thalidomide/cpt-11 clinicical trial

[bphyllis]

Hi, I wish I was more enthusiastic about this thalidomide/cpt-11 trial that I am on. I just had my third round of cpt-11 and started a three week course of thalidomide and really don't feel any better. The thalidomide does make you really tired so it is difficult to even think straight some times. My tumors had shrank in Nov. and then grew 18% in December while on this trial. The doctor said that the thalidomide works slowly, but he did not seem that enthused about the trial when I started it. I think they are a little upset that they took me off the trial of Xeloda/ptk when my tumors grew 21% and then they shrank once I went off of the trial. They are hesitating to switch me so quickly this time. I think we all thought up until last week that I was going into remission. Now my chest hurts and there is a lot of mucous in my lungs so I am scared. I am applying for RFA but they won't do it if there are too many tumors.

I have three primary tumors which are all around 1.5 cms., which is good but I have two nodes on my trachea which I am afraid that they will say that there is no point in doing any other procedure. My throat surgeon's attitude is only the three tumors have emerged in almost two years so let's try to deal with them and deal with the others as they become a problem. Hopefully, if I could treat the three tumors then maybe I could have surgery to remove the nodes. I am just scared. All of these procedures are so rigid. I am in such good health. I had one fever almost a year ago that lasted one day and that is it, but I keep running into brick walls. I am afraid that these chemo drugs are just going to wear out my body and the cancer will take over.