CancerCompass message board discussion started by charmedone on 8/11/2007 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,15194,0.htm Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ Does anyone know if it is okay to stop treatment with efudex 2x a day early like day 13?  I was advised to do this 21 days.  I have been treating a spot on my temple, a spot on my nose, my entire chest and shoulders and the tops of my hands.  Since the itching is so bad I rub the treated areas during the night and do not get up to wash my hands - I must touch other areas or my bedding touches other areas; anyway I have several breakouts on my legs and arms.  I called the Dr and asked him about this and he said it is because I have so much sun damage over the years that I am alsmost covered with AKs.  He advised me not to treat these areas because that would be too much going on at once and that we would discuss any further treatment at my follow up visit 8-27th.  I told him that I didn't think I can complete the treatment because it is making me insane.  I think the itching is what I cannot tolerate.  I have taken Benedryl and it takes the edge off only for a short time.  I have applied ice packs continuously all day today to all the areas and it only helps for a couple of minutes.  I just keep getting more and more little places that keep breaking out and begin itching.  If all of the areas were progressing the same I think I could handle it better but when one place begins the next phase the new areas are just beginning to itch.  He told me to tough it out as long as I could.  That is the only advice he had.  I didn't ask him but I was wondering if anyone knows if I do stop the treatment now at day 13 have I done all of this for nothing or have I managed to kill some of the cancer cells in this amount of time?  I feel like such a cry baby and I can usually tolerate a lot of pain.  It is not actually the pain that I cannot tolerate at this time anyway; it is the itch.  charmedone Sat, 11 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT