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Needed - Info on Irinotecan (Camptosar) or Etoposide (VP-16)


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Posted

Hi all,

I'm posting this at Tony's request. He'd like to know what side effects you experienced (or your loved one) on the following drugs:

Irinotecan (Camptosar) -- Any side effects you experienced. (He's especially worried about the diarrhea because he gets short of breath so easily and running to the bathroom isn't high on his list of "wants.") Has diarrhea been a big issue for you?

Etoposide (VP-16) - Any side effects you experienced.

We see the oncologist again on Wednesday. Treatment decisions have to be made. Any thoughts and info would be appreciated, so Tony can evaluate and have questions ready for that meeting.

I'll also be checking on Dr. West's boards.

Thanks for any and all info up front.

God bless us all.

Welthy

Posted

It has been about almost 2 years since Deb was on Etoposide but I do not remember any side effects other that the Norm like low counts and such. the plus was it was a at home med with no visits except emergency or check up. SHe had some good luck with it for a short time though.

Posted

Debi,

Bill was on Etoposide in the beginning along with Carboplatin. He just experienced low blood counts but I don't know if it was from one or the other. Captosar, can't help you with. Never got that one.

Tony must be one tough customer to keep fighting like he is......and God bless you. You're my hero.

Posted

No experience with Camptosar, but we did the carbo/etoposide thing in the beginning. That regimen was tolerated well. I can't say which drugs caused the side-effects, but they were mild: hair thinning, sometimes low platelets, maybe a little fatigue. Throughout that treatment he continued his daily routine without a problem and we were able to run around Europe for almost 2 weeks.

Your Tony is such a fighter! I wish him success with the new treatment.

Keep on keeping on!

Posted

Thanks Randy and "the girls" :D -- I'm hoping for more feedback on the irinotecan. That's the one the doc really wants to move to next.

I put a halt to the Gemzar today. It is obvious that he is getting worse and now has confirmed malignant pleural effusion on the L-side. Doc agreed. (Thank goodness -- why put my poor love through another chemo if it's not working???) For the first time I heard Tony say, "I am tired." I'm not sure that he'll be going forward with anything, but he did want to know about side effects. We're in decision limbo right now.

Glad I have our trusty LCSC to find out the scoop on these treatments.

Hugs to all,

Welthy

Posted

Hi Deb,

Bill had etoposide and carboplatin, so I don't know which one caused his side effects. Mostly, he just felt fatigued. He had a little nausea, but nothing serious. And...lost his hair.

Posted

I think Etoposide caused Hair loss cause that seemed to be the Biggest Time when Deb lost hers as I recall now!!

Posted

Hi my Mom is on CPT11 now and she was also very afraid of the diarrhea but she had none! Now this is someone who on a pre cancerous day wouldn't go to the bathroom for a week @ a time and during chemo-forget it-sometimes 2 weeks...

She even continued on her stool softeners throughtout this chemo and had no problems.

Now starting yesterday (she just had her 4th round last Tues) she started to become short of breath-this is something new and we are going today for a PE Cat scan to rule out a blood clot in lung.

Hope that helps some.....

Wishing you guy's nothing but the best.

Dar

Posted

My Mom is on cisplatin and CPT-11. The CPT-11 does cause diarrhea for her. After her week off and she goes back to the doctor, she will tell him that it wasn't too bad. But during the three weeks she gets it, she is trotting up and down the hall muttering "damn camptosar". I think she should take something stronger than Immodium, but she doesn't want anything else. She lost her hair on VP-16 and carboplatin but it has grown back now. And it also causes her nose to run and to be more "phlegmy". On her week off, it's not too bad. I guess it causes EVERYTHING to run!

Posted

Camptosar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was on it with the cisplatin in 2001, not long after it had been approved by the fda!

Yes I had trouble with the runs so have PLENTY of imodium and lomotil on hand and USE it as a preventitive!

I am still here 6 yrs later so I had good results1!

Cindy

Posted

Thanks to all of you good people for the info. Glad to see CindyRN too! :D

We see the doc today, so we'll see what the next chemo du jour is going to be.

Welthy

Posted

Keith started with CPT-11, along with Cisplatin and then Carboplatin.

He never had a problem with diahrea, and actually had very few side effects from it. Just a little mild nausea that was well controlled with Emend. However, he used to take Senna-S because of constipation from the pain meds. But while on the CPT-11 he stopped taking them because he was afraid of the diahrea, He actually had the most normal bowel regularity during that time. I think it was the CPT-11 and the Pain meds fighting over their side effects and meeting in a perfect middle.

I hope that this combo works miracles and with no side effects and no need to wear his track shoes ;)

God Bless

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