Morning all you lovely people. Hope you re keeping well. I am on my second recurrence. Two years ago I had carboplatin/taxol but they discovered the OV cancer had spread to a lymph node near my aorta and three hospitals agreed I was inoperable. However, the carbo/taxol shrank everything and I went on niraparib for nine months until it stopped working. I then had carbo/caelyx and a ct scan showed it had stopped any cancer progression in my ovaries and had shrunk cancers in all my lymph nodes, some by up to 50 per cent.
Now, however, just over a month later, I have developed seven or more swollen nodes in the left hand side of my neck, which biopsies show are the OV cancer spreading. This is a new place for the cancer to appear. The oncologist is talking about starting me on weekly taxol, but I read that some women go on weekly carboplatin rather than taxol, and some on caelyx.
Can anybody give any advice on which might be more effective please? If they all have similar success at holding this horrid disease at bay I think I might opt for carbo or caelyx rather than go on taxol and lose all my hair again. Obviously if taxol is more effective, then I will opt for it. Any advice would be very welcome. Thank you.
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Cumbrianlass5
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This cancer is like a minefield as you never know where it will turn up next. I cannot give you any advice really,but I just wanted to wish you luck, which ever path you choose. Take care.x
Hi. I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. I’m guessing they might consider you platinum resistant now? In which case they wouldn’t use carboplatin. If I were in your shoes I would be looking for a trial, maybe with immunotherapy. As to the effectiveness of caelyx or taxol as single agents, I don’t know. Have you gotten a second opinion maybe at the Christie? Xx
Thank you for replying. I am looking at trials, but without success so far. I am ruled out of some because I am still deemed platinum sensitive, some because I have had a parp, and others because radiotherapy is being considered. Freeman and Christie both ruled out taking Avastin (bevacizumab) as immunotherapy because OV cancer in a lymph node is compromising my aorta. Have had second and third opinions. Best wishes x
I had the same regimes as you in slightly shorter timescales, although I didn't qualify for a parp,
I was given Taxol as third line. My oncologist, Dr Susana Banarjee heads up research at Marsden and is outstanding so if she says it's the best option for me I believe her. She does give me details on efficacy and prognosis but I'm not going to post here in case anyone doesn't want that information.
I do know there is a research project run by her at the moment whereby you get either just Taxol or Taxol and another drug. May be worth seeing it you qualify for that. She also has a research trial running I think which combines caelyx and avastin.
I can't see how they could offer you carbo caelyx as you only finished it a month ago and whilst it shrunk the tumours it hasn't had a lasting effect.
I did loose my hair on weekly Taxol but it was a doable chemo. You could of course try the cold cap.
I guess you need to go through it with your oncologist and perhaps ask for a second opinion and or access to research trials.
I'm now on Carbo and gemcitabine, bit worried I'm running out of options.
It sounds as if you can trust your oncologist, so I'd go with whatever they recommend. You've explored your options, so you've done the best you can. I hope all goes well for you.
I'm on 'weekly' Taxol, 3 weeks on, one week off. Am cold capping to try to keep some hair! My oncologist hasn't given me carbo this time as she thinks it was the culprit decimating my blood counts; it seems she is right. I'm having no side effects from the taxol (yet). I did caelyx with carboplatin last time - thinned hair but otherwise doable.
Hi Saffery, I’m going to be selfish and ask for advice. I started Taxol today because I had a huge anaphylactic shock reaction to Carbo after 10mls of it last time so I can’t have it again. This is 3rd line chemo for me. I’ll be having it every 2nd week. Did you take anti sickness tablets after Taxol each week? I’ve Valoid and all the usual anti sickness tablets. I took them for a week after Carbo but I forgot to ask what I should take after Taxol.
Did the weekly Taxol shrink your tumours? I hope you don’t mind me asking those questions
also worth mentioning is that although I didn't coldcap before, I was loath to lose my hair again (it only thinned on Doxil) I have this time. It has been worth the 10 minute headache at the start as its still only thinning and I've no bald patches x
That’s good! Any win is a positive. I’ve already lost most of my hair after the two doses of Carbo that they managed to get into me. But I’m glad there’s something you have taken successful control over. It’s a rare things for us.
Not at all, please feel free to ask anything. During frontline and Doxil I've always taken my take-home dexamethasone and ondanestron, and never had to take the metoclopramide. On Taxol I'm only given the dexamethasone for home, and haven't had any nausea so far. My issue is tiredness and having to keep napping 🙁. Although my CT scan doesnt show any tumours my CA125 has come down from 2125 to 1473 after 2 cycles. My onc says she expects the numbers to come down slower on the weekly regime. Good luck x
Thank you for replying. I’m glad to hear that you had no nausea. I took a Valoid this morning as a precaution but I won’t take any more now unless I start to actually feel nauseous.
That is a great reduction in CA125 after only two cycles. It will be great if it keeps falling at that rate.
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Good news on Carboplatin and Caelyx
gemcitabine with carboplatin for Platinum resistant
Carboplatin
Taxol.
