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01-28-2007, 01:55 AM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: UK by London
Posts: 8
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Worried chemo not working
Hi
Debbie, my wife has had two lots of EC chemo (the third is Thursday 1st Feb). After the first one her hair fell out as expected but left a few strands.
She was quite sick after her first session so on the second session they gave her a lot more fluid with the EC. Her concern is that her hair has now started growing again so she is thinking the chemo may not be working.
Can it be diluted too much on infusion?
Cheers, Ron
__________________
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. - Oscar Wilde
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01-28-2007, 02:35 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Acworth, GA
Posts: 2,104
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Ron,
Tell your wife not to worry! The chemo is working and they definitely do not dilute it. It's natural for her hair to fall out and depending upon what chemo you receive you loose your hair quickly or slowly. She probably has peach fuzz on her head and this is natural. I lost my hair exactly 2 weeks after I started chemo (A/C) and I was bald as a baby's behind. I began getting peach fuzz but that too disappeared. Just when I thought things were getting better - the peach fuzz was growing, I lost my eyebrows and eyelashes. Everyone is different and chemo affects people in different ways. Relax and just that it one day at a time.
__________________
Kate
Stage IIIC Diagnosed Oct 25, 2005 (age 58)
ER/PR-, HER2+++, grade 3, Ploidy/DNA index: Aneuploid/1.61, S-phase: 24.2%
Neoadjunct chemo: 4 A/C; 4 Taxatore
Bilateral mastectomy June 8, 2006
14 of 26 nodes positive
Herceptin June 22, 2006 - April 20, 2007
Radiation (X35) July 24-September 11, 2006
BRCA1/BRCA2 negative
Stage IV lung mets July 13, 2007 - TCH
Single brain met - August 6, 2007 -CyberKnife
Oct 2007 - clear brain MRI and lung mets shrinking.
March 2008 lung met progression, brain still clear - begin Tykerb/Xeloda/Ixempra
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01-28-2007, 08:11 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Wilmington, Del.
Posts: 1,126
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I lost my hair and the peach fuzz came back rather quickly. I asked my oncologist the same question "has my chemo stopped working?" The answer was a definite NO. Then I lost my eyebrows and lashes. I spoke too soon. I'm sure your wife is doing fine.
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MJO
IDC, Stage I, Grade 2
Oncotype DX Score 32
Her2++ E+P+, Node Neg.
Lumpectomy 11/04/05 Clear Margins
3 Dose dense AC (Couldn't tolerate 4)
4 Dose dense Taxol & Herc. (Tolerated well)
36 weeks Herceptin (Could not complete one year due to decrease in MUGA score)
2 years of Arimidex, then three years of Femara
Finished Femara May 2011
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01-28-2007, 02:55 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Mountains of Virginia
Posts: 2,267
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I wouldn't worry about equating side effects to effectiveness of treatment. Everyone is different and may have more or less of the side effects. Side effects do not indicated effectiveness.
Best Wishes,
________
Tiffalicious
Last edited by sassy; 08-22-2011 at 09:03 AM..
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01-28-2007, 04:22 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Stockton, NJ
Posts: 4,179
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Dear Ron
Just because the treatment was diluted more makes no difference, as long as she is getting the same amount of drug for her body weight. If they use alot more liquid to infuse, it just takes longer but its the same amount of meds.
__________________
Kind regards
Becky
Found lump via BSE
Diagnosed 8/04 at age 45
1.9cm tumor, ER+PR-, Her2 3+(rt side)
2 micromets to sentinel node
Stage 2A
left 3mm DCIS - low grade ER+PR+Her2 neg
lumpectomies 9/7/04
4DD AC followed by 4 DD taxol
Used Leukine instead of Neulasta
35 rads on right side only
4/05 started Tamoxifen
Started Herceptin 4 months after last Taxol due to
trial results and 2005 ASCO meeting & recommendations
Oophorectomy 8/05
Started Arimidex 9/05
Finished Herceptin (16 months) 9/06
Arimidex Only
Prolia every 6 months for osteopenia
NED 18 years!
Said Christopher Robin to Pooh: "You must remember this: You're braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think"
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01-28-2007, 04:50 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Central Coast, CA
Posts: 3,207
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Nope, don't worry about hair=efficacy of treatment!
__________________
Chris in Scotts Valley
June 2002 extensive hi grade DCIS (pre-cancer-stage 0, clean sentinal node) Mastectomy/implant - no chemo, rads. "cured?"
9/2004 Diag: Stage IV extensive liver mets (!) ER/PR- Her2+++
10/04-3/05 Weekly Taxol/Carboplatin/Herceptin , complete response!
04/05 - 4/07 Herception every 3 wks, Continue NED
04/07 - recurrence to liver - 2 spots, starting tykerb/avastin trial
06/07 8/07 10/07 Scans show stable, continue on Tykerb/Avastin
01/08 Progression in liver
02/08 Begin (TDM1) trial
08/08 NED! It's Working! Continue on TDM1
02/09 Continue NED
02/10 Continue NED. 5/10 9/10 Scans NED 10/10 Scans NED
12/10 Scans not clear....4/11 Scans suggest progression 6/11 progression confirmed in liver
07/11 - 11/11 Herceptin/Xeloda -not working:(
12/11 Begin MM302 Phase I trial - bust:(
03/12 3rd times the charm? AKT trial
5/12 Scan shows reduction! 7/12 More reduction!!!!
8/12 Whoops...progression...trying for Perjeta/Herceptin (plus some more nasty chemo!)
9/12 Start Perjeta/Herceptin, chemo on hold due to infection/wound in leg, added on cycle 2 &3
11/12 Poops! progression in liver, Stop Perjeta/Taxo/Herc
11/12 Navelbine/Herce[ptin - try for a 3 cycles, no go.
2/13 Gemzar/Carbo/Herceptin - no go.
3/13 TACE procedure
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01-30-2007, 04:27 PM
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#7
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: UK by London
Posts: 8
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Hi
Your words of encouragement along with the practical and factual advice is such a great help. I am sure that you can never realise how much it really does help.
In this case it totally relaxed Debbie to the point were she never bothered to contact the oncologist and had no problem waiting until the next session of chemo (Thurs 1st Feb).
I just want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
'till next time....
Cheers, Ron
BTW, I'm fine!
__________________
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. - Oscar Wilde
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01-30-2007, 04:40 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 105
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Ron,
Tell Debbie I'm still waiting for the other 70% of my hair to fall out! I asked the same question and the oncologist said it has nothing to do with how well the meds are working...even had the return of my menstrual cycle between my 3rd and 4th AC treatments...the doc just giggled and said in his strong indian accent that I must have powerful eggs!
Best of luck to you both,
Steph
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