Xeloda or Navelbine?

[NoraC]

Hello everybody!
I just found this group on the net, and it seemed just perfect.
It's really helpful to have somewhere to ask your questions where everyone
have similar experiences.
I have mets to liver and bone since 2002 and have been getting Herceptine/Taxol for the last 2 yrs. My oncologist wants to
change my regime as there has been a slight progression.
The alternatives seem to be Xeloda or Navelbine/herceptine. Does anyone in here have experience with any of those? Have you had effect, and are there any significant sideeffects?

[Andi]

I am currently taking Navelbine. I have found it very tolerable, no hair loss, no nausea. My biggest issue was with blood counts, with my whites dropping so that I had to skip one week of taking it. They have since gone back up and have stablized. I also get mouth sores with it if I don't suck on ice or popcicles when they are pushing it in my line. The mouth sores is not a common side effect with this drug, I'm just weird I guess. It is administered by infusion. I know there are others on this site that have experience with both Navelbine and Xeloda, so they can give you their experiences and comparisons. My onc says Xeloda is his favorite chemo because you take it daily and it keeps a more even amount of the chemo in your system. Good luck with your decision, and I hope which ever you chose, it stops the mets and progression.

[Sheila]

Nora

I havwe been on and off Xeloda for over a year, along with Herceptin. I have no problem with it except for the hand foot syndrome...my legs ache like toothaches, and my feet burn...the inly other thing is the watery eyes and peeling skin on my fingers....oh and runny nose, but I had some of that before when I was just on Herceptin. Xeloda is pill form, which is nice. I take it 14 days on and 7 off. The side effects seem to be harsher for some on a high dose. I take 2500 mg a day, 1500 in the a.m. and 1000 at night. They have found that this dose is just as effective as the 4000mg a day dose.
Hope this helps.

[Shell]

I have been on both, and navelbine is much easier to endure (except for the counts issue and, for me, the runny nose) than if you experience the H/F issues and/or diarrhea with the xeloda. If you choose the xeloda route, of course you should make sure you take tykerb with it, since for those of us in the trial, it delayed our time to progression.

Good luck with your choice, and may the 1st one bring success!

Regards,

[Lolly]

I've also had Herceptin/Navelbine and Herceptin/Xeloda. Both were very tolerable, more stomach issues with Navelbine as opposed to Xeloda but I was on a very low dose of Xeloda, more a maintenance dose (500mg 2x's daily) so didn't really have any side effects. Navelbine was quite effective for me, in fact I have been on it in combo with Herceptin 3 seperate times to control mets. Best wishes.

<3 Lolly

[VaMoonRise]

Hi Nora,

I also have mets to the liver and spine. I started out on a clinical trial of Herceptin, Taxol and Tykerb (Lapatinib) and received Zometa once a month. I was able to stay on this clinical trial for almost 2 years. I recently had some slight progression though in my liver mets so my oncologist decided to change my treatment plan. I am currently on Herceptin and Navelbine once a week for 3 weeks and then a one week break from the Navelbine and continue to receive Zometa once a month as a bone strengthener. My oncologist has said that if I start to progress again that her next course of treatment will be with Herceptin, Xeloda, the Zometa and possibly back on the Tykerb as well. I have had about 5 treatments of the Navelbine thus far and have found it to be extremely tolerable. I have had little to no side effects on it except a drop in blood counts which haven't dropped enough, at least as of yet to become a real problem. I will have my first CT scan since starting on the Navelbine on May 4, I am very eager to find out how it is working. The waiting is the most difficult part.

I don't know if this helped you any but which ever treatment you decide to go with next I wish you all the best and will pray that it stops your progression in it's tracks and beats back your mets into oblivion.

Be sure to keep us posted as I am anxious to hear how you do on either treatment since we are basically going through the exact same thing.

Love & Huge Hugs,
Nicola

[Muldoonmom]

Hi,
I have had both Xeloda (for 10 months) and Navelbine (for nearly a year.) I found both drugs to be relatively easy - certainly much easier than Taxol or Taxotere. I did develop foot problems with Xeloda - my heels starting cracking very badly and would bleed a little in the morning. Navelbine affected my stomach after awhile - and my counts also went down but I've had a lot of chemo over the past 8 years.
Hope this helps! Are you looking into Tykerb also? I was just approved and I am starting it next week.

[NoraC]

Thank you everybody!
I'm most grateful for all the helpful experiences you have shared with me.
I am currently (until june) not on any drugs at all to try and recuperate
after about 2 yrs of taxol/herceptine.
Just starting to get my hair and lashes back http://www.her2support.org/vbulletin/images/icons/icon7.gif.
So I have until june to make up my mind.
I would have opted for the lapatinib(tykerb), but as I'm norwegian i don't think it has been approved here yet. Maybe I can get my onc to get it for me anyway.
Seems the sideeffects are tolerable both with Xeloda and Navelbine which is good. I usually have no problems with bloodcounts or stomach issues, so it's probably the H/F of Xeloda that is the worst, I guess. I do have tingling feet from the taxol still, and the runny nose seems to be a permanent condition.
Again, thank you all, I'll keep you posted,
NoraC