Angiosarcoma/Avastin/Chemo

This will be my Dad's 2nd "type" of chemo;used for the angiosarcoma.

Anyone,that has used avastin,please let me know anything. We're

told it's used for colon & lung cancer. His 1st batch of chemo,didn't

help very well;they say avastin is experimental for angiosarcoma.

Any "help" would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You,

Soni C.

SonMae57,

It has been a while since your question and I am wondering if your dad received avastin.  Did it do anything to his tumors?  I am 32 years old and have just found out that my angiosarcoma has metastized to the lungs and the liver.  They are starting Taxol next week and have put in for authorization of avastin as well.  If it helped with your dad, maybe I can push a bit harder for it for me.  I don't know if it has been approved or not, praying that it will be.

Please let me know.

Thank you,

Monica

On 7/19/2008 angiomama wrote:

SonMae57,

It has been a while since your question and I am wondering if your dad received avastin.  Did it do anything to his tumors?  I am 32 years old and have just found out that my angiosarcoma has metastized to the lungs and the liver.  They are starting Taxol next week and have put in for authorization of avastin as well.  If it helped with your dad, maybe I can push a bit harder for it for me.  I don't know if it has been approved or not, praying that it will be.

Please let me know.

Thank you,

Monica

Dear Monica:

I am a breast cancer patient and had avastin and taxotere this past fall..my last treatment was the middle of Jan.  I havent heard either if the avastin has been beneficial for your type of cancer, but I know it is helpful to other forms of cancer..  it has put me into remission as of May of this year.  It is a hopeful chemo drug which apparently is showing alot of good results so hopefully it will as well for your cancer.  My Mom has been getting eye treatments for the wet macular degeneration and they are using avastin in treating that for her..it has helped her to stay independant with her life.  So hopefully since avastin is being used in other areas of medicine including other forms of cancer then maybe it will be beneficial to heart cancers as well.  I do know though, that it is toxic to the heart and they have to watch that the heart is functioning correctly to be able to keep a patient on the drug.  I am getting herceptin now which is a preventative and is a same medicine as the avastin..and they have had to send me for a muga scan every three months while I am on this herceptin.   So I hope you are able to find good results from this medicine and able to tolerate it..  Good luck to you..best wishes..  Sorry to hear or see that you are among alot of us here on this web site who have found themselves fighting some form of cancer..

God's blessings to everyone on here!

Jodie

Thank you Jodie,

I am so glad to hear that you are doing well and that avastin seems to be helping many people in different situations and circumstances.  Thank you for the positive news...hope is sometimes all we have and you've given us all just a little bit more!

God Bless,

Monica

On 7/19/2008 angiomama wrote:

Thank you Jodie,

I am so glad to hear that you are doing well and that avastin seems to be helping many people in different situations and circumstances.  Thank you for the positive news...hope is sometimes all we have and you've given us all just a little bit more!

God Bless,

Monica

Monica:

I had to research angiosarcoma, I wasnt familiar with that type of cancer..and to my suprise it is also a cancer that can be found in the breast?  I seen the word angio and thought it to be pertaining to the heart so that is why I mentioned the heart concerns as much as I did.  It sounds like a very aggressive and hard to control cancer..I hope that wont be the case for you.  Boy!  the more a person gets into learning about cancer the more they realize there is so much they dont know. 

Yes, I hope also that the avastin can help with this cancer the same as it has for colon and I think lung cancers.  Lung is one of the hardest to fight I think?  This avastin is suppose to starve off the cancer cells ability to make new blood vessels, which in turn starves the cancer and keeps it from growing.  I had a lung nodule which was breast ca. mets..and in just a couple doses the tumor was no longer seen on pet scans..and it was very apparent on the one in May of last year when my mets was discovered.  I was so suprised that it melted away that easily..it took longer though for the other medistinal lymph node mets to respond but in May of this year I was in remission..YEAH!!!  Hopefully the herceptin will help me continue with the remission as long as I am able to take it.  It is a years worth of treatment, and expensive..it makes me cringe when I go in for a treatment knowing how much it costs!$$$  Thank God my husband has good insurance through his work..but I still feel guilty spending the amount that it is taking for these treatments.. 

Thankyou for your private response...write again when ever you choose to.

I hope for good things to happen with your disease and you too are able to gain remission..  How was your cancer found?  Did it come up as a lump..as i have read, angiosarcoma is a soft tissue cancer that can pop anywhere on the body...tell me more about yours if you care to..and thank you..

best wishes your way.

Jodie

My Dad did use Avastin;used it for the amount of time needed.After

that he didn't want anyother treatment.What my family & I have been

questioning,is that he's never had any type of scans.He was treated at

1st for rosecea(?);which usually deals with the face and scalp.After awhile

nothing was helping;a facial biopsy was taken & the angiosarcoma was

found. Now 3 years later it has spread;Dad wasn't getting any chemo.

As per his request.Now the Sutent is being used as a "last" resort.

His face is mostly covered with the cancer..

My Dad worked at a atomic power plant & did also on nuclear reactors,etc. Most of his body was protected but,his face. So,that

is where the cancer is coming from. He's also stricken with

Parkinsons disease,dementia & also, a diabetic.Any talk of going

into the hospital;is not a option for Dad. He's had several tranfusions

along with his treatments & refuses to "stay over" in the hospital.

At 1 time a type of chemo was offered;you had to be hospitalized

though. Thank's for any concerns.

Soni