CancerCompass message board discussion started by Citygirl on 9/2/2006 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,6725,0.htm Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ I went for a routine colonoscopy on July 12th and was told that I have colon cancer and needed an operation. Went and was operated on July 17th. Took out 23 nyph nodes. One had cancer cells in it. Therefore, need chemo. Very confused as to which I should do. Dr. wants me to choose between Flox which is administered intervenously once a week for two hours in the hospital. I have Rayauds syndrome. Hence my veins disappear. The other is Folfox it would be administered through a port inplanted under the collar bone. With that treatment I would be going home with is a canister filled with chemo and it takes two days to go into my body. I am very confused. Need to know who is out there that has had these treatments and the pros and cons of both. Must give the Dr. an answer as to what I would like to do before Wednesday Sept. 6th. Citygirl Sat, 02 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT Dear Ann, six of one, half dozen of the other. both of those regimens have almost exactly the same survival numbers, and the numbers are not bad at all. (other opinions from folks like OncRx or Gagbm or anyone else are welcome, especially if someone feels strongly about one regimen or the other or has a third regimen they feel might be better!) since the regimens are so similar in outcome, what really matters is what you prefer: would you rather be getting chemo at home, or in the hospital? home is nice and quiet and comfortable. your bathroom is your own. there is no one in the next bed throwing up. no one is yelling in the hall or peeking from the door at your partially open hospital gown. on the other hand, hospitals have nurses that are a call button away if you have any problems during the infusion. but most people don't have problems during the infusion, they have them a few days later. and if you are at home and have any problem, your doctor or the emergency room (911) are just a phone call away. if I had Raynaud's disease, I would opt for the mediport for a number of reasons. Getting an IV hurts even if you don't have Raynaud's, and with Raynaud's they may have to stick you a few times before they get an IV in you that works. Getting a functional mediport accessed successfully is guaranteed the first time every time, and it is just a pinch because the needle only needs to go through skin and into the port, not through skin and then a sensitive blood vessel. if whatever chemo you pick for some reason does not work, the next regimen of chemo will also be IV, and you will be glad you have a mediport. Except for a very few meds that come as pills, such as Xeloda, 99% of the chemotherapy out there is IV, and having a mediport is generally a blessing. Your oncologist probably has several patients every day in his infusion room that have mediports. Why not ask him if it would be possible to talk with one of them to get a perspective that only they would have? (He probably should to get their permission first.) Another approach would be to go to any hospital and ask at the information desk where is the infusion center.. head there and ask a nurse if any of her patients have a mediport and could she ask them if they would mind talking to you about it because you are thinking of getting one. if she says no, you could also ask the nurse what she thinks since infusion nurses deal with mediports every day. there are some minor negatives to a mediport. first of all, after you are done with all of the chemo, if you want to keep the mediport functional (just in case you ever need chemo again) you need to see your oncologist every 6-8 weeks to have it flushed with saline and then filled with heparin. Second, having the mediport put in is a minor procedure done by a radiologist. you will have a couple of stitches afterwards and the area will be sore for a few weeks. Lastly, perhaps 5 years from now when you are cancer free you may want the mediport removed - this is also a minor procedure done by a radiologist and you will have a few stitches afterwards. Even with the best care, most mediports will stop working after about 10-15 years. I am sorry you had to find this web site, -Amnia -------------- disclaimer: the above is my own personal opinion. please do not base your care on my opinions. i am wrong all the time. why should today be any different? :-) seriously, don't do something because someone on a web board tells you to. go on the advice of your doctors who have seen and examined you. i have not met you nor examined you nor seen any of your records. please keep that in mind before you make any decisions based on my insane and probably completely incorrect ramblings. thank you! disclaimer #2: http://www.cancercompass.com/common/disclaimer.html Amnia Sat, 02 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT Ann, You are probably now into your treatment and not checking these boards. I hope they waited at least a week before using your port! It may be too late but I wanted to let you know you're not alone and perhaps you can help me. On July 1, 2006 at 38 years old, I had a colonoscopy because I could no longer eat and had mostly blood, but little stool. The doctor was shocked to find a 6CM tumor. That's why the screen name is BATgirl...big ass tumor. That came from answering endless questions about my health (in shape, excercise, eat organically, low fat, no family history) and so I finally blurted out, "I'm fine except for this big ass tumor." I have T3N1. I have finished my chemo/radiation 5.5 weeks and will be leaving for surgery at Mayo in two more weeks. Afterwards, I'll start FOLFOX. I too have Raynauds and am wondering how the Oxiplatin (sp?) affected your Raynauds. If anyone else has insight, I would certainly appreciate it! Good Luck! Deborah "Batgirl" Batgirl Sat, 07 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT