Taxotere.....Has anyone used this drug?/ Son getting married

Wildnicsis
Wildnicsis Member Posts: 5
edited August 2012 in Lung Cancer #1
54 yr old male, Diagnosed on the 12th of April 2012 with Stage 4 NSCLC WITH BONE METZ TO T-6 verterbre. Had radiation 20 treatments, then started chemo, only had 1 of 6 rounds of chemo (1 round = 21day cycle, 1st day Gemzar & carbo, 8th day Gemzar) on the 16th day of the first cycle found a 10cm tumor wrapped around my rib. Stopped chemo and had 10 more radiations treatments. Went to Dr. yesterday and he said that the Gemzar & carbo coctail was not working and a tumor grew, so we are to start Taxotere on the 8th. 5 rounds of a 21 day cycle. 1st day Taxotere then wait 21 days before next treatment. Has anyone used Taxotere????? Just dont know what to do! I have a very positive attitude, it is what it is....Dr said before I started the first chemo that I had 6-8 months with no chemo and I have a 50% chance I will be here in 2 years if I do chemo. Did not want to find out yesterday what the odds were when he changed the coctail. I am not going to let this get me down. But would like to get so feed back from others. My wife and son(24yrs old) are very supportive. My son got engaged to his girlfriend on the 3rd of December 2011.(they have been together for 6years). What I am asking ( or my son has asked) should they go ahead an plan a wedding sooner than later. (They were planning on getting married October 2013)I just dont want to miss being his BEST MAN. We are so very close. What are yall's thoughts on this?
Thank you for responding
Joe

Comments

  • dennycee
    dennycee Member Posts: 857 Member
    Hoped someone would check in
    Hoped someone would check in who had this. Maybe someone at inspire.com can answer your question. Many there have used it. Please let us know what you find out.
  • sleepless in jersey
    sleepless in jersey Member Posts: 185
    Joe re:Taxotere
    Many people have been on it with lots of different voices I'm sure. Mom was on it as you can see by my post, but had lots of side effects that she had to stop, but than again she had many side effects with almost all.

    As far as the wedding,what a happy time and enjoy it with them. I say just talk to them and see how they feel. I'm sure whatever they choose it will be the right one.

    God Bless
    Sleepless

    My Mom who’s 62 now. Has been DX 1/3/11 NSCLC (Adeno) Triple mutation neg. 10 days of WBR and brain surgery 1/11, started Carboplatin/Alimta/Zameta and B12, showed 1 tumor growing switched TX to Taxotere/Zameta 5/11 too many side effects, tumors have grown, port put in 8/11, thoracenteses x2 neg.- CA, pleurodesis on both lungs 8/11 & 10/11. Gemzar 8/11 growth and too many side effects.11/16/11 started Navelbine. 5//12 scans showed some growth to chest wall, switch to Topotecan. 7/12 progression with several brain mets, poss leptomeningeal disease (declined lumbar puncture). Tarceva 7/12.
  • Ex_Rock_n_Roller
    Ex_Rock_n_Roller Member Posts: 281 Member
    Without reference to the chemo ...
    ... because I haven't had it nor do I know anybody who has, if I were you, I would try to get them to pull the wedding ahead. No matter who has had what kind of experience, something bad could always happen, and it's obviously a big priority of yours to be a part of this wedding, come what may.

    That's not something I'd be betting about, no matter how good the prognosis. If they're willing to more it up without great inconvenience, I'd be leaning in that direction.
  • feistyD
    feistyD Member Posts: 21
    Similar story
    I have a similar story to yours, DX in April 2011, two tumors in my left lung and a big one on my L3 vertebrae. I had radiation on the vertebrae and eight rounds of Gemzar/taxotere. It helped with some tumor shrinkage, but of course the chemo could not get rid of the cancer. Things weren't looking so great for me, either. I switched docs/hospitals, and he tested me for mutations- no known mutations. My new onc put me on carboplatin and Taxol, but that wasn't helping much. Then he got me in touch with a clinical trial of an anti-PD-1 drug (MK 3475), which I started in May, and I am doing MUCH better. My tumors have shrunk by almost 70 percent. Sixteen months after DX and I am better than I was back in April 2011. One never knows what will happen with cancer, however, so I would suggest having the wedding sooner rather than later just to be on the safe side.