Please Tell Me Your Experiences Or Share Your Information

Hi,

My father has finally blessed me and agreed to go for a second opinion. After 3 months break of chemotherapy, xeloda and erbitux he started to fill pain again. In meantime he was waitng on a decision on further treatment, since his markers droped dramatically and CT scan showed that small metastasis disappeared from his liver. When he made a break of treatment he was really feeling well, but after 2 months he was getting worse again. He had to press very hard on his doc to speed up this decision.

So to make this post shorter: he went to another clinic, where they confirmed that this break was not good. His markers went up again. The new oncologist said that he had really good reaction and it is a pity that he had this total break of treatment. He is now continuing with old treatment with the old doctor, but has been scheduled for this week for MR at the new clinic. His old doctor will have a decision on Wednesday but on the basis of 2 months old CT scan???? I know he will be in good hands from now and also I will be very careful about getting dates of the appointments.

My question is: Is it possible that this long break reduces his chances for survival? Is continuation of the treatment after 3 months break less effective? I cannot stop thinking about that so please help me to clear this. Thanks!

Hi,

My mom actually had a break of almost 9 months! At that point she restarted chemo and her CEA is going down again. Everyone is different of course but it certainly isn't unusual to have a chemo break if tests show it to be feasible.

Thanks Chrisobrn for your reply. Why your mum had a break for so long? I hope she is doing fine.

Mojca

On 6/2/2008 Mojca wrote:

Hi,

 

My father has finally blessed me and agreed to go for a second opinion. After 3 months break of chemotherapy, xeloda and erbitux he started to fill pain again. In meantime he was waitng on a decision on further treatment, since his markers droped dramatically and CT scan showed that small metastasis disappeared from his liver. When he made a break of treatment he was really feeling well, but after 2 months he was getting worse again. He had to press very hard on his doc to speed up this decision.

 

So to make this post shorter: he went to another clinic, where they confirmed that this break was not good. His markers went up again. The new oncologist said that he had really good reaction and it is a pity that he had this total break of treatment. He is now continuing with old treatment with the old doctor, but has been scheduled for this week for MR at the new clinic. His old doctor will have a decision on Wednesday but on the basis of 2 months old CT scan???? I know he will be in good hands from now and also I will be very careful about getting dates of the appointments.

 

My question is: Is it possible that this long break reduces his chances for survival? Is continuation of the treatment after 3 months break less effective? I cannot stop thinking about that so please help me to clear this. Thanks!

You might want to read my little story  Colon cancer and my treatment"'

I have pretty well been through everything anyone can go through including a long break that almost killed me. BECAUSE I trusted one oncologist and didnt run to another for a second opinion. 

I have also had 1 month breaks, but that is because my body just got so tired that my new oncologist said well we might cure the cancer but kill the patient.  I got C. Diff and diarrhea so bad that I simply could NOT take the chemo.  Chemo vacation.  I just had 4 units of blood and no chemo now for 3 weeks, I start back on erbitux and camptostar on Friday.  My one bit of advice, if you ever feel funny about answers your doctors give you, giet another opinion.  It might save your life.   Hope this helps some but after 8 years I feel like an expert. 

Keep smiling and for every tear be sure to have a laugh to folow

Hi Mojca,

My mom did 8 out of her 12 FOLFOX treatments and then had a bowel obstruction followed by pneumonia several months later.  So even though she didn't "enjoy" her chemo break as much as we had hoped, her CEA stayed under 1.5 the entire time.  It started to creep up again this past Feb.

Chris

You are a blessing to your father for your concern and care.  I do remember seeing a study that suggested that chemo regimes shortened can alter effectiveness, but if the treatment is becoming intolerable, you must.

There is a thought of IPT administration of chemo.  See IPTforcancer.com