Xeloda worries: back to the pump?

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mhf1986
Posts: 158
Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2017 8:30 pm
Location: near DC

Xeloda worries: back to the pump?

Postby mhf1986 » Sat Dec 30, 2017 8:29 pm

Not sure Xeloda is for DH...thinking about going back to the pump. Much worse hand/foot (he could barely walk) caused drop from 3000 mg to 2000mg 2nd round. For this 3rd round now, he's trying 2500mg and tips of fingers are slightly cracked (it's cold/snow so that hasn't helped) but feet are fine. Diarrhea mostly controlled by many Imodiums. Tired all the time, lots of afternoon naps and that's sort of depressing him. Cold all the time; described as bone deep cold. Bilirubin up to 2.9 but he doesn't look yellow; nurse called back-up oncologist who said go ahead with treatment this week. We're guessing regular oncologist will put it off a week next time as he didn't like it when bilirubin was at 2.2 in October and he did call a delay of game.

So...can he do FOLFOX+Avastin only every 3 weeks? Or is it a must-do every 2 weeks? The every 3 weeks has been helpful in that we are not driving 75 minutes each way to the hospital for infusion and blood work is less often; it seems more normal for him and he can go to work more (he likes his job!). I guess that's the trade-off we have to figure out. But if the Xeloda is causing the bilirubin to rise so much and delaying treatment, that can't be good. It took a year on FOLFOX for the bilirubin to rise over 2 and it went right back down after being off an extra week.

CT scan/onc meeting is Jan 15th but CEA has dropped to 29 so I'm convinced the OX is back at work which is good.

M
Caregiver to DH, dx @ 50, mets to liver/lungs, MSS, wild
9/16 CEA 114, blockage, left hemi, perm. colostomy
11/16 port in, FOLFOX + Avastin
6/17 CEA 15, 5FU + A only due to neuropathy
11/17 CEA 38, CAPOX + A
1/18 CAPOX = hi bilirubin/bad hfs, back to FOLFOX + A
5/18 growth; Vectibex + 75% Irinotecan
7/18 CEA 23, shrinkage
10/18 CEA 28, growth of 2 liver tumors/shrinkage of few and lung nodes
11/18 Lonsurf, looking at spheres, proton, trials
11/19/18 Peace

Ranunculaceae
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Dec 28, 2017 10:49 am

Re: Xeloda worries: back to the pump?

Postby Ranunculaceae » Sat Dec 30, 2017 10:43 pm

Only a small tip but for the skin cracks I tried nexcare skin crack care- it’s like a liquid bandaid that you can put on the cracks. One on my thumb that was really bothering me healed within two days after a couple of weeks of struggling with it. I also had trouble with diarrhea on xeloda, found I was using the maximum dose of Imodium without much effect. Lomotil (diphenoxylate/atropine sulfate) prescription was much more effective for me.
34 year old female
Stage IV Colon Cancer Aug 23, 2017
Adenocarcinoma of the right ascending colon with extensive lymph node involvement and a solitary liver metastasis.
Preop chemo starting with 2 cycles of CAPOX in Sept 2017 (hospitalized for reaction to Capecitabine) switching to FOLFOX with panitumumab x 6 cycles.
Open hemicolectomy and liver resection Feb 1, 2018. Nearly complete response, scattered tumor cells at primary tumor site and in 2/32 lymph nodes.
Ongoing FOLFOX for 6 more cycles.

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

Re: Xeloda worries: back to the pump?

Postby Lee » Sun Dec 31, 2017 3:59 pm

mhf1986 wrote:So...can he do FOLFOX+Avastin only every 3 weeks? Or is it a must-do every 2 weeks? The every 3 weeks has been helpful in that we are not driving 75 minutes each way to the hospital for infusion and blood work is less often; it seems more normal for him and he can go to work more (he likes his job!). I
M


I believe at the end of the day, it comes down to quality of life. What works best for DH. Yes I believe they prefer every 2 weeks, butt that is not in stone. And yes, I believe there are other people on this board who have done FOLFOX every 3rd week.

See what the Onc says and weight your options. Good luck,

Lee
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!


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