I have already exhausted lifetime dose of Doxorubicin. Post chemo my lung nodules were operated and 10 nodules with clear margins were removed. However disease has resurfaced with new nodules in lungs. Now Doctors has advised me IInd line chemo with Gemcitabine and Doccetxle. It will be given on Ist Monday than Next Monday followed by a free Monday. It will be One Cycle of chemo(21 days).
I would like members to share their experience for above medicine, it's results and also the method(protocol) of administration.
I just started this same medication 3 weeks ago. I had the docetaxel administered week 1 over the course of about an hour and had very few side affects. Mostly just intense fatigue and low white blood cell count and the usual hair loss. Week 2 I was given the docetaxel w/ gemcitabine over the course of about 2 hours w/ the same side affects. Your dr. will probably recommend getting Neulasta after week 2 to help combat the low cell count. I get Neupogen as an alternative to that b/c it does the same thing but has fewer side affects but I still find that I have more intense bone pain from the neupogen than I do from the chemo! All in all I've found this to be the easiest-going chemo I've been on so far, thank goodness. I hope your experience will be similar. I haven't been on the regimen long enough to have any results yet but I will be getting a ct scan after the 3rd cycle and will post an update.
Thanks for the information, reading your reply was encouraging. My CT is planned after 2 cycle. I understand your chemo cycle is also of 21 days, some Doctors were suggesting 28 days cycle.
violetfly said:
I just started this same medication 3 weeks ago. I had the docetaxel administered week 1 over the course of about an hour and had very few side affects. Mostly just intense fatigue and low white blood cell count and the usual hair loss. Week 2 I was given the docetaxel w/ gemcitabine over the course of about 2 hours w/ the same side affects. Your dr. will probably recommend getting Neulasta after week 2 to help combat the low cell count. I get Neupogen as an alternative to that b/c it does the same thing but has fewer side affects but I still find that I have more intense bone pain from the neupogen than I do from the chemo! All in all I've found this to be the easiest-going chemo I've been on so far, thank goodness. I hope your experience will be similar. I haven't been on the regimen long enough to have any results yet but I will be getting a ct scan after the 3rd cycle and will post an update.
I recently did 6 cycles of it. The commercial names are Gemzar and Taxotere. I would get Gemzar the first week, and both on the second week. I'd get neulasta the day after my 2nd week chemo.
Let's see... I lost most of my hair. Not all of it like I did with doxorubicin and ifosfamide. I had some discoloration in my nails. I had mild nausea (but did vomit once). Food would taste funny for a couple of days, except for strong (spicy, sour, bitter) flavors. I couldn't deal with bland food.
It seemed to get harder with each cycle. I would get it on Tuesday, and get a little tired in the afternoon. Then I'd be fine on Wednesday, get a mild fever on Thursday night which would be gone by Friday, start feeling crappy Friday evening, and then spend the weekend on the couch feeling like garbage. I'd feel better on Monday. With Taxotere, I also had nerve pain on Thursday and Friday.
I also had low red blood cell counts in the last few cycles, so I was administered procrit.
This was maintenance chemo for me. I had successful surgery last December, and I'm in remission. So more of a precaution.
Thanks, Was it given as first line of chemo or have you received chemo earlier also?
Sean Smith said:
I recently did 6 cycles of it. The commercial names are Gemzar and Taxotere. I would get Gemzar the first week, and both on the second week. I'd get neulasta the day after my 2nd week chemo.
Let's see... I lost most of my hair. Not all of it like I did with doxorubicin and ifosfamide. I had some discoloration in my nails. I had mild nausea (but did vomit once). Food would taste funny for a couple of days, except for strong (spicy, sour, bitter) flavors. I couldn't deal with bland food.
It seemed to get harder with each cycle. I would get it on Tuesday, and get a little tired in the afternoon. Then I'd be fine on Wednesday, get a mild fever on Thursday night which would be gone by Friday, start feeling crappy Friday evening, and then spend the weekend on the couch feeling like garbage. I'd feel better on Monday. With Taxotere, I also had nerve pain on Thursday and Friday.
I also had low red blood cell counts in the last few cycles, so I was administered procrit.
This was maintenance chemo for me. I had successful surgery last December, and I'm in remission. So more of a precaution.
I received 5 cycles of doxorubicin (adriamycin) and ifosfamide, plus 1 cycle of ifosfamide alone last year. That was definitely more intense. I was in the hospital for 8 days at a time, as I received ifosfamide constantly for 7 straight days.
That regimen reduced my tumor size by 90%.
I followed that up with 28 days of radiation, and then surgery to completely remove the tumor. After surgery, I had 9 more days of radiation, and then the 6 cycles of gemzar/taxotere.
So far so good: I've been in remission for 8 months.