xeloda - my experience so far

[Pam P]

I usually post when I'm panicking, so I thought for a change I'd post when things are going okay.

I've been on xeloda now since 8/05. I started out with 3500 mg/day. HAd it reduced to 3000 mg/day because of diarrhea. At this dose I'm feeling great, side effects are minimal & mild. All by cbc counts are staying normal. My ca2729 has gone from 149 in 7/05 to 51 at last lab. I feel like I could stay on this forever at this rate.

I see on some recent posts that xeloda only worked for some for a short period of time. I'm wondering if some have had success with it for long lengths of time?

I have not had NED yet, and am afraid to hope that I could with this, but it would be such a gift.

Pam

6/01 - dx with IBC; er+pr- her2+++
6/01 - mastectomy; stage 111b; 12 positive lymph nodes removed
7/01 - 12/01 - 4 treatments AC & cytoxin; 4 treatments taxol
12/02 - radiation - 30 treatments
12/02 - tamoxifen
9/02 -- bone mets dx in rib
9/02-12/02 - femara
1/03-6/03 - taxotere & herceptin & zometa
summer of 03 - pleural effusions 4 times - side effect of taxotere
7/03-12/03 - faslodex & herceptin & zometa
1/04 - 1/05 - navelbine & herceptin & zometa
1/05 - 7/05 - herceptin & zometa
8/05 - --- xeloda & herceptin & zometa

[jojo]

"Pleural effusions - side effect of Taxotere" in your post caught my attention. I have never heard of this side effect, unless it is usually more related to lung mets.

Since I have some pleural effusion in my right lung, I am going to ask my onc about this in my appt, come next week.

Glad to hear that you are tolerating Xeloda very well. :-)

Keep up your good fight!

[Pam P]

Jojo -- I can't remember, do you have lung mets? If not, your effusions might be from taxotere (or maybe other chemo can do this too?) I've talked to other women who also had pleural effusions as a result of taxotere. It was really scary when my lungs would fill up I could breathe okay just sitting, but I couldn't walk from my house to my car without gasping for breathe. I had to have thoracentisis (fluid drained from the lung) 4 different times over about a 2 month period; each time about 1 liter was removed. The tests never showed any cancer cells in the fluid, so I'm sure it was s/e from taxotere. The fluid started when I was on taxotere & once I quit taxotere & finally got rid of the effusions they never came back. Pam

[jojo]

I have a couple of suspicious spots in lungs that seem more likely to be cancerous, but without any breathing symptoms: one 6mm spot in left, one 2-3mm pleural effusion in right.

I have never taken Taxotere before, but I had 12x weekly Taxol 2 years ago at original diagnosis. Then I have been getting a CT scan of abdomen / pelvis every 3 or 4 months for a year, so the spots were the first ever to pop up.

Good luck to you, Pam.

[jojo]

Forgot to say that the spots appeared in my previous scan which was in August 2005. I have a repeat scan next Tues.

Wish me luck!! Also, extra prayers much appreciated. Thanks!

[Cindi]

Pam,

Go Xeloda, Go! I remember my Onc. mentioning that she had patients achieve NED with Xeloda and they were on it for 1 year of longer. So, HOPEfully this is the right drug combo for you!

God Bless You,

Cindi.