Gem Carbo Chemotherapy & Avastin Experiences Anyone

tony2010
tony2010 Member Posts: 1
in Peritoneal Cancer #1

Hello everyone.
Ive been follwing this forum for the last 12 months since my wife (70yr) was diagnosed with PPC. She had 6 Chemotherapy sessions which ended in Feb this year 2013 and after a routine scan we have founf that the cancer is back but not in any of the organs. After seeing the specialists today he has told us that its moving up if thats the best  way of explaining it. And he has offered the follwing treatment and i was hoping that others may be able to share any advice or experiences that could help on this journey.

 

Gemcitabine Carboplatin Chemotherapy. 6 Treatments every 3 weeks.

Bevacizumab (Avastin) : Every 3 weeks.

 

The treatment is starting in a week and we are positive about moving forward. My wife has pretty much just got her self back to good health physically and almost back to her origional weight and in good spirits as her hair is back nice and thick too.

 

 

Please bear with me as i'm hopless on a computer and we live in the UK but this site has been such a live line for us the first time around.

Comments

  • seatown
    seatown Member Posts: 261 Member
    #2
    Carbo/Taxol/Avastin--not the same?

    My circumstances are similar but not identical. After Taxol/Carboplatin for 6 months in 2012, I was doing very well, with CA125 headed to normal. But surgery in Feb 2013 showed 3 of 6 biopsies were still positive, so in March I went back on Taxol/Carbo/Avastin. The Taxol/Carbo ended in May, & I'm still on Avastin until Dec on the same schedule as your wife. Sorry, I don't know what Gemcitabine is or whether it is similar in any way to the Taxol I was on. 

    Starting Taxol/Carbo made my hair go again, when it was just starting to come back. Now my hair is growing again, & I'm feeling very well.  The Taxol/Carbo also caused some neuropathy in my feet, worse than I experienced last year, & I was told it was due to the higher, less frequent dosage. But the neuropathy is mostly gone now, & I was declared N.E.D.--no evidence of disease--in a follow-up with my surgeon earlier this month. My CA125 reached normal range early this year & has stayed there. I've had no serious side effects from the Avastin, & my oncologist said most people tolerate it well.

    Should you be interested, you can read more details of my PPC journey at

    www.CaringBridge.org/visit/CaroleSeaton

    That site has got sort of wonky--it's now hard to go from earliest to latest postings, but you'll get the idea.

    Good luck to you both!

  • sk_Nebraska
    sk_Nebraska Member Posts: 26
    #3
    Gem

    Hi Tony--I'm new here as well. I am guessing that your wife has had Taxol in her first round of chemo?  May 2013 I was started on Taxol/Carbo/Avastin every 3 weeks.  Set up for 8 treatments, but dropped Taxol, added Gemzar last week as my feet went numb and I fell twice.  I will get Gem/Caarbo/Avastin one week, Gemzar the next, off a week, then repeat.  I was really happy to read thst Carole's neuropathy went away or abated.  I just had to postpone my second Gemzar yesterday due to low platelets and neutrophiles with temp earlier in the week--think my port may have picked up a bug. Have been on antibodic for a week already.

    I don't now the effective data on Gemzar, but my numbers had been drastically reduced on the first rounds. My CT after round was " almost normal"

    This is my second run in  with cancer--15 years ago beat stage 3 breast with same oncologist.

    Wishing your wife a great outcome!! This site is really positive, keep visiting.

    Sue

     

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