Doxil Treatment

Hello, my name is Diane and I was diagnosed with stage 3C Ovarian Cancer in December 05.  Since then I have had a complete hysterectomy and was on carboplatin and taxol for my first round of chemo.  While the side effects that I had from this treatment weren't severe, I did have a lot of joint pain for which I took OTC pain medication.  The meds prescribed by my doctor cause constipation so bad, that I had to quit taking them.  My CA125 after treatment went down from 400 to 15.  In February 07, a PET scan revealed that the cancer had returned.  My doctor prescribed carboplatin and Gemzar for six treatments.  My biggest problem with this treatment was my blood and platelet counts.  I was put on Neulasta and Procrit to help with this.  Again, after the treatments, my CA125 went down to 12.  This number is still low, but my most recent PET scan revealed that there are still cancer cells remaining.  I start on Doxil on Tuesday.  My oncology nurse went over the possible side effects and the ones that trouble me most is the hands and feet problem and the possible heart problems that may occur.  Has anyone on Doxil had any heart problems?  One thing my nurse did tell me that would help with the hands and feet issue is to use "Utterly Smooth" cream.  I would appreciate hearing from anyone on handling the side effects from Doxil.

My mother was diagnosed IIIC in Oct. 2005. She was treated for a recurrence in December 2006 with Doxil/Carboplatin. She experienced neither hand/foot discomfort nor heart problems. During infusion, she wore ice packs on her hands and feet and she was careful not to take hot showers or get too much sun. This combo gave her 9 months of stable disease during which she maintained a relatively high quality of life, exercising and traveling.

Best wishes and good luck.  

 

 

I am now on my 2nd Doxil treatment. I went to a naturaopathic doctor and he recommended taking Vit. B6+B complex three times a day for the hand and foot problem and CoQ10 two times a day for the heart.