How long do patients stay on XELODA after surgery?

Please feel free to read, share your thoughts, your stories and connect with others!
Bob_Weiss
Posts: 743
Joined: Sun Apr 11, 2010 11:23 am
Location: Brooklyn, NY

How long do patients stay on XELODA after surgery?

Postby Bob_Weiss » Sun Apr 11, 2010 11:43 am

After 5 weeks of radiation with 10 days of intravenous 5-FU, I had surgery which completely removed a stage 3 rectal tumor. Now, I am taking 3,000 daily XELODA post-op. The oncologist initially suggested I have 8 cycles of treatment (7 days Xeloda;7 days no drug). I have minimal symptoms beyond some moderate hand/foot syndrome, so now the doctor suggests it could be beneficial to stay for 12 cycles.

Is there some standard proctocol for how long patients should be on Xeloda post-op. The literature I've read seems to indicate 8 cycles is the common time period.

What have been the experiences of others? How long were you on this drug?
Bob_Weiss
Stage 3 R/C -1 node+ ( 7/09)
5 wks radiation, 2 wks chemo: 5FU (8-9/09)
Rectal surgery: tumor removal (11/09)
10 rounds Xeloda: 3000mg/daily 1 wk on/1 wk off (1/10-6/10)
Supplements: Aspirin, Calcium, Vit. D3
03/27/17: 7+ yrs. since surgery--still NED

Lee
Posts: 6207
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:09 pm

Re: How long do patients stay on XELODA after surgery?

Postby Lee » Sun Apr 11, 2010 8:06 pm

Hi Bob,

I did not take Xeloda, it was new and more expensive 5 1/2 years ago. I had a pump for about 48 hrs and got 5FU with FOLFOX. I too had stage 3 rectal cancer. I had to get 12 cycles over 6 months, one week on chemo the next week off chemo, then on again, etc. I had radiation (with some 5FU) prior to my surgery, then surgery, then 6 months chemo.

While I am not an expert, I thought 12 cycles was the norm. Personally if you can handle it and your Dr is recommending it, I was suggest getting all 12 cycles. My thought is you want to tackle (kill) any floating cancer cells NOW with everything you can so they do not find a new place to grow (mets).

Good luck, hope this helps.

Lee

P.S. Forgot to add, WELCOME!!!
rectal cancer - April 2004
46 yrs old at diagnoses
stage III C - 6/13 lymph positive
radiation - 6 weeks
surgery - August 2004/hernia repair 2014
permanent colostomy
chemo - FOLFOX
NED - 16 years and counting!

User avatar
Terry
Posts: 5536
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 10:36 pm
Facebook Username: Terry Minor
Location: Silver Cliff, Wisconsin

Re: How long do patients stay on XELODA after surgery?

Postby Terry » Sun Apr 11, 2010 9:17 pm

Hi Bob, I've been on 3000 mg a day Xeloda for one year as of 4/4/10. I only have hand foot on my right thumb and forefinger. My feet feel kind of plastic like but no pealing. I use Eucerin calming cream as soon as it starts to get worse and it stops it. I think there are different protocols. I will be on it indefinately as a maintenance drug.
DX 7/3/07
Chemo, radiation, 20 mo. chemo, IMRT, cyberknife, 6/11 lobectomy.
1/16 resection perm. colostomy intraop. rad.
PET 2/12 nose, thyroid, liver, lngs
Folfox 3/12
Lord I know You'll keep me here until
you know I cannot suffer any longer!

User avatar
MonaL
Posts: 479
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 2:42 am

Re: How long do patients stay on XELODA after surgery?

Postby MonaL » Sun Apr 11, 2010 9:45 pm

Wow, this is really depressing reading this. When Dad had his liver mets removed, his oncologist waited a couple of months, and then put Dad on two rounds of Xeloda, and that was it.

This is the onc that I had to fight with to get a scan 8 months past the end of his last round of Xeloda (scan will be next month).

Dad is still taking his IP6, which I think did help his chemo be more effective, so hopefully that has been doing something, because from the sounds of how everyone else is being treated, well, it sounds like Dad is yet again being undertreated :(
Dad, stage IV CC, mets to liver, 2007-2008
surgery, Xelox, and IP-6
NED summer 2009
surveillance stopped summer 2014, due to age
died 1/2018 at age 88, from Parkinson's and respiratory infection
(Parkinson's triggered by one of his cancer surgeries and/or chemo)

User avatar
BrownBagger
Posts: 7954
Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2009 2:56 pm
Location: Central NYS

Re: How long do patients stay on XELODA after surgery?

Postby BrownBagger » Mon Apr 12, 2010 9:07 am

Treatments seem to vary from doctor to doctor and of course, from condition to condition. I had five weeks of Xeolda with radiation pre-op and 4 rounds of Xelox (8 weeks of Xeloda combined with infuxed Oxlyplatin) post-op. Compared to the Oxi, the Xeloda is a piece of cake, but it still has side effects and makes you feel crummy and fatigued much of the time, as any good chemo drug should.

My bottom line has always been that I trust my doctors and therefore do pretty much what they recommend. If you have an issue with your doctor, then get a second opinion. But don't try to evaluate your treatment regime based on others' experience and individual treatment programs. You'll go nuts.

Good luck!
Eric, 58
Dx: 3/09, Stage 4 RC
Recurrences: (ongoing, lung, bronchial cavity, ribs)
Major Ops: 6/ RFA: 3 /bronchoscopies: 8
Pelvic radiation: 5 wks. Bronchial radiation—brachytheray: 3 treatments
Chemo Rounds (career):136
Current Chemo Cocktail: Xeloda & Erbitux & Irinotecan biweekly
Current Cocktail; On the Wagon (mostly)
Bicycle miles post-dx 10,477
Motto: Live your life like it's going to be a long one, because it just might, and then you'll be glad you did.

User avatar
Ivona
Posts: 2048
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:39 pm
Facebook Username: Ivona Bradley
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Re: How long do patients stay on XELODA after surgery?

Postby Ivona » Mon Apr 12, 2010 3:18 pm

My protocol was 6 mos of Xeloda. I took 4,000 mg a day for two weeks, with one week off.
dx'd Oct '08 (age 48)
T3bN2Mx
9/23 LN's
resection Nov '08
Folfox Jan '09 - March '09
Xeloda March 24/09 - July 6/09

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it's called 'the present'. "


Return to “Colon Talk - Colon cancer (colorectal cancer) support forum”



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 121 guests