Xelox with Avastin. Anyone on this?

musiclover
musiclover Member Posts: 242
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
My friends oncologist wants to put him on this regimen although it has already been suspended due to complications. Has anyone been on this? Please forward any info you can offer. Very concerned...

Comments

  • Shandle
    Shandle Member Posts: 204
    Hi... Are you sure you don't mean Xeloda?? I have been on Xeloda before. (many of us have here) and the symtoms are numbness of the fingers and feet and sensitivity to cold things. Mouth sores... and I really got sick after several therapies. I had peeling skin on my fingers and feet too. Avastin wasn't an issue with me so much as the Xeloda.. in my case, I called it the Tide Ultra. Dr gave me antinausea medication and I slept a lot. I wasn't eating and I had issues with holding anything down and when I did it ran through me. At one point, I was back in the hospital from dehydration. To this day.. I still have numbness in my feet, but the good news is that it seemed to work, and my cea went down. I'm not currently on this chemo because my feet and hands suffered too much. In fact.. I'm not on any chemo at the moment, I'm trying all naturopathic approach. Best wishes for your friend.. bless you for your concern!
    Huggs n'prayers ~ Wanda
  • musiclover
    musiclover Member Posts: 242
    Shandle said:

    Hi... Are you sure you don't mean Xeloda?? I have been on Xeloda before. (many of us have here) and the symtoms are numbness of the fingers and feet and sensitivity to cold things. Mouth sores... and I really got sick after several therapies. I had peeling skin on my fingers and feet too. Avastin wasn't an issue with me so much as the Xeloda.. in my case, I called it the Tide Ultra. Dr gave me antinausea medication and I slept a lot. I wasn't eating and I had issues with holding anything down and when I did it ran through me. At one point, I was back in the hospital from dehydration. To this day.. I still have numbness in my feet, but the good news is that it seemed to work, and my cea went down. I'm not currently on this chemo because my feet and hands suffered too much. In fact.. I'm not on any chemo at the moment, I'm trying all naturopathic approach. Best wishes for your friend.. bless you for your concern!
    Huggs n'prayers ~ Wanda

    Xelox is Xeloda plus oxaliplatin. He's had Xeloda before a recent rectal surgery and that went well. This regimen plus the Avastin has been tested with very mixed results. Would love to hear from anyone who has had exerience with this. Thanks!
  • Betsydoglover
    Betsydoglover Member Posts: 1,248 Member

    Xelox is Xeloda plus oxaliplatin. He's had Xeloda before a recent rectal surgery and that went well. This regimen plus the Avastin has been tested with very mixed results. Would love to hear from anyone who has had exerience with this. Thanks!

    Hi -

    Xeloda / oxaliplatin / Avastin is not an uncommon combination.

    I was diagnosed May 2005 and had colon surgery June 2005. Diagnosis: Stage IV, one met to the liver. I started Xeloda/oxaliplatin/Avastin in late July. After two cycles my late August PET/CT was clean. I continued through November with the chemo (6 cycles total) and scans in mid-December and again in mid-February have both been clean. So, I have to say that so far I am a fan of this combination.

    My side effects were not terrible. Tiredness, numbness and tingling and cold sensitivity from the oxaliplatin (but the serious sensitivity only lasted a few days), episodic diarrhea from the Xeloda. After 3 cycles I experience some minor skin peeling on my feet and the onc immediately reduced the dose - that took care of it. I had very low level, occasional nausea - Compazine seemed to help a lot. Was it fun? No, but as chemo regimens go it wasn't too bad for me.

    Of course everyone is different, but I hope you can provide your friend some hope and encouragement. You'll both be in my thoughts.

    Betsy
  • CAMaura
    CAMaura Member Posts: 719 Member
    I think the closure of additions to clinical trials is for Stage III; the NY TImes ran the article about two weeks ago that Genentech and Roche have stopped allowing any new trial members due to the potential risks and unexplained complications.
  • musiclover
    musiclover Member Posts: 242
    CAMaura said:

    I think the closure of additions to clinical trials is for Stage III; the NY TImes ran the article about two weeks ago that Genentech and Roche have stopped allowing any new trial members due to the potential risks and unexplained complications.

    Yes, you are right - the trial was for stage III and some stage II patients. Here is a post to the article - sorry, I dont' know how to do the hyperlink. http://www.c-three.org/news/2006/02/genentech_and_roche_suspend_en.php. My friend is stage IV. I'm still alarmed but Betsy's post was very encouraging. Perhaps the side effects are not as bad for Stage IV patients so that is why they are still adding people?? Thanks for all the info from everyone.
  • CAMaura
    CAMaura Member Posts: 719 Member

    Yes, you are right - the trial was for stage III and some stage II patients. Here is a post to the article - sorry, I dont' know how to do the hyperlink. http://www.c-three.org/news/2006/02/genentech_and_roche_suspend_en.php. My friend is stage IV. I'm still alarmed but Betsy's post was very encouraging. Perhaps the side effects are not as bad for Stage IV patients so that is why they are still adding people?? Thanks for all the info from everyone.

    Well, I was trying to be diplomatic, but the complications I mentioned - are deaths. Seven were mentioned in the article. I was sad to read about it. It is a controversial drug - but it seems to work well for some. All the best - Maura