Carboplatin questions

[lisahammo]

Hi all

I have just been informed that my cancer is on the move again. I have liver mets which were diagnosed July, 04, 12 months after my initial diagnosis. I stopped my Taxol treatment in Feb, 05, and have been continuing on with Herceptin. My onc now wants to try Carbo/Taxol/Herceptin. I don't know anyone at the chemo unit who has had this treatment. Is there anyone out there that has tried this treatment. She also mentioned trying Kalex without Herceptin if this didn't work. I'm feeling pretty scared and worried, as my son starts school next week, and I was hoping to at least get another year of no chemo. Look forward to hearing from anyone.

Thanks.

Lisa

[Sandy H]

I have had this chemo combo a couple of times for my skin mets. It worked great for me. I keep going back on it because skin mets keep popping up which is what happens with skin mets. My oncologist only keeps me on it long enough to kick the mets and then I have the break. He is big on quality of life and says the less chemo for the body the better he likes it. I am aware the chemo can kill us as well as the disease. It can also cause lots of side effects. Anyway, its a good combo for lots of people. I had severe constipation the first 3 days so I take lots of prune juice and eat prones. Had the metalic taste in my mouth which was awful and I had a hard time to eat healthy food. This combo is doable and if that is what it takes then do it. We are all different and so have to find what works for us. Good luck, hugs, Sandy

[kk1]

Hi lisa;

I did weekly taxotere,xeloda,herceptin for 25 weeks and it got rid of my liver mets, I've been NED for 16 months and counting.

kk1

[fourboysmom]

Hi,

I received Carbo/Taxotere/Herceptin. Taxotere is pretty similiar to Taxol. I had 4 rounds and got through it with little kids at home. I got Emend which really helped with nausea, and Neulasta to boost white counts. Hopefully, you have help at home. Email me if you want. Its not a picnic in the park, but if I could do it, so can you! Love, Janet in CT

[dmf]

I had 4 rounds of taxotere/carbo/herceptin. I had very few side effects other then being tired and slight joint stiffness from the taxotere. I was also given Neulasta for my white count. I was able to go about my activities.

[Lee]

...and so far, it hasn't been too bad. A little nausea from time to time, some diarrhea on occasion, but all controllable with meds. I'm also more tired than usual but haven't needed any blood boosters yet. And, it is working well so far - I had 3 mets on my liver that were about 66% smaller after 2 rounds of this. I'm getting re-scanned in a couple of weeks to see where things are.

I also have small kids at home and haven't really been hampered in doing anything with them.

Good luck!

[Alice]

I had weekly rounds of carbo/taxol/herceptin for 9 weeks. The things I had trouble with was fatigue and my white count, occaisional constipation.Stool softeners and prunes helped with the constipation and I'm not a big fan of prunes.It also seemed to inflame the neuropothy that started with the A/C.
All in all it was easier than the A/C. I was in a study that gave this combo to patients before stage 4. I had it before surgery and at the time of surgery I had complete microscopic resolution.No cancer cells left! It may not work the same for every cancer but I think it is deffinately worth a try!

Good luck,let us know how you are doing

Alice

[jhandley]

This combo. is very good. platinum drugs are profoundly synergistic with herceptin. Trial results show more than doubling of time to progression over just taxol and herceptin. Dennis Slamon wanted to do initial phase 3 trials with cisplatin but was overruled..

jackie (Hamilton, Victoria)

[lisahammo]

Thank you everyone for your replies. It is very comforting to know you are all out there. My first lot of Taxol/Herceptin reduced my 10 tumours to 3, so I am hoping that this combo will kick them, and I can start with a clean slate (or liver!) again. Not too happy to hear about the constipation. I have terrible trouble with it, and end up with splits in my bum, and constant bleeding, so looking forward to that! I will keep you all informed of my progress.

Best of luck to everyone. My thoughts are with you all.

Love Lisa

[julierene]

I am also on the combo. I am 6 weeks into it. I get a break after 3. I haven't lost hardly any hair either. I get some constipation, sleeplessness, and fatigue (go figure), and acne. I go to bed and toss and turn for hours while tired as can be. I have been experimenting with the sleep aids to try and get the right amount for me. I think I can blame some joint pain on it too. I'm only 30 years old, but I have bone and liver mets. The bone mets aren't in the joints that I'm having problems with though. So I hope it's the treatment drugs. But knees and ankles and shoulders all pop like rice krispies now.

I think I am having necrosis pain from shrinking tumors. My cancer symptoms before diagnosis have become better, but I ache in the tumor locations the next day up to several days after the treatment. Then I get better right before I go in again.

[Lyn]

I had 26 weekly doses Herceptin/Taxol/carboplatin and I did not take any steroids only an anti-histamine Telfast. I drank plenty of water while having the carbo infusion so it goes through the kidneys quicker other wise you can get a nagging ache in them and then you start to worry. I also applied heat with a hot water bottle and then I found the wonderful AVON heat pad you boil up and then crack with your fingers and it turns to heat when you are ready, heat directs the chemo drug straight to wear the blood cells have been enlarged, mine was to the neck, my problem was I got neuropathy to the neck and I did loose my hair, it did the job of getting rid of the enlarged glands, trouble is every time I stop chemo, been doing this since 98, I only remain NED for a couple of weeks and I get another mutated mess to deal with. This time it is the remaining breast, a new primary so I guess I can say that I have been cured of the original BC. Hope this helps.

Love & Hugs Lyn