megestrol

Maggie_mac
Maggie_mac Member Posts: 32
in Uterine/Endometrial Cancer #1
I have completed 6 rounds of taxol/carboplatin. Before the 6th treatment my CA125 was down to 78 from 816 pre-chemo. Still way above the goal of 20 or below. I am anticipating oral therapy with megestrol. I'd like to hear from anyone who has used this drug regarding therapeutic results and side effects. Thanks and Bless you all.

Comments

  • daisy366
    daisy366 Member Posts: 1,458 Member
    #2
    Maggie
    I have recently been prescribed a different hormone treatment for a recurrence of UPSC. I don't know anything about your drug. I can share that the side effects of letrozole (generic for Femara) scared me when I read them (everything from soup to nuts!), but I have had no problems with it since I started over a month ago. My doctor said I would have no side effects and so far he is right.

    I hope you have the same good fortune and that this treatment is effective for you.

    Mary Ann
  • soromer
    soromer Member Posts: 130
    #3
    I've been on Megestrol for six months now.
    I started on it last September because my chemo cocktail (doxorubicin and cisplatin) for Stage IIIC2 endometrial adenocarcinoma was not effective. Six months post-surgery, after six months of chemo, I had 5 presumably cancerous nodules in my lungs and several problematic lymph nodes.

    I was alarmed by that news, for sure, and also not happy about the Megestrol, because it was billed as palliative, not curative. But my oncologist told me that she's had several women on Megestrol for years, some for at least 10 and counting, with no disease progression.

    I had great news on my next CT scan, three months later--all lymph nodes resolved, and 3 of the 5 lung nodules no longer visible. And the one after that (about three weeks ago) showed continued improvement in eliminating the two little buggers that are left.

    Thus my experience with Megestrol has been excellent. On occasion, I have some hunger pangs, but my weight has remained pretty steady; I might have dropped about 5 pounds (which I can certainly stand to do). The biggest problem I have is night sweats, which I do have every night. It's not a big deal to me to toss a soggy pillow out of my bed, and go right back to sleep.

    I must also say that I'm doing a LOT of complementary treatments, ranging from Ayurveda to qi gong. I think they help too.

    My CA-125 level has never been that good of an indicator; it's never been out of the normal range to begin with. But it has dropped on the Megestrol.

    Good luck to you! May your results be at least as good as mine!
  • daisy366
    daisy366 Member Posts: 1,458 Member
    #4
    soromer said:

    I've been on Megestrol for six months now.
    I started on it last September because my chemo cocktail (doxorubicin and cisplatin) for Stage IIIC2 endometrial adenocarcinoma was not effective. Six months post-surgery, after six months of chemo, I had 5 presumably cancerous nodules in my lungs and several problematic lymph nodes.

    I was alarmed by that news, for sure, and also not happy about the Megestrol, because it was billed as palliative, not curative. But my oncologist told me that she's had several women on Megestrol for years, some for at least 10 and counting, with no disease progression.

    I had great news on my next CT scan, three months later--all lymph nodes resolved, and 3 of the 5 lung nodules no longer visible. And the one after that (about three weeks ago) showed continued improvement in eliminating the two little buggers that are left.

    Thus my experience with Megestrol has been excellent. On occasion, I have some hunger pangs, but my weight has remained pretty steady; I might have dropped about 5 pounds (which I can certainly stand to do). The biggest problem I have is night sweats, which I do have every night. It's not a big deal to me to toss a soggy pillow out of my bed, and go right back to sleep.

    I must also say that I'm doing a LOT of complementary treatments, ranging from Ayurveda to qi gong. I think they help too.

    My CA-125 level has never been that good of an indicator; it's never been out of the normal range to begin with. But it has dropped on the Megestrol.

    Good luck to you! May your results be at least as good as mine!

    Soromer
    Your response to this treatment is awesome. I'm sure the complementary treatments help.

    I look forward to the same results. Bless you all.

    Mary Ann

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