Question about Avastin side effects

[jetlex]

Hi,

My step-brother had his first round of chemo with FOLFOX (oxaliplatin and 5FU) a week and a half ago. He's going for his second round on Thursday. He asked his onc about Avastin. His onc was reluctant to add it because he said it causes bleeding, but agreed to add it on his third round (in 4 weeks). Just today, I found out his onc decided to add Erbitux instead of Avastin because of the side effect of bleeding.

Is bleeding a common side effect of Avastin? I've heard a lot of people on this forum say they've taken it. Wondering why the onc is so reluctant about it.

Thanks,
~jetlex

[klryder02]

Hey Jetlex-

The only bleeding issue I seem to have is with my nose.

It doesn't just bleed any time it wants, only when I blow my nose. In the morning and after work, I can feel "stuff" up there and blow to clean it out.

This has just become an issue the past month (have had 6 rounds of folfox).

If I remember correctly, alot of people have mentioned a constant runny nose the entire time they are on Avastin.

I'm surprised your brother in law's dr. didn't put him on Avastin right away. I thought that was the norm.

Someone tell me if I wrong...but I thought Avastin is a "1st round drug" and Erbitux is "2nd round".

[Magnolia]

My doc says Avastin and Erbitux are pretty much interchangable. Avastin causes nosebleeds for me. It can impair wound healing a bit. Some people get bowel perforations, but they're rare. Some folks have trouble with their blood pressure. Some older people have had strokes. My doctor had a very slight preference for Erbitux, but agreed to Avastin becuase I wanted it. He didn't see much difference, overall. Both are about the same in effectiveness, and about as safe. I wanted Avastin because several other docs had recommended it, and another colleague in drug development was all excited about it. If my doc had not liked it, I would have rethought it, but he said it was fine with him.

[missjv]

hi,
unless your brother had a recent surgery or a wound then he should have avastin that is the drug that cuts off blood supply to tumors causing them to croak it is an important drug. it shrunk my lesions on my liver 70% and shriveled up one completely to where it couldn't be seen on scans. the only side effect i had from it were bloody boogers and it wasn't a big deal.

missjv

[jetlex]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for your feedback. My step-brother called his onc yesterday and asked him why he was so concerned about Avastin causing intestinal bleeding. The onc told him he had a patient in a similar condition as my step-brother who took Avastin and experienced intestinal bleeding. He had to go to the emergency room for surgery. That's why his onc does not want to give my step-brother Avastin. Instead, he is getting Erbitux tomorrow in addition to FOLFOX. This will be his second round of chemo.

Has anyone used Erbitux? Has it been effective for them?

~jetlex