How Many out There on Third Line Chemo?

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C Dixon
C Dixon Member Posts: 201
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
What are you using and how is it going?

Thanks,

Catherine

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  • AnnaLeigh
    AnnaLeigh Member Posts: 187 Member
    #2
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    Individualized treatment
    Hi Catherine,

    Great topic for those of us out here looking for treatments after the standardized ones are no longer useful !

    My husband had six rounds of Folfox with Avastin and six rounds of Folfiri with Erbitux. There was great progress with the Folfiri but it eventually quit being effective.

    We are now trying Alimta with Xeloda. Alimta is approved for some types of lung cancer but has shown some promise for colon cancer also. Treatment is given once every three weeks and Xeldoda is on a fourteen day cycle with one week off in between. He has only had one treatment so far and we can't report any results yet but will be watching closely so as to change the treatment quickly if needed.

    The oncologist has outlined the next plan to be Alimta with Irinotecan (camptosar) and a possible tumor assay to see if that provides any useful information. Just trying to start at the lowest toxicity level for now and work our way up if needed.

    Clinical trials were turning out to be a very slow process and with the waiting time added to see if he would be accepted by the sponsor of the trial, we decided to go with individualized treatment or "off protocol". We can't spend that much time without some form of treatment going.

    Best wishes to all and look forward to hearing everyone's experience and progress.
  • C Dixon
    C Dixon Member Posts: 201
    #3
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    AnnaLeigh said:

    Individualized treatment
    Hi Catherine,

    Great topic for those of us out here looking for treatments after the standardized ones are no longer useful !

    My husband had six rounds of Folfox with Avastin and six rounds of Folfiri with Erbitux. There was great progress with the Folfiri but it eventually quit being effective.

    We are now trying Alimta with Xeloda. Alimta is approved for some types of lung cancer but has shown some promise for colon cancer also. Treatment is given once every three weeks and Xeldoda is on a fourteen day cycle with one week off in between. He has only had one treatment so far and we can't report any results yet but will be watching closely so as to change the treatment quickly if needed.

    The oncologist has outlined the next plan to be Alimta with Irinotecan (camptosar) and a possible tumor assay to see if that provides any useful information. Just trying to start at the lowest toxicity level for now and work our way up if needed.

    Clinical trials were turning out to be a very slow process and with the waiting time added to see if he would be accepted by the sponsor of the trial, we decided to go with individualized treatment or "off protocol". We can't spend that much time without some form of treatment going.

    Best wishes to all and look forward to hearing everyone's experience and progress.

    How Long
    How long has your husband been in treatment all together?

    Catherine
  • ADKer
    ADKer Member Posts: 147
    #4
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    Probably on 4th line of chemo
    Other than immediately after surgery, I have been on chemo continuously since diagnosis in 2/08. In different combinations, I have done oxaliplatin, irinotecan, xeloda, 5FU and Avastin. The xeloda and 5FU have stopped working for me and I had an allergic reaction to oxaliplatin after a total of about 13 rounds, so I cannot do more of that. I have the KRAS mutation and cannot benefit from erbitux and vectibex. I have also done Sir Spheres and don't know the results of that yet. I currently have mets to the lungs and 1 in my liver which is close to a large blood vessel. I meet with my oncologist next week and we'll see what she recommends. I am not really sure what to expect.

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