have said no!! You are so close now after this one. Good Luck.xx

[Catfeeder in reply to Tillymint61]

Hello, just at the nausea, fatigue, dizzy, neurothapy stages, they have been lasting 2-3 weeks and beyond, and having G-CSF injections tomorrow to boost my neutrophils. Thankyou x

[Tillymint61 in reply to Catfeeder]

No wonder you are questioning your last treatment if they are pretty much running into each other. X

[Leniko]

I tolerated 6 and then knew I didn’t want anymore. Can you hang in for the final round? Not fun, but it does seem to work. 🙏❤️

[Catfeeder in reply to Leniko]

Hi and sorry for the late reply, thanks for your advice, I agree it’s about tolerance to some degree x

[Cumbrianlass5]

The side effects will reduce with time but you should have all the chemo they are recommending now to knock this b....y awful disease into submission. You were caught at an early stage thankfully so I hope the operation and full cycle of chemo mean you will have beaten it forever. But you have got to let the medics use their skills to give you the best possible chance of a full and healthy life. Best wishes x

[Catfeeder in reply to Cumbrianlass5]

Hi, I think you have it in a nutshell, Thankyou x

[rosebine]

I had 8 sessions my last line. I did feel like packing it in but I do always feel easier in my mind that I am actively doing something to halt the cancer, its the off treatment time in between I struggle with? The old saying is "a stitch in time saves nine", so do take the final treatments it may save so much more in the future.

[Catfeeder in reply to rosebine]

Thankyou, I know in my heart it’s what I need to do x

[SopSinger]

Hi, I had stage Ic mixed endometrioid and clear cell ovarian cancer in 2006. 6 cycles of carboplatin only, still here with no recurrence. My tumour didn't actually burst but had begun to leak (which caused increased pain the last few days before surgery. Would I still be here if I hadn't had the sixth dose? No-one knows. But if I hadn't had it and then had a recurrence I'd be really angry with myself. Your oncologist might want to reduce the dose if you still have bad side effects (I had the dose lowered for my last 2 treatments). I felt as if I'd been run over by a steamroller after the 5th treatment, but seriously, it was worth it. If another three weeks of feeling like crap gets you 15 years, isn't that worth it? Sending hugs.

[Catfeeder in reply to SopSinger]

Hi, Thankyou so much for your story and advice x

[Melody6 in reply to SopSinger]

Happy New Year Sopsinger! I see you have the same histology as me - so unusual! But I am a stage 1a. It’s so reassuring to read that you are 15 years disease free - that is so amazing- so happy for you. I am just over 3 years since completing treatment - I took everything that was offered to me - it’s offered for a reason. I did 6 cycles of carboplatin and paclitaxel - I couldn’t have lived with myself if I hadn’t thrown everything at it and it came back. Mel.

[Catfeeder in reply to Melody6]

Thankyou x

[Susansew]

The same thing happened to me, only within a month, I had already grown visable lesions. I began the first of 6 rounds of taxol and carboplatin and 25 rounds of radiation. Finish your treatments. You can do it. I am left with neuropathy in 3 of my right toes. It's there, but I don't think about it. It was in both feet and my hands, but most of it went away. Don't know if you have hair loss, maybe not, but it grows back in in adventuresome way. The tinnitus is pretty much gone too. This month is the 4th anniversary of my first treatment. Perhaps the worst of it all was the Neulasta that I was given for my immune system. The pain was unbearable and it still haunts me, but I am alive. That is the carrot that must dangle before you in your last treatment, life.

[Catfeeder in reply to Susansew]

Hi, thanks for the heads up on the G-CSF injections as I am starting those for 5 days Next week and I had no idea of the side effects. I’ve had little hair loss but plenty stomach pain, high liver enzyme counts, low red blood cell counts, increased appetite (and weight gain), dizziness and fatigue. Did you find anything to relieve the side effects at all? X

[Susansew in reply to Catfeeder]

I religiously take B12 for the neuropathy. I think it helps a little. For the Neulasta (pegfilgrastim) i took a cocktail od pain meds. I don't tolerate hydrocodone well, so I took very little, aleve, tylenol, claritin, and cbd oil. It seemed to carry me through the last three treatments of that bone marrow builder, but the bone pain was almost intolerable. Everyone is different though and I have read some weather it better than others. Weight gain was a problem for me too. No wasting away as a cancer patient. I think it was the steroids, and being hungry all the time that contributed there. I wanted to discontinue radiation, but all I could think of was what if it came back, would that have been the reason. And it was the Taxol that caused my hair loss. Carboplatin usually doesn't. Good luck, you can do it!

[Catfeeder in reply to Susansew]

Thanks I’ll ask my CNS about pain meds x