Doxil

I was diagnosed in Aug 09 with stage 4 ovarian cancer. I had surgery and 6 rounds of chemo; carboplatin and taxol and finished in Jan 07. I've been in remission for a year and feel great, however my PET scan shows that the cancer has returned, so I am going to start Doxil this thursday. I was wondering what other people think of this drug...are the side effects bad. The dr said they are mild compared to carboplatin/taxol. Any info is appreciated.
Holly

Hello,

 I have stage 3c ovca abd have completed 6 cycles of Doxil. I had very little side effects,just a horribly itchy rash on my lower extremities.  There are several things that you must do in order to have minimal side effects. First I took it easy from the day before to the 6th day after tx. That means no hot food or drinks,no restrictive clothing,no bras,undies or tight socks.No hot showers..and do not pick up or push anything too heavy. I drank ice water during the infusion, and used ice packs for my hands and feet if I felt any burning or itching. My ca-125 did not budge the whole 6 cycles,so we stopped.  30 days later it fell to 10, three months later it fell to 5.  So it is normal for your ca-125 to rise at first as it takes Doxil a bit to work.  it gave me a 13 month remission as well.  i hope it works as well if not better for you...(((hugz)))~~Joanne

Hello Thanks for your response. The chemo was a piece of cake so far. I used cold packs on my wrists and ankles during the infusion. I still feel fine, although I know it sometimes takes a day or two for the chemo to "kick in." My ca 125 is not a very reliable indicator for my cancer. Right now it is at 12. About four months ago it was 28 and when I first was diagnosed, it was only33. But for a year it stayed below 10, so going up to 28 was a lot, then it was 14 and now it's 12. And that's going down without any drugs. Sorry to go on so long about the CA 125. I just want to keep feeling good! How are you doing now? You said the doxil gave you a 13 month remission, what is happening with you now? Holly

Dear Holly7

I too have just been informed that I will need to start Doxil because of a reaccurence. Did you find out anthting interesting about Doxil?

 

On 2/26/2008 HOLLY7 wrote:

I was diagnosed in Aug 09 with stage 4 ovarian cancer. I had surgery and 6 rounds of chemo; carboplatin and taxol and finished in Jan 07. I've been in remission for a year and feel great, however my PET scan shows that the cancer has returned, so I am going to start Doxil this thursday. I was wondering what other people think of this drug...are the side effects bad. The dr said they are mild compared to carboplatin/taxol. Any info is appreciated.
Holly

Hi!

I also was diagnosed with Ovarian cancer, stage 3 last July. After a radical surgery and 6 months of chemo, it has now retruned and I was advised to use doxil.

I am told the side effects are mild as well, and am wondering how you are doing.

Please respond and maybe we can try to do this together.

Thanks, Sharon

 

On 2/28/2008 Jlock wrote:

Hello,

 I have stage 3c ovca abd have completed 6 cycles of Doxil. I had very little side effects,just a horribly itchy rash on my lower extremities.  There are several things that you must do in order to have minimal side effects. First I took it easy from the day before to the 6th day after tx. That means no hot food or drinks,no restrictive clothing,no bras,undies or tight socks.No hot showers..and do not pick up or push anything too heavy. I drank ice water during the infusion, and used ice packs for my hands and feet if I felt any burning or itching. My ca-125 did not budge the whole 6 cycles,so we stopped.  30 days later it fell to 10, three months later it fell to 5.  So it is normal for your ca-125 to rise at first as it takes Doxil a bit to work.  it gave me a 13 month remission as well.  i hope it works as well if not better for you...(((hugz)))~~Joanne

Hi,

My name is Sharon and I am about to start Doxil after reoccuring ovarian cancer.

My worry is that during my initial chemo, I developed problems with my right leg and foot. To make a long story short, I ended up having to have my right foot toes removed and that would is not healed yet. The thought of ice on my foot scares me. My foot surgeon simply tells me that he can replace a foot or even a leg, but that I need to go ahead with my treatment because he cannot replace my life.

Any recommendations?

Thanks,

Sharon

 

On 2/28/2008 Jlock wrote:

Hello,

 I have stage 3c ovca abd have completed 6 cycles of Doxil. I had very little side effects,just a horribly itchy rash on my lower extremities.  There are several things that you must do in order to have minimal side effects. First I took it easy from the day before to the 6th day after tx. That means no hot food or drinks,no restrictive clothing,no bras,undies or tight socks.No hot showers..and do not pick up or push anything too heavy. I drank ice water during the infusion, and used ice packs for my hands and feet if I felt any burning or itching. My ca-125 did not budge the whole 6 cycles,so we stopped.  30 days later it fell to 10, three months later it fell to 5.  So it is normal for your ca-125 to rise at first as it takes Doxil a bit to work.  it gave me a 13 month remission as well.  i hope it works as well if not better for you...(((hugz)))~~Joanne

Hi!

I am about to start Doxil for reoccuring ovarian cancer, but have also had my toes removed on my right foot and was wondering if you had any recommendations on ice packs or such that would be soft and/or comfortable considering my problems. My wound is still healing and I am very nervous about this because if it fails to heal I may lose the leg.

Thanks for any help,

Sharon

Hi Sharon, Sorry to take so long to respond. How long were you in remission? Did you really have 6 months of chemo or 6 cycles. (I had 6 cycles.) I have now had 2 doxil treatments and they are not bad at all. Of course there is some discomfort, my tastebuds changed, and I feel more tired than before, but that's about it. I see my dr this coming tuesday and will find out if I am to start a clinical trial or continue with doxil. I hope you are doing well. Holly