Marci Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Hi All, Well, we met with the Onc. Doc yesterday and he gave us 2 choices of regimens to fight the cancer. The 1st was Carbo, Taxol, & Avastin which he said was very strong and had numerous side effects and dangerous ones especially b/c he said he had to inform mom that Avastin can cause strokes and heart attacks in rare instances but he doesn't know if my mom would be the rare case. Also, he told my mom her hair which is so pretty right now will immediately be gone. She was stunned with all this to say the least. Then he said well the 2nd regimen he would recommend if she says no to the 1st one would be Carboplatin and Gemzar which is more easily tolerated by people he said and likely my mom's hair would stay. My mom is leaning towards the Carbo/Gemzar one since she wants her hair and also wants less side effects. I am hoping this will help her with the new metasases she has now. I know hair should not be a consideration in this but its not happening to me with all this hair I have and my mother's hair was always her crown and glory to her. What an emotional and mental torture this is. Any info. on the treatments would be appreciated. Marci Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrea Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 My mom was put on the carbo/gemzar treatment as her first line of treatment and she responded very well. The side effects were not too bad and she lost about half of her hair, never having a need for a wig. When her hair grew back it was a little curlier,called it a chemo perm, but now it is all back to normal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SandraL Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 I am currently on Gemzar. It does burn when it does in me and needs to be done very slowly, all may not experience this. It is supposedly well tolerated after, but for me, first time took me "down" for 2 days with some nausea. Don't think that happens to most either. But tolerable even for me...and no hair loss. Mine is just coming back from hair loss from first line treatment and I am pleased about that. Sandra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don M Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 I had carboplatin and gemzar for my first chemo. I had it in the adjuvant stetting following my second surgery. My oncologist offered it to me instead of carboplatin/taxol because he said there would be no chance of getting neuropathy with the gemzar. I tolerated it fairly well, but unfortunately my cancer came back a year later. Avastin was not available then. I have just completed my 4th round of taxotere as a single agent and have had no problems with neuropathy at the extremities so far. Don M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fillise Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Marci, Others may be knowlegable about this than I, but I think the two doublets each produce similar results. My mom did the Carbo/Taxol and lost her hair--which was the hardest part of the whole chemo experience for her. The physical side effects were not nearly as bad as the phschological shock of looking into the mirror each day. If they have similar outcomes, I'd say choosing the option that allows your mom to keep her hair is as good a reason for that choice as any other. Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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