beyond 6 cycles

[ShamilaS]

Hi all, looking for some advise. My mum is currently fighting her second reoccurrence with weekly taxol and bi weekly avastin followed by a weeks break.

She recently finished her 6th cycle and although her ca-125 jumped between 3rd and 6th cycle ( 15-28) Ct scans show the disease is stable.

Her oncologist wants to continue with further chemotherapy to keep the disease in control and mum is tolerating the treatment well without any major side effects. However, this is very hard on her emotionally because she was hoping to get a break from treatment.

Is anyone continuing with biweekly avastin + weekly taxol buying 6 cycles. If yes, how have you been feeling?

[Lyndy2]

Hi ShamilaS

I can really sympathise with your Mum, it’s so hard when you are looking forward to a break and instead you get a knock back.

I believe (I haven’t had weekly taxel) that the weekly treatment is often given longer term over 18 weeks or more, so this is not unusual.

I would encourage her to talk to the oncologist about how she feels about this. They have a responsibility for our well-being as well as our cancer. If she can pinpoint something that really gets to her (eating? having to isolate? feeling tired?) it could be that they could reduce the dose or give her extra time off to make her feel that she’s getting something, not just enduring xx

[ShamilaS in reply to Lyndy2]

Hi Lyndy. Thank you you for your reply. Her oncologist is very understanding. She has lowered the dose and promised breaks in the middle if she wants to travel but I guess with no end in sight; it’s very difficult for her to motivate herself.

[Lyndy2 in reply to ShamilaS]

Yes I understand that. The only way I have found to combat that feeling is to concentrate on what I can do, not what I can’t. So I may not be able to ride a horse anymore but I can walk in nature, so I took up bird watching as you can sit down while doing it. It’s a mind shift but even that is easy to say and hard to do if you are feeling a bit defeated. xx

[27-359]

I am having weekly Taxel with a week off every third week, and absolutely hate it! I don't really know why, as I have no side effects and this is my third line chemo, so I am not a newbie. I think it comes round so quickly, and with the blood test as wrll, I seem to be always at the hospital.The usual is eighteen sessions, so your mum has a little way to go, but I do sympathise with her.

Jenny

[ShamilaS]

Thanks. Its the same for my mum. When you say 18 sessions is it 6 cycles because she has already finished 18 sessions of Taxol I.e. week 1 Avastin + taxol , week 2 taxol, week 3 avastin + taxol, week 4 break. She has had 6 cycles of this.