Just Curious

azgrandma

was just wondering why some are given chemo for a year after they are in remission and others are not, anyone know

Tethys41

Avastin
One month after I completed chemo, I had an appointment with my gn/onc. Two days earlier, at the meeting of the GOG, the results of a trial involving one year of follow up treatment with Avastin were announced. The results indicated that progression-free survival was enhanced with one year of follow up Avastin. My gyn/onc offerred the treatment to me, but left the decision up to me. I opted to do the follow up Avastin, but did only 11 rounds instead of the prescribed 15. In my case I believe it was offerred to me at that time because my gyn/onc works at a teaching hospital and he incorporates the latest and greatest treatments whenever he can.

wfisaac

When I finished my chemo
When I finished my chemo last July my oncologist had asked me if I would be interested in participating in a clinical trial because he felt the extra year of maintenance would benefit me. It was a 3 arm trial and very random as to which arm you got picked for. There were two different drugs, I don't remember for sure which two drugs it was. And then there was the observation only arm of it. Everyone he had ever nominated for the trial got one or the other drug....except for me! So, for the past year I had a monthly exam & blood work but no drugs.

I think that's probably why there can be so much anxiety about all of this as there are so many variables involved in trying to decide what the best plan of action should be. I hear about all of the other forms of drugs and treatments some get and it makes me wonder if the right plan was chosen for me.

I trust my oncologist very much but I often think what a heavy sense he must get from trying to figure out what's the best game plan for each individual.

lauripiper

wfisaac said:

When I finished my chemo
When I finished my chemo last July my oncologist had asked me if I would be interested in participating in a clinical trial because he felt the extra year of maintenance would benefit me. It was a 3 arm trial and very random as to which arm you got picked for. There were two different drugs, I don't remember for sure which two drugs it was. And then there was the observation only arm of it. Everyone he had ever nominated for the trial got one or the other drug....except for me! So, for the past year I had a monthly exam & blood work but no drugs.

I think that's probably why there can be so much anxiety about all of this as there are so many variables involved in trying to decide what the best plan of action should be. I hear about all of the other forms of drugs and treatments some get and it makes me wonder if the right plan was chosen for me.

I trust my oncologist very much but I often think what a heavy sense he must get from trying to figure out what's the best game plan for each individual.

maintenance
I think most who are doing a year or more of chemo are in clinical trials. I'm in the same trial as wfisaac and also got observation only. Standard treatment does not include any maintenance drugs yet, the trials are to see if there is any benefit to doing so.

carolenk

lauripiper said:

maintenance
I think most who are doing a year or more of chemo are in clinical trials. I'm in the same trial as wfisaac and also got observation only. Standard treatment does not include any maintenance drugs yet, the trials are to see if there is any benefit to doing so.

No maintenance for me
I couldn't be finshed with chemo fast enough and probably would have declined any offers of additional chemo (no additional chemo was offered to me)--I might have accepted something like aromatase-inhibitor therapy but none of that was offered either. Sometimes I think it depends on what the insurance will pay for as to what therapy is offered to us in the U.S.

Radioactive34

carolenk said:

No maintenance for me
I couldn't be finshed with chemo fast enough and probably would have declined any offers of additional chemo (no additional chemo was offered to me)--I might have accepted something like aromatase-inhibitor therapy but none of that was offered either. Sometimes I think it depends on what the insurance will pay for as to what therapy is offered to us in the U.S.

I totally agree with you on
I totally agree with you on this. As I sit getting chemo, I hear the conversations around me about what chemo is being offered and what the insurance will pay. Insurance plays a big role in this.

Quality of care depends on the insurance you walk in the door with.

Hissy_Fitz

Radioactive34 said:

I totally agree with you on
I totally agree with you on this. As I sit getting chemo, I hear the conversations around me about what chemo is being offered and what the insurance will pay. Insurance plays a big role in this.

Quality of care depends on the insurance you walk in the door with.

I was offered a year of
I was offered a year of Taxol (given monthly) after first line treatment. I couldn't say, "Yes," fast enough. But that's just me.

Most doctors, according to mine, don't do Taxol maintenance any more. I think the latest thing is Avastin. I, however, tolerated it well and am still glad I chose to do it. I credit it with giving me a long (almost 19 months so far) remission.

Carlene

azgrandma

Hissy_Fitz said:

I was offered a year of
I was offered a year of Taxol (given monthly) after first line treatment. I couldn't say, "Yes," fast enough. But that's just me.

Most doctors, according to mine, don't do Taxol maintenance any more. I think the latest thing is Avastin. I, however, tolerated it well and am still glad I chose to do it. I credit it with giving me a long (almost 19 months so far) remission.

Carlene

just wondered
i just wondered cause i have seen several who have gotten the year extra, but it was not offered to me