Trying A New Chemo - Vp16 - Anyone Been On It?

Hi,

I am a stage IIIC ovarian cancer patient, 39 years old.  I have been fighting this for almost four years, been through a lot of different chemos.  I haven't been responding to much of anything lately and we are going to try another drug.  It is an oral chemo called VP16.  It had another name but I can't remember it.  I was just wondering if anyone else has tried this before and how it worked, also how did you feel?

 That is the problem with starting something new.  You have to wonder, will it work? but also, how will I feel? what side effects will I have?

 Just hoping to hear from some others who might have tried this.  I guess I am just hoping for some good news.  I feel like I could use some at this point.

Thanks.

 

Hi,

You should look into alternative treatments chemo does not work. a good site to learn about this disease is cancertutor.com; my mom passed away from Ovarian cancer in December she was stage 3c and battled for 22 months, the chemo did not help and made her condition worse.

Good luck

Tom

Hello,

My spouse has ovarian cancer, borderline serous tumor with low malignant potential (a rarer form of ovarian) since 1995. She has been on numerous chemos. Etoposide (VP16) has been one of them. It is a potent older drug which will depress your bone marow, i.e. decrease white count, platelets and hemaglobin. She experienced moderate alopecia. This medication was taken orally. Please watch your blood counts closely. Consider clinical trials. There are hundreds listed under National Institute of Health. Here are some links that may be relevant to you. I hope they help.

Regards

Jim S

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00562003? term=ovarian+cancer&rank=43

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00428610?term=ovarian+cancer&rank=108

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00428610?term=ovarian+cancer&rank=108

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00616941?term=ovarian+cancer&rank=155

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00536523?term=ovarian+cancer&rank=197

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00357448?term=ovarian+cancer&rank=288

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00333502?term=ovarian+cancer&rank=371

 

Hey, I dont know much about this drug but I do know that they are doing alot of research on the problem of chemo resistant ovarian carcinoma. Just search thru the news releases on this web site for the last several months and you will see that you are not alone in this struggle. I agree with the previous lister... keep your eyes open for clinical trials.. new ones are coming along all the time. Consider going to a different DR. You are so young. stay tough. If you have hung tough for 4 years, you can do it a little longer.We are all waiting for the answer. Thank God some folks out there are looking!

 

On 3/26/2008 Laura39 wrote:

Hi,

I am a stage IIIC ovarian cancer patient, 39 years old.  I have been fighting this for almost four years, been through a lot of different chemos.  I haven't been responding to much of anything lately and we are going to try another drug.  It is an oral chemo called VP16.  It had another name but I can't remember it.  I was just wondering if anyone else has tried this before and how it worked, also how did you feel?

 That is the problem with starting something new.  You have to wonder, will it work? but also, how will I feel? what side effects will I have?

 Just hoping to hear from some others who might have tried this.  I guess I am just hoping for some good news.  I feel like I could use some at this point.

Thanks.

 

/dear Laura

I was on VP 16 for 5 months. It wasn't easy. I get a CT scan every 2 months. The first one showed imporvement with reduction of metastasis in my liver. The next one, only showed that the tumor did not grow. And last one, The tumor grew again, so I gladly stopped the treatment.

I must tell you that feeling nauseaus all the time was the hardest thing to take. The most effective drug for nausea was Zofran. Other than this side effect, nothing else to report. My hair thinned out but I did not loose it completely. I was told that I would loose my hair.

Look, it is not the end of the world. I functioned throughout the treatment in a semi normal way. I went to work every day. It helps me not to focus in my treatment and sickness. I have a good attitude. I have been fighting ovarian cancer for the last 4 years. And overall, I can't complain. I will start a new drug in 15 days. I just read a promising study with Thalodomide. Keep your hopes up. We are just buying time. We will make it!!!!

Hoping you will do even better than I did with VP16.

you can keep me posted.

Alicia Eber

Hello