anyone here on cpt11?

[missjv]

hi,
anyone here on 5fu with irtocean or cpt11 as it is sometimes called? i was just put on this chemo had my 2nd round the other day and boy do i feel weird. hands and feet burn, i itch all over, can't sleep at all. before liver surgery i did folfox with avastin and handled it quite well, but this stuff scares me. just wondering if anyone else had any experience with this chemo cocktail. i am on it for what is called clean up chemo after liver surgery but it is more like wipe me out chemo.


missjv

[Holly]

MissJV,

CPT-11, Camptosar and irinotecan are the same drug by drug manufacturer Pfizer. I started on this drug in a cocktail referred to as the Saltz Regimen. It was developed by Dr. Leonard Saltz (of Sloan Kettering). My experience with this drug cocktail was less than desirable and each round guaranteed me an extended luxurious stay at my local hospital. At the time, I was on TPN, and experienced horrible diarrhea. After learning that Dr. Saltz was no longer using 'his' cocktail in his clinic due to toxicity, I discontinued using the drug cocktail. It is my understanding that Camptosar is delivered differently in the Folfuri cocktail and is better tolerated. I hope this helps and wish you continued good health! Keep kickin' a little cancer a#$!

Holly

[missjv]

hi holly,
well i am on 5fu and cpt11 through sloan. i havn't been sick enough for a hospital stay though im glad to say, maybe dose has been lowered? i know eileen on this board was on it as well and she is off chemo 9 months now ned and doing great so hope it works. i am just very tired i seemed to function better on folfox but whichever recipe does the trick is fine with me i am also on hepatic artery pump and get chemo to that once a month so im getting alot of drugs. i still have my hair but it looks like a broom i think i will cut the rest of it off i had it cut short cause i thought i would lose it right away but it is still there but it is thinning and looks burnt so off it will go. how many rounds of cpt11 did you do before you had to stop?

missjv

[Holly]

MissJV,

I received 5 rounds of CPT-11, 5-FU and Leuk in a cocktail referred to as the "Saltz" regimen. As I mentioned, each round landed me an extended luxurious stay at my local hospital. My last dose was the week of Christmas 2003. Each consecutive dose was significantly reduced and I questioned whether it was even effective. This was only one of many reasons that I elected to discontinue the cocktail and go to MD Anderson. About the hair, its hair silly goose! My hair thinned too and if it was clean I was in good shape! My stylist, who specializes in hair treatment, and I made a deal that if necessary I would shave my hair and wear a bandana! You are alive my friend, and that is a beautiful thing!

Each of our journeys are unique and as I have said many times before, please remember that ALL THINGS ARE TRULY POSSIBLE. This is your prize to win MissJV, go kick a little cancer a#$! Are you ready to get your post chemotherapy party started?

You Rock!

Holly

[missjv]

hi holly,
well i really don't care about hair i know it will grow back i would rather be bald and alive then have hair and be dead. well im going to try to hang in for the rest of the cpt11 and hope that it does it's job. what did md anderson do for you? did they switch chemo or just stop you all together? i am happy with sloan i feel i am getting the best treatment that i can get cause here in florida nobody wanted to do a damn thing except throw me on chemo and watch me get worse my 1st doc never even mentioned liver resection as an option which pissed me off i wonder how many people went through the same thing and did not get an aggressive treatment? i believe that alot of beating this cancer or any cancer is the treatments one recieves and if the patient is on top of their doctor making sure evry option is available. well i am kicking some cancer butt i am in a better frame of mind then i was a month ago i think the surgery, the pain meds and the whole cancer thing caught up to me at once but now my brain says i have no cancer and im going to try and keep thinking that way.

missjv

[pjmanes]

I have been on CPT11 and 5FU and Leu for almost 3 years now. Last year I added Avastin. I had problems with the regiment where I had the pump for 44 hours after chemo but without the pump I have done fine wth no real sideeffects except exhaustion and some nausea. Phyllis

[Guest]

My husband is currently on the CPT11, Leucovorin, 5fu administered as the Saltz Regimen or IFL with Avastin every 2 weeks. His treatment cycle is 4 weeks on and 2 weeks off, and has completed 2 cycles. He has been battling constipation rather than the anticipated diarrhea. However, he says it is "kicking his butt" and is very, very tired.

He says he is going to talk to the onc. about reducing his dosage before the next round. They may do this anyway as his white cells are crashing after the 3rd treatment and delaying the 4th.

MA