Postby weisssoccermom » Wed Mar 29, 2017 7:53 pm
IDK...for me, I would definitely DO THE CHEMO. I was a stage IIA....not negative prognostic factors and I did the chemo
Now, my onc was NOT in favor of the oxi but I insisted. Got through one round, had a very bad reaction and my onc said NO MORE of that BUT....I continued with the Xeloda.
IMO, the Xeloda is easier to tolerate than the infused 5FU. No port needed, no trips to the onc's infusion room...no repeat trips for disconnect, etc. All the studies have shown the efficacy to be just as effective so not sure why the problems. The side effects with Xeloda overall are better BUT....the hand/foot problems can be worse with Xeloda.
Many docs aren't fans of oral for a plethora of reasons. IF they believe the patient won't take the pills, have issue with taking pills, etc. then no, Xeloda is not a good choice for that patient. Keep in mind (and I am not a conspiracy theorist) that oncs make $$$ when using the infused form.....and don't when using Xeloda.....and many oncs don't recommend oral for that very reason.
You have to feel comfortable with your decision. If it were me, I would definitely do Xeloda and if my onc didn't recommend it, unless he/she had a very good reason, I would demand it. I can only speak for myself but I felt better when I was on Xeloda than when I tried to 5FU. My side effects were much less on Xeloda than on 5FU. As for the oxi....you can always try it and decide for yourself whether or not you want to continue. Keep in mind that the neuropathy from the oxi tends to last for a long time and/or is permanent and there really is no way ahead of time to know when is too much.
I don't believe that there are long term risks of other cancers from chemo so don't let that concern force your decision. You do have some negative prognostic factors...namely the T4 tumor and the LVI. With those two, if I were you, I would most definitely take some form of chemo. You have to make the decision and weigh all the factors. Do you want to try the oxi? Think about if you want a port and want to have a pump. You could always try some oxi without a port..at least for a few rounds. We have a couple of members who have done it without the port. If you do nothing and it recurs....particularly if it recurs somewhere else (lungs, liver, etc.) how will you feel about it? Will you be able to handle that particularly if you do NO chemo? You can't have regrets....you can't second guess yourself.
Take some time to think it all out. You DO have options and you have to be an advocate for yourself. This is YOUR life and YOUR decision. YOU are the one that knows best what you can handle and what you are willing to do. Find an onc who will respect your decision and work with you to get the treatment(s) that you are willing to take on.
Good luck.
Dx 6/22/2006 IIA rectal cancer
6 wks rad/Xeloda -finished 9/06
1st attempt transanal excision 11/06
11/17/06 XELOX 1 cycle
5 months Xeloda only Dec '06 - April '07
10+ blood clots, 1 DVT 1/07
transanal excision 4/20/07 path-NO CANCER CELLS!
NED now and forever!
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