What to expect from irinotecan and bevacizumab?

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Scilla
Posts: 24
Joined: Tue Apr 11, 2017 4:09 am

What to expect from irinotecan and bevacizumab?

Postby Scilla » Sun Jun 25, 2017 8:56 am

My mom's feeling better after a week of radiation and actually gained about 5 kgs, which is fantastic :D so the onc offered she could start irinotecan and bevacizumab if she had the guts. She did. A recent CT scan shows that the liver mets have grown about 1cm in three months time (from 1cm to 2cm). I think this sounds scary! Is it? Scan was inconclusive re the status of the primary tumors as the rectal tumor is swollen due to rad and colon tumor "was moving around" during scanning.

We're "blessed" with public health care here, so we never see the same onc twice and the appointments are short as there are too many patients or not enough doctors, so I'm left with so many questions. I've read that many of you with rc had radiation for several weeks, my mom only got a week. Onc says that she's received "full dose" and that they won't be able to give her more radiation later on. What's up with this???

After CAPOX failed twice, the onc said that from now on she's on palliative care, not curative. Still, they gave her radiation and now chemo. Asking the onc if the current cocktail (irino+bevacizumab) is not capable of shrinking tumors, he said "well, yes of course!" This leaves me confused. Shouldn't they still be able to cure her then? What can we possibly expect from the current chemo cocktail? Any thoughts on this are appreciated.

Also, we've been told that the rectal tumor is the real cuprit here. Liver mets were small when discovered, could be removed with surgery. Colon tumor could be easily removed as well. Rectal tumor has grown into complicated areas (don't know the details) and cannot be removed. At least not right now. And as long as (one of) the primary tumors cannot be removed with surgery, they don't perform any surgery on anything else. Isn't this a bit harsh?

Last questions: How many days does it usually take before the hair falls off? Ad: her colon tumor is 30 cms from the av, if anyone could enlighten me and share the name of this part of the colon, I'd appreciate it :)

Thanks for any input!
Supporter of mom 68 yr
Dx RC CRC 03/17
Rectal tumor 5cm, colon tumor 9cm
Two small liver mets,
04-05/2017 CAPOX Started twice, stopped due to side effects.
05/2017 One week of radiation to rectal tumor.
06-08/2017 Irinotecan+Bevacizumab
08/2017 Treatment stopped due to frail health
Mom is in Gods hands

DebZ
Posts: 83
Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2014 9:01 pm
Facebook Username: Bulc

Re: What to expect from irinotecan and bevacizumab?

Postby DebZ » Sun Jun 25, 2017 2:05 pm

I've had lots and lots of Folfiri+Avastin! My hair thinned a lot but never lost it all. Some people do, some don't. Don't have her do something rash before she sees what direction it's going. Ive had potty issues and heart burn. If I had chemo on Wednesday and takedown on Friday, then I usually was on couch from mostly fatigue until Monday. I also had lots of nausea premeds, but it takes a while to learn what you need and dosage. Good luck to her!
48 @ diagnosis Sept 2014
MSS; Kras mutant G12D
Oct 2014: right hemicolectomy
Dec 2014-May 2015: Folfox
June 2015: clean scans
Sept 2015: scans reveal ovarian mass and liver met; Folfiri
Jan 2016: liver wedge resection and hysterectomy
April 2016: multiple lung mets; Folfiri+Avastin
June 2017: lung mets growing; switch to Folfox+Avastin
Jan-April 2018: dropped oxali; CEA rising
May 2018: back on Folfox+Avastin, add pulse steroid treatment to get platelet count up (continuously in 50s)


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