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carolenk
carolenk Member Posts: 907 Member
in Ovarian Cancer #1
Linda

Would you mind sharing your experience w/ taxol? I understand that it was disappointing. Were you treated weekly or every 3 weeks?

Thanks,

Carolen

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  • lindaprocopio
    lindaprocopio Member Posts: 1,980
    #2
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    Taxol was the only chemo drug that ever worked for me,...
    After my big debulking surgery (fall 2008), I had the 6 adjuvant carbo/taxols every 3 weeks that are a part of most everyone's 1st line treatment. My CA125 dropped into the normal range by the 3rd infusion, so the auumption was that the chemo did work on me. In fall 2009 my CA125 spiked and a CT scan showed enlarged lymph nodes followed by a PET scan that lit them up. So I went on weekly dense dose taxol. My CA125 dropped down into the mid-40's after 4 infusions and then leveled off and stayed there. My oncologist called for a CT/PET to see what was going on after I'd had 10 weekly taxols; and we were all surprised that my scan was clean and I was NED once again. My 2 oncologists disagreed with each other on this, but I went ahead and took a 'safe' chemo break. That only lasted until my next 3 months check-up, when my CA125 spiked up again and the same nodes lit back up on a new CT/PET. So I went back to weekly taxol and did 7 more rounds. Originally the taxol dropped my CA125 a little but then it started climbing even though I was getting the weekly treatments. And so we stopped for another CT/PET and I had disease progression, even though I was on the taxol.

    I don't think I am at all a typical example of the efficacy of taxol. I think of taxol with great fondness as the only chemo drug that ever got me a remission, even a short one, and I encourage anyone who can take it to try it. Although taxol stopped working for me, NOTHING has worked for me since: not doxil; not carboplatin given as a single agent; not avastin/cytoxin. I think the taxol killed off my weaker cancer cells, but left a few un-killable monster cancer cells to multiply unchecked. As my oncologist said "papillary serous is a nasty character."

    If you have a good response to various chemo drugs, taxol is the gold standard in my opinion. The dense dose weekly taxol only made me bald and fatigued, no other side affects. I did have to get Neupogen shots the 3 days after, which was an inconvenience, but no big deal. (((hugs)))
  • carolenk
    carolenk Member Posts: 907 Member
    #3
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    lindaprocopio said:

    Taxol was the only chemo drug that ever worked for me,...
    After my big debulking surgery (fall 2008), I had the 6 adjuvant carbo/taxols every 3 weeks that are a part of most everyone's 1st line treatment. My CA125 dropped into the normal range by the 3rd infusion, so the auumption was that the chemo did work on me. In fall 2009 my CA125 spiked and a CT scan showed enlarged lymph nodes followed by a PET scan that lit them up. So I went on weekly dense dose taxol. My CA125 dropped down into the mid-40's after 4 infusions and then leveled off and stayed there. My oncologist called for a CT/PET to see what was going on after I'd had 10 weekly taxols; and we were all surprised that my scan was clean and I was NED once again. My 2 oncologists disagreed with each other on this, but I went ahead and took a 'safe' chemo break. That only lasted until my next 3 months check-up, when my CA125 spiked up again and the same nodes lit back up on a new CT/PET. So I went back to weekly taxol and did 7 more rounds. Originally the taxol dropped my CA125 a little but then it started climbing even though I was getting the weekly treatments. And so we stopped for another CT/PET and I had disease progression, even though I was on the taxol.

    I don't think I am at all a typical example of the efficacy of taxol. I think of taxol with great fondness as the only chemo drug that ever got me a remission, even a short one, and I encourage anyone who can take it to try it. Although taxol stopped working for me, NOTHING has worked for me since: not doxil; not carboplatin given as a single agent; not avastin/cytoxin. I think the taxol killed off my weaker cancer cells, but left a few un-killable monster cancer cells to multiply unchecked. As my oncologist said "papillary serous is a nasty character."

    If you have a good response to various chemo drugs, taxol is the gold standard in my opinion. The dense dose weekly taxol only made me bald and fatigued, no other side affects. I did have to get Neupogen shots the 3 days after, which was an inconvenience, but no big deal. (((hugs)))

    Oops!
    Double post.
  • carolenk
    carolenk Member Posts: 907 Member
    #4
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    lindaprocopio said:

    Taxol was the only chemo drug that ever worked for me,...
    After my big debulking surgery (fall 2008), I had the 6 adjuvant carbo/taxols every 3 weeks that are a part of most everyone's 1st line treatment. My CA125 dropped into the normal range by the 3rd infusion, so the auumption was that the chemo did work on me. In fall 2009 my CA125 spiked and a CT scan showed enlarged lymph nodes followed by a PET scan that lit them up. So I went on weekly dense dose taxol. My CA125 dropped down into the mid-40's after 4 infusions and then leveled off and stayed there. My oncologist called for a CT/PET to see what was going on after I'd had 10 weekly taxols; and we were all surprised that my scan was clean and I was NED once again. My 2 oncologists disagreed with each other on this, but I went ahead and took a 'safe' chemo break. That only lasted until my next 3 months check-up, when my CA125 spiked up again and the same nodes lit back up on a new CT/PET. So I went back to weekly taxol and did 7 more rounds. Originally the taxol dropped my CA125 a little but then it started climbing even though I was getting the weekly treatments. And so we stopped for another CT/PET and I had disease progression, even though I was on the taxol.

    I don't think I am at all a typical example of the efficacy of taxol. I think of taxol with great fondness as the only chemo drug that ever got me a remission, even a short one, and I encourage anyone who can take it to try it. Although taxol stopped working for me, NOTHING has worked for me since: not doxil; not carboplatin given as a single agent; not avastin/cytoxin. I think the taxol killed off my weaker cancer cells, but left a few un-killable monster cancer cells to multiply unchecked. As my oncologist said "papillary serous is a nasty character."

    If you have a good response to various chemo drugs, taxol is the gold standard in my opinion. The dense dose weekly taxol only made me bald and fatigued, no other side affects. I did have to get Neupogen shots the 3 days after, which was an inconvenience, but no big deal. (((hugs)))

    Thanks for sharing your
    Thanks for sharing your story. I was thinking that should you consider going for Topotecan, you might do well to re-visit the weekly taxol with it

    I think you might have some anti-angiogenic benefit from the taxol even if you have some taxol-resistant form of cancer. I'm just thinking about the clinical trials & the cocktail approach for MDR conditions.

    Please let us know how the liver therapy works out.

    (((hugs)))

    Carolen

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