Hi Everyone! This is my first time posting and was hoping to get some feedback.
My mom will be starting either Eribulin or Xeloda. I see lots of recent posts regarding Xeloda but very few recent posts regarding Eribulin. Has anyone been on Eribulin recently?
My mom, who is now 77, was diagnosed with MBC in 2017 and has been on a number of different treatments. She started with Ibrance which worked for 3 years but after that stopped working has been on a number of treatments since then (too many to keep track of). This year, she was on Taxol then Enhertu. Enhertu has helped with the liver mets (not completely gone) but she developed fluid in her lungs so has had to stop Enhertu. (We were really hoping Enhertu, the "miracle chemo" would have worked longer-she was on it for about 6 treatments).
My mom says she wants to keep fighting but she is so weak and hardly eats and is skin and bones.
We're trying to decide what would be better for her her, with the least amount of side effects-Xeloda or Eribulin.
The hand/foot syndrome that comes with Xeloda is scary.
Wondering if anyone has recently been on Eribulin.
Thank you!
Lori
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Loli19
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I have done Erublin , side effects were bad but my markers went way down lower than when first diagnosed and was going great but all of a sudden markers went up , thought that was it palliative care came on board but I felt like rug was pulled from under me , I’m on xeloda now since April , hair coming back and liver function is good , hands and feet were a problem but keep moisturised and I’m sure your oncologist will help with that , best of luck both treatments are good , I have mets on liver ,
Hello dear friend. I was on Ibrance for two years with severe side effects . ( Blood clots to lungs, severe nutrapenia requiring grastifil, nausea, diarehha and I lost 35 pounds ) It stopped working. I started Zeloda in Oct/ 22. In less than a year my CA15 went from over 2000 and is now at 212 and I am stable. A miracle. I had very few side effects , fatigue , itchy scalp, and my hands and feet are just a bit cracked and slight tngle in my right arm. Totally manageable with lots of hand and foot creams. My Oncologist tells me some people react differently but so far so good for me. I also have little appt, but saw a nutritionist and am on a good healthy program with smaller more frequent eating. Sending healing thoughts to your mom.
Zeloda . Started oct 31/2022 and at 1 year with great results. I was on two weeks on one week off , but switched last month to one week on, one week off to try and combat fatigue. Mentally it has worked for me. Blood work every three weeks, CT scan ( chest, pelvic, abs
B) as i was diagnosed with metastic breast cancer to lungs, one rib and a plural effusion. On Ibrance I was getting lung drain every 4-6 weeks. On zolada have not had one in a year.
Thank you. My fingers are crossed that I'll have a reaction to Xeloda like yours. I'm just 4 months into my Xeloda treatment and struggling a bit with the foot problems (hand/foot syndrome) and with fatigue, but persevering, with a lot of info and help from this community.
Hi Lori. This is a difficult decision for both you and your mom. Based on the age of your mom and your description of her being 'skin and bones' I honestly think that starting another infusion chemotherapy under those conditions are not ideal. Xeloda is an oral chemotherapy so that might be better, however yes the HFS is a concern but can be managed if you are diligent with using a high urea content moisturizer twice a day on hands and feet, plus the Voltaren cream (mentioned below by another poster) shows that it can help prevent some neuropathy. However you said that your mother hardly eats and Xeloda requires it be taken with food to increase absorption and prevent GI issues. Good luck in what ever decision she makes after discussions with her oncologist. Just remember that quality of life is the most important .....living longer but just existing without any quality of life would not be my choice. Take care and keep us informed.
Thank you so much everyone for your comments - I really appreciate it. We are also thinking Xeloda might be better. And if she has to take them with food, maybe it will "force" my mom to eat a bit more (although she is eating as much as she can tolerate).
Thanks again - sending healing thoughts to all of you!
Best of luck to your mom. All cancer centers have dieticians to help with the 'nutrition' and eating during cancer treatments. If your mom has not been referred to the service ask the oncologist to put in a referral. Your mom has to make her own choices and no one can force her to eat what she can't...but having the tools from a dietitian should be beneficial to her.
I’ve been on Eribulin since January, so far so good, tumor markers have dropped, weight has stabilized and scans are stable. I initially did lose my hair but it has now grown back very curly. I do two weeks on and one week off. When I restart, the first 3-4 days I am extremely tired, have some nausea and have no real appetite so I just focus on keeping hydrated. I am experiencing more neuropathy in my feet and hands, but gabapentin seems to help. I also inject myself with Zarzio for the 3 days after receiving the erubilin to keep my white count up. Overall, I feel like the side effects are manageable and I feel blessed that it seems to be working. New treatment choices are always difficult, I trust my doctor but always do my own research and ask a lot of questions.
