Clinical trial GOG-0252

BetsyD

I just joined this group today and am so pleased to have others who are going through the same thing. I have stage 3 primary peritoneal carcinoma, being handled as ovarian. I am part of clinical trial GOG-0252 and was hoping to connect with other women in this trial to compare notes. I am actually feeling quite well - mostly the obvious side effects of baldness and fatigue. If you are in this clinical trial, I'd love to hear from you. I got Regimen 1 as the luck of the draw - Taxol every week, Carboplatin and bevacizumab every 3rd week for a total of 18 weeks, then bevacizumab every 3rd week for 16 more treatments. Seems like forever, but it's not how fast you get there...it's that you get there.

MK_4Dani

Interesting
Betsy:
I am not in a clinical trail but I did receive weekly Taxal (18 weeks) and 6 cycles of Carboplatin via IP port every 3 weeks. I finished last month: had the baldness and the fatigue. What type of drug is the bevacizumab and the side effects? Perhaps this is something I should talk to by ONC doc.
MK

BetsyD

MK_4Dani said:

Interesting
Betsy:
I am not in a clinical trail but I did receive weekly Taxal (18 weeks) and 6 cycles of Carboplatin via IP port every 3 weeks. I finished last month: had the baldness and the fatigue. What type of drug is the bevacizumab and the side effects? Perhaps this is something I should talk to by ONC doc.
MK

bev
The bev is the clinical trial drug. From what I've read it is used in other cancers but has not been approved yet for ovarian. It is also called Avastin. It's purpose is to cut the blood supply to cancer cells to prevent regrowth. Hope so! Side effects include nose bleeds, headache and mild increase in blood pressure. Nothing we can't survive.

Tina Brown

Hi Betsy
I'm not on the clinical trial but I do have stage 3 primary peritoneal carcinoma. It is rare so it's nice to find another lady with it. I am on 3 weekly carboplatin/taxol infusion. I have lost ALL of my hair and am exhausted. I can't imagine how you must coping with it weekly???? Good luck to you. Let me know how everything goes. Love Tina

lindaprocopio

Tina Brown said:

Hi Betsy
I'm not on the clinical trial but I do have stage 3 primary peritoneal carcinoma. It is rare so it's nice to find another lady with it. I am on 3 weekly carboplatin/taxol infusion. I have lost ALL of my hair and am exhausted. I can't imagine how you must coping with it weekly???? Good luck to you. Let me know how everything goes. Love Tina

Hi, Betsy! Did they test you for VEGF before the Avastin?
Betsy, did they test you for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) before you entered the trial? I am awaiting results of a PET scan I had yesterday, and if it shows any disease progression, I want to have tissue assays done, including a test for VEGF, with the thought that I would request Avastin (bev, as you call it, a new term for me!) considered to be added to the weekly taxol regime I have been on the past 10 weeks for my 1st recurrance. I don't think I'd fight for Avastin if I didn't know for sure I have VEGF. I copied your treatment regime to discuss with my chemo oncologisr when I see him on the 25th. Thanks!

I did read a new study just today on CancerSTAT that if you blood pressure goes UP when you are getting Avastin, that is a proven promising sign that the Avastin is working, at least for the cancers they've tested it on. (not tested for ovarian yet, but I'd still see my HBP as a good sign that the Avastin is working for you!)

TINA: when you get your taxol weekly, it is at a reduced dosage, so it is actually easier to take 'fractionated' than the every-3-weeks stronger dosage most of us get initially. I have no nueropathy or nausea or anything other than fatigue and baldness as side effects after 10 rounds so far of weekly taxol.

msfanciful

Clinical Trial Avastin
Hi,

After my 2nd recurrence, I was placed in a clinical trial study which consisted of doxil/carbo/avastin.

Lets see if I can remember my regimen, one which they told me would be pretty intense.

Okay; first I would receive doxil (1hr dose), carbo (30 min dose) and then avastin (1hr dose). This was considered to be my main chemo treatment. Then, two weeks later I would receive only the avastin (again, in a 30min dose) and then my day would be done. I liked this day the best.

Then again 2 weeks later I repeated the doxil/carbo/avastin and 2 weeks again only the avastin. This regimen continued for the next 6 months.

The avastin was under study for women whose ovarian cancer had recurred (as mine had) and they required that I had regular muga-scans (because possible side-effects were heart damage) I had no heart damage. But the scariest side-effect possible from the avastin was the rupturing of the intestines/colon. I just took a deep breath and signed the dotted line. Thankfully everything worked as well as expected.

For me, it looks as if all in all it bought me about 6 months remission which I am thankful for although I had hoped for more? The gall of me huh? :-)

Nevertheless I am now on this oral chemo called Etopocide, I love it because I'm not hooked up to an infusion center for now, so it's kind of a nice break. I just thank God that my oncologist is so proactive as she is or I probably would not be doing as well as I am today.

It sounds like your oncologist is on the right track, so hang in there and know we're praying that you get through this.

