Avastin/Erbitux-(see Susanbm post 3/26)

nanuk

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Subject: Re: Deciding to stop the Avastin(see Susanbm post 03/25)
Message: This is interesting: I have been on Avastin/Erbitux, bi-weekly, 450mg IV/840mg IV respectively, for about 6 weeks.(stage IV,mets to Lungs) The past week I've experienced extreme joint/muscle pain in legs, knees & back. Labs are near normal,except for "moderate macrocytosis", which means abnormal large red blood cells usually assiciated with anemia, caused by a failure of the the stomach to absorb vitamin b-12, which can lead to gastro disturbances and spinal cord lesions.
Although I can't rule out complications from my degenerative back, I've decided to discontinue treatment for the next 5 weeks or more, and then re-assess my side effects or lack of them and decide whether or not to continue the monotherapy.
There has been a response in the form of a reduction in CEA level-(from 21 to 6) and I want to have scans to confirm that the tumors are also affected, and hopefully continue treatment if there is a reduction, and side effects dissappear.

What I would like to see is a group response and comparison of side effects/responses to these drugs..kinda our own little study. It might even help our docs make treatment/doseage decisions.
whaddayathink? Bud

nanuk

sorry...Susanbm post was on 3/25/06.

Betsydoglover

Interesting observation regarding Avastin.

My personal experience with Xeloda/oxaliplatin/Avastin - 6 cycles - is that the oxaliplatin and Xeloda caused all the expected side effects and the Avastin was pretty much not a side effect contributor. Of course when you have three drugs at once you can never know for sure which causes what. But, I never had the pain that is described (on day 2 of chemo I always had what I called "chemo flu", but it was gone in 24 hours and does not sound like the pain you describe.

What is interesting is that for some time prior to my diagnosis I had been having problems with the joints in my feet - off and on pain that made me feel like an "old lady" and dammit I am not! But I hadn't gotten around to doing anything medical about it and then colon cancer diagnosis etc. Somehow looking into this just didn't take center stage.

But - here's the interesting thing - a week ago I finally saw a doctor who is a specialist in rheumotology. He ran tests and scheduled x-rays and we'll talk again. But, the interesting thing is that he quizzed me extensively about whether or not my foot joint "problem" had worsened during chemo. It really had not and I explained that to him, but he KEPT asking the same question in different ways. So maybe there is some correlation out there. When I see him again in a couple of weeks, I will ask about the Avastin connection, although I am sure Avastin did not affect my joints. Maybe he was trying to pursue an Avastin connection - he certainly knew which chemo drugs I had taken.

Betsy

jerseysue

I was on 5fu, avistan, oxiplatin, luekorvorin, (none of them spelled correctly) and I like Betsy had the flu like system after chemo. But I remember one of my first post here I asked who had pain after chemo. But I can tell you that most of the severe pain is gone and right now I just feel like an old lady some times. My treatment was from June thru November 05.

Susanbm

The odd thing is that I never had this type pain wile I was taking the 5-FU,Levoucourin,Oxaliplatin and AVASTIN. I did have quite a few leg cramps from the Oxliplatin. But, once I completed the other chemo and was taking the AVASTIN only, that is when the pain started.