No Chemo Side Effects

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lily33
lily33 Member Posts: 27
edited April 2023 in Caregivers #1
My husband has been on Nexavar for the past three months and has absolutely NO side effects. When he was on IL-2, a clinical trial, and Sutent the side effects were almost completely debilitating (fatigue, sores,etc). We are going to find out next week if the Nexavar has shrunk his tumors or at least stabilized them. I was wondering if anyone out there has any experience with a chemo that caused no side effects yet still worked? It's worrying me that the drug is not working because he is back to his old self and has a ton of energy! Or has anyone experienced no chemo side effects and the drug didn't work either?

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  • trish07
    trish07 Member Posts: 138
    #2
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    Side Effects
    I don't have experience with this drug but I did research it [you probably have already done that]. It is a targeted therapy attacking cancer cells without damage to normal cells. Info said that some will get desired effect with no side effects.
    We will count on that being the case for your husband! Yea! for having tons of energy.
    Also, I'm glad to see that you are back, was getting a bit concerned that you had not been posting. Hope that you are holding up o.k.

    Trish
  • lisanoel03
    lisanoel03 Member Posts: 5
    #3
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    don't judge by side effects
    I'd say definitely don't jump to any conclusions based on side effects. My mom has fought 3 times and each time the chemo's have been different and had different side effects. The first which worked had very mild side effects (had more severe side effects from the radiation). The second had much more side effects and also worked. This time she's been one SEVERAL that have all included many side effects and none have worked.

    Hope that it IS working for him!!
  • CaliforniaPatricia
    CaliforniaPatricia Member Posts: 40 Member
    #4
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    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/174113/no-chemo-side-effects

    I notice that your post was in 2009. That's a long time for this discussion board to have languished! I hope that your husband was fully cured and has been enjoying life for the past 14 years. I'm going to respond anyway because there might be other people who are curious about these situations where chemotherapy does not bring on the stereotype set of side effects. I was going to ask that question, which is how I came to your post.

    The first point of reassurance for me is to track my cancer markers? I find that knowing the U/mL of the cancer antigens my oncologist is tracking helps me to be reassured that, even though I am doing great after three months of chemotherapy for gallbladder cancer, the chemotherapy drugs (gemcitabine and cisplatin) are working. Initially, the chemicals were causing neutropenia (low white blood cell count), so that is now being treated with Zarxio. That has been the only serious side effect I've had. Taking this drug (I inject it at home) has enabled me to get the full dose of each of the cancer drugs and to have no delays in treatment.

    How is chemotherapy affecting me? I spent an hour and a half in a battle with garden weeds this afternoon and will have plenty of energy for making a nice dinner for myself later. (I also spent an hour and a half removing weeds yesterday, celebrating the beautiful weather and what I hope is the end of our rainy season.) I try to be sensible in pacing myself. I'm 73 years old, but a "youthful" 73.

    There are many side effects to various cancer drugs, but some of them are indirect. For example, kidney failure may not be directly due to the drugs but rather due to the fact that the patient did not follow instructions to flush their kidneys with 64 ounces of water and caffeine-free liquids every day. These days, there are treatments for almost every side effect. Anti-nausea medication is extremely inexpensive and very effective. It just has to be taken as directed and started as soon as the symptoms begin. Skin irritation, such as the sores you mention, are not as readily cured, I've been told. I had an option of going on a cancer drug (capecitabine) that had the common side effect of sores on the palms of hands and soles of feet. Fortunately, I had the option that is working so well for me now.

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