Sharon

cc12442

My mother was given the
My mother was given the option to be in this trial. I fear she will get regimen 1 which is why I may opt her out of being in the trial. How did you decide to "go for it" knowing the chances and the luck of the draw of being placed in regimen 1? Also, can you quit the trial?

NancyC

cc12442 said:

My mother was given the
My mother was given the option to be in this trial. I fear she will get regimen 1 which is why I may opt her out of being in the trial. How did you decide to "go for it" knowing the chances and the luck of the draw of being placed in regimen 1? Also, can you quit the trial?

You can opt out of a
You can opt out of a clinical trial. I signed up for a Phase III clinical trial that had one group not receiving any drugs. During my selection process, I was selected to not receive any drugs. I opted out right away and went on a different treatment with my doc.

msfanciful

cc12442 said:

My mother was given the
My mother was given the option to be in this trial. I fear she will get regimen 1 which is why I may opt her out of being in the trial. How did you decide to "go for it" knowing the chances and the luck of the draw of being placed in regimen 1? Also, can you quit the trial?

Clinical Trial
Hi Again Betsy,

I went for the trial because first of all being a stage 4, I was told it will always be a constant battle to keep the cancer at bay. My cancer has spread although currently no signs of tumors are present, but the fact that I have these 2 para aortic lymph-nodes that have just never gone completely down, yet always get a little bigger during every other cat-scan is a pretty good indicator that the cancer is in there and trying to grow. Thanks to my doctor being so proactive, I am currently on an oral chemo (etopocide), that should seriously reduce those nodes to nothing which would be a first.

So knowing my inevitable outcome, I was in the "what have I got to lose mentality", said a prayer that I was making the right choice (I felt I did), took a deep breath and said "lets do it!"

You do have the right to opt out of the trial also. No matter what you decide, it has to be a choice that feels for you thus it will be a decision you can live with, that's also the important thing through all of this; maintaining our dignity as well.

Good Luck to you.

Sharon

auntteek1

Hello,
I was just recently diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer and am participating in arm 2 of this clinical trial. I am thrilled to meet other women who are dealing with the similar issues as I am and that participating in the same trial. I look forward to sharing and supporting here.

taiga

auntteek1 said:

Hello,
I was just recently diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer and am participating in arm 2 of this clinical trial. I am thrilled to meet other women who are dealing with the similar issues as I am and that participating in the same trial. I look forward to sharing and supporting here.

Same here!
I too had to the common symptoms of OC and brushed it off as stress, age (49), etc. I am applying for the GOG 0252 trial. I had a complete hysterectomy July 6th. Just had my post-op EKG, labs, and CT and should know next week what group I will be placed in. I am stage 3A, but mine is clear cell, grade 3 (poorly differentiated). I haven't been able to find out much about clear cell - other than it accounts for about 5% of the epithial ovaran cancers. Initially my gyn/onc said he wanted to do both IV and IP therapy, so if I get placed in the 1st arm of the study, I may not do it. How do you feel about the Avastin? What has the IP therapy been like? I heard it was pretty tough. My problem now is that I really haven't been able to put on the weight I would have like to since my surgery. I'm 5'8" and weigh about 112#. I was in excellent health prior to all this - worked out 3 times a week, no smoking, extremely health diet and lifestyle. So I am hoping all that will give me a leg up going into all of this.

Jazz1220

auntteek1 said:

Hello,
I was just recently diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer and am participating in arm 2 of this clinical trial. I am thrilled to meet other women who are dealing with the similar issues as I am and that participating in the same trial. I look forward to sharing and supporting here.

I was just diagnosed with
I was just diagnosed with stage 3c ovarian cancer and am contemplating the GOG -0252 study and saw your post. I was just wondering how you did on the study and how we're the side effects? Hopefully you are healthy by now and enjoying life!

taiga

Jazz1220 said:

I was just diagnosed with
I was just diagnosed with stage 3c ovarian cancer and am contemplating the GOG -0252 study and saw your post. I was just wondering how you did on the study and how we're the side effects? Hopefully you are healthy by now and enjoying life!

GOG-252
I ended up in arm #3: IV taxol day 1, IP cisplatin day 2 and IP taxol day 8, with the Avastin on day 1. I finished all that the end of December and have continued on with Avastin every 3 weeks. I have a treatment today and my last one will be the day before Thanksgiving. I did really well with chemo. I worked everyday until 3:00, other than the days I had treatment. I have had lots of side effects since the beginning of the year - not sure if it's the Avastin alone or residual from the chemo - lots of neck pain and stiffness, bilateral shoulder and arm pain, hole in my septum. The Avastin can also cause high blood pressure and I had to go on meds for that, but it's supposed to go back down after the Avastin is discontinued.

But, my scan have been clear and my CA-125 has stayed around 7. I will say one thing though, I will never regret getting into the trial, but it's a long road. 15 months of treatment can take it's toll mentally. I was really ready to try and move on with life after I stopped the chemo part of the trial, but every 3 weeks I had to go for labs and treatment and it just brought it all back up each time. Now I'm anxious about stopping the Avastin - what will happen now, has all of this poison done what it was supposed to do??????