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al from Canada · 11-26-2005, 06:35 PM

Dear Sherry,

I'm very sorry to here about your new troubles. I know Steph mentioned Navelbine, a drug commonly used for liver mets; it is also a viable option as this drug (+ herceptin) pulled Linda through her crisis.

The nice thing about Xeloda is that it is less systemic, ie it is only activated by cancer cells but it has also been known to cause liver problems. Keep a close eye on this one and if the xeloda isn't working...be prepared to switch at the drop of a dime. Vigenance is the key! keep an eye on your LFT's as they should start leveling off very soon after starting treatment. If they don't, it's time to start asking a lot of questions and start acting on second opinions. Listen to your gut feelings! Don't let your onc make decisions for you that you are uncomportable with. This type of thing is usually quite managable UNLESS you let it get out of your control! Notice I used the "you" word, meaning don't give-up 100% of your medical destiny. They main side effects of liver disfunction are #1 loss of appitite, #2 loss of energy and #3 dark urine. All that said, it does sound that your onc is doing all the right things; just don't let your guard down.

Take care,
Al

11-26-2005, 06:35 PM	#6
al from Canada Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 722	princess warrior Sherry Dear Sherry, I'm very sorry to here about your new troubles. I know Steph mentioned Navelbine, a drug commonly used for liver mets; it is also a viable option as this drug (+ herceptin) pulled Linda through her crisis. The nice thing about Xeloda is that it is less systemic, ie it is only activated by cancer cells but it has also been known to cause liver problems. Keep a close eye on this one and if the xeloda isn't working...be prepared to switch at the drop of a dime. Vigenance is the key! keep an eye on your LFT's as they should start leveling off very soon after starting treatment. If they don't, it's time to start asking a lot of questions and start acting on second opinions. Listen to your gut feelings! Don't let your onc make decisions for you that you are uncomportable with. This type of thing is usually quite managable UNLESS you let it get out of your control! Notice I used the "you" word, meaning don't give-up 100% of your medical destiny. They main side effects of liver disfunction are #1 loss of appitite, #2 loss of energy and #3 dark urine. All that said, it does sound that your onc is doing all the right things; just don't let your guard down. Take care, Al __________________ Primary care-giver to and advocate for Linda, who passed away April 27, 2006.