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Question re VP16 in Pill Form


kimblanchard

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I have not been having much luck lately with chemo, my onc switched me to Vincristine/andromycin and Cytoxin, had some shrinkage but my wbc went so low that the onc got scared and I got really run down, couldn't do much at all, it was every three weeks and it took me the full three weeks to get back on my feet so we switched to Topotecan, results were easier, it just made me extremely fatigued, it was once a week. I don't feel as though it is working, going for a CT scan on saturday so will know results next week. She is now talking about several other options one of them being VP 26 in pill form. Has anyone heard of it or taken it and what were your experiences? Would appreciate any info, running out of options.

Bess B

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Bess, I am sorry for the side effects the chemo brought you. This must be difficult to go through. But I am glad that they started to use Topotecan on you. I pray for excellent result that you will have.

I am sorry that I don't know anything about VP16 pill, but I GUESS it is the maintenance drug that keep the tumors stable.

You are in my prayers.

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When I had my first chemo I had carboplatinum and VP 16 every 3 weeks. I would have 1 day of both drugs in IV form and then 2 days of the VP 16 pills that I took at home (8 at a time). The combination of the 2 drugs made my counts so low I spent 5 days in hospital in isolation and also had to have a transfusion. Up side is THEY WORKED in getting rid of the original tumor.

Prayers for clean scans (or at least shrinkage) are being sent your way!

God Bless,

MO

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Hi BessB,

I am sorry to hear your dilemma, and your worry/fear. Well, I would say that it all depends on what you want to do. If the cytoxin, vincristine, and adriamycin are working, it may be worth the side effects of the chemo to you. If the drugs are no longer benefiting you there are some other options that I can think of. From reading your signiture (disease history), it seems that the cisplatin and vp-16 gave you no response according to what you have there, so my rationale is -what makes them think you will now? I have researched this disease for three years, and I have yet to see anyone who was resistant to a particular chemo go back on it again with a response (In fact I have yet to find an oncologist that would put a client back on the same drug that did not work before.) However, it seems that what worked best for you was CPT-11 (irrinotecan) and taxol, with the first round of chemo. So you may want to try CPT-11 with a drug you have not had yet like gemzar (gemcitibine) which has shown some activity against SCLC. Or maybe do the CPT-11 and taxol all over again and see what happens -- maybe it will shrink 60% again?? Maybe adding CPT-11 to the etoposide will help to fight the cancer. Sometimes when you combine 2 or more drugs together you get a synnergistic effect that really works well, and SCLC has shown before that when you combine drugs together you get better responses. I know someone who has had almost all the chemo's possible for SCLC, but when they recombined them together in a new way he almost went into remission to their astonishment!!! He is currently on carboplatin taxol and etoposide (vp-16). So that would be another option. You can DO alot of things , and get better. You may want to write some of these ideas down and discuss them with her (your onc.). There are options, and I believe in you and your power to get well. let me know what happens.....

I'll be prsying for you.

Jonathan

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