Question about chemo...plz

[Guest Iiris]

My dad went to the onco last Friday for regular check-up. Onco decided to take him off the Cistoplatin since he was having trouble with his hearing. He had 3 days of Cistoplatin and VP 16 with 3 weeks off. He

had his 2nd round of chemo this week with one day of Carboplatin and 3 days of VP 16. My mom wonders if the Carboplatin is as effective as the Cistoplatin and if there will really be much change in hearing since hearing loss is a side effect of Carboplatin too. She wants to make sure

he's getting the most aggressive chemo possible since radiation and surgery weren't options. Any opinions?

On the plus side, she reports that my dad is feeling much better, is sleeping much less and has much more energy. He's eating better and is more active finally. He even made it outside to the garden to do a bit of raking this week. Whoohoo! He sees the onco in another 3 weeks for another check-up. So far, so good!

Thanks to all............Iiris

[schmaydee]

......carboplatin got rid of the (cigarette pack size) mass i had in my lung.(i'm NED for the time being).... it seems like they use it more than cistoplatin nowadays......i had radiation too though... .....s

[Addie]

I have a kidney condition, so my onc gave me carbo instead of cis....because cisplatin is also harder on the kidneys. One member here started on cisplatin and lost some 60% of her low frequency hearing, I think, after just a dose or two. She was then switched to carbo! Cis is lots harder on hearing than carbo....but BOTH are thought to be pretty equally effective, along with etoposide (VP-16) as first line chemo for sc lung cancer....so I wouldn't be concerned.

The fact that your dad is feeling a bit better and not so tired is also good....and may be reflective of the fact that carbo's side effects aren't quite so bad. But a good many people have been treated with carbo effectively....and I think most oncs look at cis and carbo as fairly interchangeable these days, for first line treatment.

Good luck to your dad!!

[daggiesmom]

So glad to hear your dad's doing better. Sounds like the chemo is working!!!!! That's great. I think that carbo & cis are interchangeable, but you might want to "ask the experts". I had a "clicking" in my ears while on chemo, but it went away (I had cisplatin.)

Joanie

[Remembering Dave]

Dave took carboplatin for his first chemo treatment. Carbo and Vp-16 and quickly went into remission.

For his first recurrence, he had cisplatin and CPT-11. that was for one skull met. skull met died (probably the radiation got it) but he apparently developed tons of other mets while on this chemo.

cisplatin will mess with your hearing. Dave had some minor problems, and JCAWork (Jen) has some perm. hearing loss in one ear from just a few treatments of it, if I remember correctly.

soo, in my opinion, your dad is probably better off on carboplatin.

I read somewhere, or maybe the onco doc mentioned it, that cisplatin and CPT-11 worked GREAT in trials in Japan, but isn't doing so well in the U.S., so could be a difference in genetic make up.

Karen

[mhutch1366]

If your doctor will give you a preinfusion of Ethyol (amafostine), that protects not only the kidneys but the hearing from the worst of the effects of the cisplatin.

I mentioned the problem after the first dose to my oncologist and he immediately added Ethyol to my regimen. I am suprised more people are not aware of it. I bring it up every chance I get.

Good luck.

XOXOX

MaryAnn

[Guest Iiris]

Thank you all for your replies. I guess what my mom

is wondering is..... if he had 3 days of cistoplatin last

month and now it's only 1 day of carboplatin, how can

that be as effective? That's what worries her.

Thanks..... Iiris