Started irinotecan with Avastin

My Wife 37 now has just started for the 3rd time chemotherapy.  Her battle has been for 3 years now.  She now has mets to the lymph nodes, 1 being in her neck.  Onc says she will do this therapy every 2 weeks for 3 months at a time for the rest of her life. 

Is there anyone else doing this?  What side effects are you having?  Will she have hair loss? 

What should we expect?????

William,

I have been battling colon cancer for 2 and a half years and I am on my 3rd regimen of chemo.  I am on Folfiri and Avastin which is similar to your wife's chemo.  I have found that this regimen is very easy for me and much easier than Folfofx + Erbitux.  I know another CC patient who has had just the opposite experience.  So I think it is a case of YMMV.

As with all chemo, the key is getting the right combination of drugs to offset the side effects of the chemo and staying very well-hydrated. I have lost about 1/3 of my hair, but it was very thick to begin with.  I have seen posts from a lot of women who have lost their hair.  My only other major side effect has been gas and GI tract upset.  I haven't gotten sick or had diarrhea but I have had indigestion. 

My mets are similar to your wife's.  I have a couple of tumors in my left neck area.  From what I have read this is fairly common.  The abdomen drains through these lymph nodes.  I also have mets in my pelvic area lymph nodes and my lungs.  For some reason the cancer has left my liver alone so far.  I too am on the lifetime chemo trail.  The way I look at it, is that I hope the chemo can hold the cancer stable (or some shrinkage) for two years and then in that time we develop new treatments that will buy me more years. 

I wish you and your wife good luck with her treatments.

Jack

I always recommend a second opinion at a major cancer hospital, which you can find here

http://www.usnews.com/directories/hospitals/index_html/specialty+IHQCANC/

I was originally giver 6 to 9 months to live, but told that I could die at any minute.  I went to another state with a major cancer hospital and it made all the difference in the world.

Hi,

I'm 54 years old and I have been battling with this beast from 2005. I have few mets in my lymph nodes. I'm on my 3d time chemo with regimen of Folfiri and Avastiin (First time was Folfiox with Oxilaplatin and second time Folfiri+Avastin) and just past 1/2 of the treatment. My major side effects are fatique, depression, extensive hair loss, constipation, dry skin, etc. I have not raditation yet, but my oncologist said this time I have to get radiation after chemo if I want to extend my remission period.

I know how frastrated all these for you folks out there, who experince the same battle. First, I thought I'm not going to do it 3-d time and just let it go. But then looked around and I felt that I have a few people who still need me...

Hang in there and let me know, if I can help more