number of treatments?

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JoyceCanada
JoyceCanada Member Posts: 134
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I have completed 28 radiation/with continuous 4FU.(given Monday-Friday). I've completed 5 oxal/5fu/lev. I believe that the total number of oxal/5fu/lev will be 8. I've seen here that some people do a total of 12 treatments.
What is the "standard" number of treatments? 8?12?

Stage III x 2 nodes Sigmoid - classified as Rectal. Told my tumour was small and "not aggressive/and a fairly low grade" ---- whatever that means????

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  • lenawade
    lenawade Member Posts: 3
    #2
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    Well, I've only had my 3rd treatment. I have to have a total of 12 treatments total. No radiation though. I'm stage III x 1 node - right colon removed along with tumor and appendix - May 22, 2006.
  • lfondots63
    lfondots63 Member Posts: 818 Member
    #3
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    Hi there,

    It might depend on where you are. It sounds like Canada has different treatment regiems then USA. I was on folfox and should have had 12 treatments. I'm stage 3, 1 node out of 11 and no mets. I got through 9 treatments and then my body told me to stop. I have neuropathy in hands and feet. My blood sugars were out of control too. My tumor was in my sigmoid and take out since it was blocking my colon. I'm getting another colonoscopy this Thursday to make sure there is nothing behind the tumor area. They never finished the first one. Good luck on what you decide. Take care.

    Lisa F
  • vinny3
    vinny3 Member Posts: 928 Member
    #4
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    It may differ in Canada. What is the timetable of your treatments? I'm assuming you had the 5-
    FU/Radiation prior to surgery-how long before?
    As far as being " not aggressive or low grade" it may help to ask the doctor for the pathology report. Part of the aggressiveness may be how deep into the wall of the bowel the tumor went (the T stage) and the differentiation of the tumor (well= better, mod/mild = in between, and poor = not good (is usually more aggressive).
    Ask your oncologist about the difference in the number of treatments. I believe that sometimes they do less number of treatments but with a higher dose.

    Hope that helps some.
    ****
  • JADot
    JADot Member Posts: 709 Member
    #5
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    Hi,

    The Folfox regimen in the US calls for 12 treatments, but a lot of people can't take that much. My body went in open revolt on round 8. They had to stop Oxaliplatin. After that I had 8 more rounds of 5FU/Leuc, to give me a total of 6 months of treatment.

    Cheers,
    Ying
  • JoyceCanada
    JoyceCanada Member Posts: 134
    #6
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    JADot said:

    Hi,

    The Folfox regimen in the US calls for 12 treatments, but a lot of people can't take that much. My body went in open revolt on round 8. They had to stop Oxaliplatin. After that I had 8 more rounds of 5FU/Leuc, to give me a total of 6 months of treatment.

    Cheers,
    Ying

    I had the radiation/5fu post op. My cancer was "sneaky" - the colonscopy biopsy came back as "benign". Surgeon decided on a resection because the "small"tumour (I saw it I was awake) was bleeding). Surgery went very well and I was feeling great --- post op and they came back with the results that it was Stage III. I had 2 treatments of Oxal/5FU/Lev and then 28 radiation/5FU/Lev. I'm now back on the Oxal/5fu/Lev --- have 1 scheduled to-day.

    My concern is that in Canada they are not as (aggressive) in their treatment plan because our medical services are "government" run. For example the Oxaliplatin is not "standard" treatment in Ontario because of the high cost. I had to sign off on all kinds of documentation so that the drug company could supply me with the Oxaliplatin.

    I will talk to my Oncologist and ask about the 8 versus 12 treatment plan.

    By the way I'm not bashing the Canadian System - I had a great surgeon (world class in Colon surgery) and a wonderful Oncologist - both University affiliated teaching Professors!!!

    I'm just concerned that their "hands night be tied" in respect to the number of treatments because of "government - protocal".
  • vinny3
    vinny3 Member Posts: 928 Member
    #7
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    JoyceCanada said:

    I had the radiation/5fu post op. My cancer was "sneaky" - the colonscopy biopsy came back as "benign". Surgeon decided on a resection because the "small"tumour (I saw it I was awake) was bleeding). Surgery went very well and I was feeling great --- post op and they came back with the results that it was Stage III. I had 2 treatments of Oxal/5FU/Lev and then 28 radiation/5FU/Lev. I'm now back on the Oxal/5fu/Lev --- have 1 scheduled to-day.

    My concern is that in Canada they are not as (aggressive) in their treatment plan because our medical services are "government" run. For example the Oxaliplatin is not "standard" treatment in Ontario because of the high cost. I had to sign off on all kinds of documentation so that the drug company could supply me with the Oxaliplatin.

    I will talk to my Oncologist and ask about the 8 versus 12 treatment plan.

    By the way I'm not bashing the Canadian System - I had a great surgeon (world class in Colon surgery) and a wonderful Oncologist - both University affiliated teaching Professors!!!

    I'm just concerned that their "hands night be tied" in respect to the number of treatments because of "government - protocal".

    It may just be that the number of treatments are reduced because you had the chemo/radiation postop too. Ask him/her.
  • LOUSWIFT
    LOUSWIFT Member Posts: 371 Member
    #8
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    Cancer in the colon are classified in the U.S. as three Grades. Grade 3 being the least aggressive and grade 1 being the most aggressive or rapidly growing. Do not cofuse this with the Stages of caner I thru IV. Agressiveness is determined not so much by the size of the tumor but by biopsy cutting into the tumor. Obviously the less agressive the better but my neighbor had highly agressive colon cancer with his tumor the size of a large orange and its been 7 years and he is cancer free. I just completed radiation/xedola followed by surgery then very high doses of Xedola. So I can't tell you about "the juice" 5fluro just Xedola. I had very bad hand and foot syndrome My cancer was not agressive grade 3 about the size of a plumb. I had six weeks of radiation with Xeloda low dose then surgery followed by high dose Xeloda and the side effects. Xeloda is coverted into 5ful in the body but is not as effected. Good Luck
  • JoyceCanada
    JoyceCanada Member Posts: 134
    #9
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    Vinny: I spoke to my oncologist yesterday and you are correct. The treatment consists of 6 months of Chemo - because I had the continuous 28 treatments of radiation (with 5fu) I have 8 rounds of 5fu/oxali/lev as my regime. I've only got 2 more rounds of good old oxali to go yippee! then I'm finished. My Oncol is very "upbeat" about my prognosis "It is between you and the Cancer and the odds are on your side - I'm betting on you"....made me feel a whole lot better. I still worry about mets - guess I wouldn't be human if I didn't. But after this is over I'm going to try very hard to put it behind me and "live for the day".

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