Jacques wrote:MistyBlu wrote:For one, where are you getting 125 mg. tablets? Normally Xeloda/capecitabine is issued only in 150mg and 500mg tablets.
Another thing is that this dose looks to me like it is way off the dose level that should be given to a 160 lb, 5'3" person. Did MSKCC have anything to say about that?
Before you go too far along on this dosing schedule I think that you should verify, from an independent source, that this is the pill count that you should really be taking.
Is your oncologist from ORMC? Is he/she a Board Certified Medical Oncologist?
Jacques, don't blame the ONC because my note-taking skills are lacking....I got the dosage right but I think in my head I did that pill count to equal 1,250. I know I saw 1,250 in that database but I guess Beckster answered my next question, I will probably be rounded and get 1,150. I'll see the script tomorrow so I'll know then.
Anyway, I went to MSK and here are my thoughts - and theirs.So they would like to do molecular and BRAC testing to see if there are other indicators to warrant further treatment. They feel, in my situation, IIA with no risk factors the benefits of Xeloda are not that great. So he agrees it’s a grey area. It’s up to me if I want to do nothing and monitor or take the meds for the additional benefit even if it is minimal. So if I were to go with MSK, unless they found something with these additional test, they would recommend 6 months of Xeloda at the same dosage or DO Nothing and monitor. Same choices. He agreed that my decision to take 6 months of Xeloda is reasonable and comes with the least side effects.
On another note, not sure how to feel about MSK. That place is like a county club. All kinds of snacks, magazines, games, movies. People chatting in groups. A pianist. I listened to people talking and they literally spend the day there. I saw people with huge bags of knitting stuff, slippers etc. Ok I’m not trying to spend my whole life on cancer. I not going into that building and turning that into my whole day like a job. I want to return to my regular life to some degree. I don’t want to have that be my full-time job. And I know that becomes some people’s reality but I’m not ready for that. In my doctor’s office, I’m uncomfortable. I have/had cancer. I go in do what I have to do and leave. I just felt like those people were too comfortable sitting in there instead of being outside living. And when I asked, the nurse told me a lot of them finished treatment earlier in the morning and just like to ‘hang around’.
And, they’re very slow. All documents were sent ahead to them and I was still there waiting for three hours for a consultation that took less than 30 minutes. And I was warned that transferring to them would mean lengthy appointments. When I asked what for they said there’s just a larger population of people and this is a hospital. Appointments generally take 2-3 hours. OMG!
I think I’m going to ask my doctor to do the additional testing and stick with him since MSK had nothing contrary to say.