Take care,
Lynda
I sorry too read your Mom is not eating ..try boost...in different flavors I am on ibrance and letrozole
Many years ago when my son was fighting pediatric brain cancer, his care team bugged me a lot about how important a healthy diet was. I tried it and he basically stopped eating. So I thought about the issue and switched him to his favorite (less-healthy) foods--like hot dogs and tomato soup with crackers and ice cream when he was fighting to eat anything at all. And he improved visibly almost immediately.
To his care team I said, "He's got terminal cancer and he needs to eat to find the strength to fight it. To me, the fact that he eats more is simply so vital right now that it outweighs the usual caveats about *what* he eats."
And now that I (at 76) am fighting stage 4 breast cancer, I do the same for myself. If all I can imagine eating is ice cream or pudding, that's what I eat. On good days, I do eat healthier--like soups, my mainstay--but if it's difficult with the chemo side-effects, then I default to yummy things that are so much easier to eat in decent quantities.
Is there a favorite food that your mom has always enjoyed that she could have available to her? I've watched so many people with cancer waste away and in some cases it may be unavoidable, but in others eating less than healthily can provide vital fuel to a body struggling to function. I wish her the very best and will be thinking about her today.
When I was initially diagnosed (months after I should have been) and wasting and couldn't imagine eating, I got a strawberry sundae. That turned the tide. I think ice cream -- despite the sugar and dairy -- is a miracle worker for cancer. You can hide Boost in a chocolate milkshake, too.
I am sorry to hear about your son. I agree - any food is better than no food. Unfortunately, my mother lost all her desire to eat less healthy food. She does drink Ensure (strawberry only), so I guess that helps somewhat.
My mom may have just started eating ice cream (in the last week but not every day). Perhaps I'll suggest she eat more ice cream. And maybe I'll get a strawberry sundae for her, like Tammy did, and see if that works.
The very *idea* of a strawberry sundae has got to be healing! In fact, now I want one.... Ditto for disguising Ensure or Boost in a milkshake. I'll bet that would help to make the aftertaste less icky, as well. Thanks for the good ideas.
I'm eating fine now, but the day is likely to come when I won't be. In fact, back when I had my awful Piqray experience, I dropped so much weight that my clothes were hanging off me. And it also wrecked my taste buds for quite a while. But I ate anything and everything that still appealed to me--like toasted cheese sandwiches that I bought at the grocery store in the frozen foods--and got past it.
I'll think hungry thoughts at your mother--I hope you and she can find things she really enjoys.
My wife has been on Eribulin since June and had also been on Enhertu from January to June, our fifth and sixth protocols over past 6.5 years. She had also tried Xeloda, but it wasn’t really effective for her, though so many women on this site seem to have had positive experiences if they could manage the HFS and other side effects.
Both the Enhertu and Eribulin have worked as far as shrinking tumors and lowering 15-3 markers (4200 to 2100 to 1800 and eventually down to low 200s, lowest in 2+ years) but it’s been a rough year in terms of side effects and other complications. Five hospitalizations for weeks each time, has lost over 100 lbs, had a lot of GI issues on Enhertu, and is now dealing with neuropathy in hands and feet on Eribulin, among other effects. But it is working, so she is staying on it at the lowest dosage for now. She is getting lots of help from PT and OT and can walk a bit with a walker. But lack of mobility and dexterity have had a huge effect on QOL. Her appetite has actually improved and she has not had much nausea or other GI problems recently but the neuropathy and overall weakness are definite issues.
I’m no expert but given all I’ve read plus our experiences, I think your plan to try Xeloda first makes sense, along with all the good suggestions above for managing it. I think she could still move to Eribulin (or other meds) later if/when a change was needed.
Hi Dave - Thank you for your reply. Yes, Enhertu was also good for my mother in reducing the tumor markers but the fluid buildup has put an end to that chemo.
My mom was scheduled to start Xeloda on Monday but last night she just mentioned she may want to go with Eribulin. So not sure what we will do but I'm grateful that you shared your wife's experience with Eribulin.
Whatever treatment my mother goes with, the lowest dose possible will be best so that the side effects could be more manageable.
All the best to your wife.
Oh, your "mudslides" sound yummy. It was nice of you to buy the ice maker for your wife.
PS in addition to totally agreeing with Tammy and others that, at this point, it’s more important to find foods that your Mom likes, I would also recommend trying all the various protein drinks (Ensure, Boost, Premier Protein, Pure Protein, etc) and find a flavor your Mom really likes. My wife loves Pure Protein, served over “hospital ice” (aka “sonic ice” or “nugget ice”) and we call them “mudslides!” For Mother’s Day, I got her a GE Opal ice maker that makes perfect “hospital ice” at home and it was a game changer!!
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Ditto for disguising Ensure or Boost in a milkshake. I'll bet that would help to make the aftertaste less icky, as well. Thanks for the good ideas. 
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