New mets for MJ :(
 

About 3 weeks ago my wife started showing signs of jaundice in her eyes and on her skin. They gave her a ct scan at the emergency room and determined that she had liver mets again as well as peritoneal carcinoma(malignant ascites). Has anyone been diagnosed with peritoneal carcinoma or know much about it?

Also, after her first treatment of Abraxane she got really bad sores in her mouth and wasn't eating or drinking much for several days. She developed a high fever so she went back to the emergency room. That put her in the hospital to try to hydrate her and treat her mouth sores, as well as to get her white cell count up. She tested positive for the flu and pneumonia so had to be treated for that as well. A week later she finally came home from the hospital. So, quite the ordeal. She is now able to eat and drink thanks to the mouth treatments at the hospital. I fear these will reappear after her next Abraxane treatment on Thursday. Does anyone know of anything to do to limit the mouth sores caused by chemo? I don't want her to go through that hospital experience again.

Thanks,
Greg

Re: New mets for MJ :(
 

Re: New mets for MJ :(
 

My Oncologist told me to rinse and gargle with a mixture of water, salt and baking soda every 2-4 hrs and/or after I eat. I am not sure if it will help her but its done wonders for me. Its not the most pleasant thing but it certainly beats the alternative.

Praying for you and your wife.

Re: New mets for MJ :(
 

MD Anderson in Houston treated my friend for peritoneal mesothelioma. She is doing great....real miracle. Call them.

Re: New mets for MJ :(
 

Another thing to do is to eat yogurt but every now and then swish it around inside your mouth. You can also get plain yogurt and swish it around and spit it out.

Also, as said above, suck on ice cubes during the treatment and for the first 24 hours.

Re: New mets for MJ :(
 

Benadryl acts as a local anesthetic. That is why it is in anti-itch creams. I read in a pharmacy journal years ago that mixing Benadryl syrup (Diphenhydramine 12.5mg/5cc) with an equal portion of Maalox makes a pain relieving mouthwash. There is something called Magic Mouthwash for mouth sores but you will need a doctors prescription for this.

Paul

Re: New mets for MJ :(
 

My cancer center prescribed Magic Mouthwash from their pharmacy
Hope she finds relief
Keep the faith

Re: New mets for MJ :(
 

Sorry to hear about the new mets ! My insurance company has just approved me for perjeta my doctor prescribed it off label. Also Kadcyla seems to be a good drug for many with liver mets. Your wife will need to be on chemo again then the doctor will have a better idea how to treat her. Dont give up hope!

Re: New mets for MJ :(
 

Dear Greg,

I would speak with your wife's oncologist about getting her on Perjeta and the Herceptin. I am kinda curious as to why they took her off the herceptin in the first place. I have had a good run with the perjeta and herceptin for awhile now. I am lucky. The oncologist should advocate for your wife to obtain the perjeta and since she has not been too heavily treated this should not be a problem. Magic mouthwash was prescribed for me during my chemo time. I wish I knew more about peritoneal carcinoma but I don't. Take good care. I know and my husband knows how hard this is.

Jackie

Re: New mets for MJ :(
 

Hi Jackie,
He took her off Herceptin after the Her2 mets to her uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes and nearby lymph nodes. It didn't appear to be offering any protection at that point. Perjeta is likely in the near future. Just hoping the Abraxane works on the liver mets soon. Maybe Herceptin will work again in combination with it. Thanks for your comment.

Greg

Re: New mets for MJ :(
 

My oncologist gave me a prescription for a liquid mouthwash bicorbonate - so the water and baking soda suggestion sounds good but the pharmacy may have something readymade for mouth sores due to chemo. I was told to gargle with it 6 times a day which I did at first but then went down to 3.
hope this gargle works
all the best
sarah

Re: New mets for MJ :(
 

1 1/2 yrs ago I had ascites and when started abraxane had quick results from it. I drank LOTS of iced water every day, rinsed with Biotene mouthwash and used the water, salt and baking soda for mouth sores (it really works well but does taste awful). She could try eating soft foods including yogurt, cottage cheese, bread not toast. I puréed or cooked vegetables, soups etc. I had a childhood craving come back for cottage cheese and peaches that has happened twice now with treatment and disappears when done. Oh and nothing too hot to burn the mouth. My ascites left and I haven't had a problem since. Knock on wood. The abraxane is hard but I was able to tolerate it for over a year. She will fall into a routine for control of side effects and it becomes tolerable. You guys can do this. Good luck.

Re: New mets for MJ :(
 

I think peritoneal carcinoma refers just to site of some mets. ascites is fluid related to cancers impact on liver. general cancer / medical terms. but the cancer is her2 , right ? so these her2 mets have progressed on taxanes like abraxane in past, and now on tyk/xel. Lorraines and many others have also. L. had mets in and all around liver. wiped out by kadcyla. lani's post talks about kadcyla and perjeta together being even better.that is latest , may not be an approved combo yet . kadcyla at least is the best appr. tx for aggressive metastatic her2
this slow fda needs a swift kick. every call all stage ivs can make to their Congressional reps about denial of perjeta to stage iv can't hurt.

Re: New mets for MJ :(
 

I had Taxol, then Abraxane, in my first round of treatment. It did a dandy job on my liver mets. I'm so sorry MJ got so sick the first time. I hope you can control the mouth sores from now on.