Has anyone had this course of treatment?

I was wondering if anyone has had this course of treatment, or experience with any combination of these drugs- 5-FU, Avastin, Oxaliplatin, & radiation.  My father-in-law is considering a clinical trial based on the following treatment plan.  Please offer any comments.  I think this is a pretty aggressive plan, and I was wondering what others have experienced with these drugs.

6 weeks of treatment: 5 times a week radiation, 5 times a week 5-FU continuously given.  Oxaliplatin once a week.  Avastin once every two weeks.  This would be cycle 1.

Cycle 2: involves 5-FU and Avastin only

I made a mistake on the drugs I listed for cycle 2, it should be Gemzar & Avastin. 

I am getting the names confused!

On 5/16/2007 Csmp23 wrote:

I made a mistake on the drugs I listed for cycle 2, it should be Gemzar & Avastin. 

I am getting the names confused!

This treatment does sound aggressive, but if that is what is needed......My 46 y/o brother is also having very aggressive chemotherapy every two weeks.  He is tired, sure, but his scans show that his tumors are shrinking :)  So much depends on how old your father-in-law is, his overall health, his willingness to fight.  And it is so easy to get confused!  Someone needs to keep notes from doctor's visits, etc.

Good luck to all of you!

I'm sorry.  I reread your initial message and realized that I hadn't really answered your questions.  My brother receives Gemzar, Leucovorin, Irinotecan, 5-Fu, and Cisplatin every two weeks.  He usually is in the hospital a couple of days.  He has been very fortunate that his side effects are mostly being tired and losing the hair on his head.  Of course his appetite is down, but he makes an effort to eat.  He usually has one whole "good" week before it's time for the next round.  Considering how bad he looked and felt when diagnosed (just after Christmas), we are all thrilled at his improvement.  Scans show that the tumors in his liver are shrinking.

 If your father-in-law is motivated to do this, by all means support him!

On 5/15/2007 Csmp23 wrote:

I was wondering if anyone has had this course of treatment, or experience with any combination of these drugs- 5-FU, Avastin, Oxaliplatin, & radiation.  My father-in-law is considering a clinical trial based on the following treatment plan.  Please offer any comments.  I think this is a pretty aggressive plan, and I was wondering what others have experienced with these drugs.

6 weeks of treatment: 5 times a week radiation, 5 times a week 5-FU continuously given.  Oxaliplatin once a week.  Avastin once every two weeks.  This would be cycle 1.

Cycle 2: involves 5-FU and Avastin only

I've had the combo of 5-fu (with 48 hour take home pump), Avastin, Oxaliplatin but  never have had radiation due to the location of my tumor.  Every person is different and the drugs effect them differently.  For me the Oxaliplatin was depleting my platlets  and white cells to the point I had to stop taking it and we went to a 5fu with 48 hour pump and the avastin.  I also got neuropathy (can't spell it but feel it) in my finger tips and my toes.  I met a man the other day who says he's never had a side effect from anything they've given him. 

 If he's pumped up and ready to fight this battle I say go for it.  Just remember attitude is everything and the people around him have to be strong and believe it will work too because there are times when you just want to say I've had enough. Good luck to your father in law and to the rest of your family. 

I am a 38 y/o male diagnosed 6/06 and have been through treatment and surgery. I had chemo twice a week (Cetuximab & Gemcitabine on Tuesday & Gemcitabine only on Fridays) for 6 1/2 weeks and radiations Mon.-Fri. for 6 1/2 weeks. Then this was followed up with the whipple surgery 2 months after chemo and radiation.  My tumor was at the head of the pancreas but needed to be shrunk down with chemo and radiation before they could remove it. I did have some side effects but nothing that I couldn't tolorate considering what was being done to me. The out come is great so far and I feel great. I did lose 100 pounds between the time I was diagnosed and now just because I didn't feel like eating. If you have anything specific to ask I will share more information if I can help. Best of luck.

 Randy

On 5/15/2007 Csmp23 wrote:

I was wondering if anyone has had this course of treatment, or experience with any combination of these drugs- 5-FU, Avastin, Oxaliplatin, & radiation.  My father-in-law is considering a clinical trial based on the following treatment plan.  Please offer any comments.  I think this is a pretty aggressive plan, and I was wondering what others have experienced with these drugs.

6 weeks of treatment: 5 times a week radiation, 5 times a week 5-FU continuously given.  Oxaliplatin once a week.  Avastin once every two weeks.  This would be cycle 1.

Cycle 2: involves 5-FU and Avastin only

Good Morning-

I am new to this group and I saw this posting. My father was diagnosed with this horrible disease on March 20, 2007. He lives in FL and was sent to Mass General in Boston, where it was confirmed as a stage 2 advanced but localized- he is 68 years old.

Like most it is inoperable as it is wrapped around blood vessels and arteries. His treatment was 6 weeks of 5FU 24 hours a day, 5 days a week and 5 days a week of radiation. After 5 1/2 weeks the horrible nausea began, and then all of a sudden after tolerating everything pretty well, he was rushed to the emergency room with a perferated ulcer ( which no one knew he even had ). After major stomach surgery He spent a week in the hospital and it has been 20 steps back since. The diarrea is so bad that he cannot even make it to the bathroom and refuses to wear diapers ( can you blame him?), and I feel so badly for my mother, because she is with him in Florida and my sister and I are on the east coast.

Anyway-I think I will continue to look into clinical trials, I guess it can only help.

Good luck to everyone.