Oral or Pump delivery system for Fluorouracil

Mommadon

Newbie to the group here, not new to cancer. I was diagnosed with Stage IIIB colon cancer in October 2018. 4 rounds of Oxaliptatin and Fluorouracil (oral) after surgery. In Jan 2021 the doctors suspected that it had metastasized in my left lung and was confirmed in July after I had the 2 spots excised. The larger was the size of an M&M so it was caught early. Looking at another round of chemo. I was wondering it anyone had pros/cons of doing the oral Fluorouracil verses a pump for two days after the IV infusion of Eloxatin

 

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abrub

We all react differently

I've had both, and had fewer side effects with the pump.  Others do better on oral, but I'll only take the pump as it is best for me.  Various drs have different preferences as well. It's trial & error.

Alice

PamRav

Me too

I have had both. Lots of folks here have done well,on the pills, unfortunately I wasnt one of them.   I developed a very nasty case of hand and foot sydrome and had to discontinue the drug.  Since then when I require chemo I have had the pump. 
one Dr told me that antidotaly that she had noticed that those who have had liver surgeries do not do as well on the oral med.  she said there werent studies on this, its just what she has noted.  
I wish I could have continued with the pill form, it would be nice not to be connected to the pump for 46 hr.  Plus not having to spend so much time at the infusion center.  The pills are large, but I had no difficulty swallowing them. I was told to was very important to take them at the sMe time of day and exactly 12 hr apart.

i hope someone else will come along here to post about their positive experiences 

p

DanNH

Pam takes home a pump for 46

Pam takes home a pump for 46 hours. It is heavy and uncomfortable and of course connected to her port. It can be uncomfortable to sleep with.  She won't shower with it and we are careful with the tubing. We always worry about snagging it on something like our dog!  That being said, it comes off two days after infusion and is a highlight of infusion week! 

In the end what is most important is what is most effective for you. The big picture is that time on the pump is finite and if the pump leads you back to NED it is a welcome ally. For full disclosure this is coming from a caretaker and not the one who actually has to be connected to the pump. 

abrub

PamRav said:

Me too

I have had both. Lots of folks here have done well,on the pills, unfortunately I wasnt one of them.   I developed a very nasty case of hand and foot sydrome and had to discontinue the drug.  Since then when I require chemo I have had the pump. 
one Dr told me that antidotaly that she had noticed that those who have had liver surgeries do not do as well on the oral med.  she said there werent studies on this, its just what she has noted.  
I wish I could have continued with the pill form, it would be nice not to be connected to the pump for 46 hr.  Plus not having to spend so much time at the infusion center.  The pills are large, but I had no difficulty swallowing them. I was told to was very important to take them at the sMe time of day and exactly 12 hr apart.

i hope someone else will come along here to post about their positive experiences 

p

Exactly why I stoppeed the orau

1st cycle hand-foot started and was bad.  And I only did a week of it.

Again, everyone is different.

Alice

abrub

DanNH said:

Pam takes home a pump for 46

Pam takes home a pump for 46 hours. It is heavy and uncomfortable and of course connected to her port. It can be uncomfortable to sleep with.  She won't shower with it and we are careful with the tubing. We always worry about snagging it on something like our dog!  That being said, it comes off two days after infusion and is a highlight of infusion week! 

In the end what is most important is what is most effective for you. The big picture is that time on the pump is finite and if the pump leads you back to NED it is a welcome ally. For full disclosure this is coming from a caretaker and not the one who actually has to be connected to the pump. 

My pump has been small

Rather than the  electronic pump I had in 2008, I now get a simple pump the size of a large lemon (my grenade.)  the lemon self-deflates adminstering the chemo over 46 hrs.  It is light and silent.  I'm holding it in the photo!  Note:  the photo shows when I edit, but not on the site.  It really is like a mid-sized lemon, and self-deflates over 46 hours.

PamRav

Dam*

Mines as big as a transistor radio from the '60s.....

SnapDragon2

For me the pump was like

For me the pump was like wearing a jail ankle monitor.  Loss of freedom, QoL dismished, etc.  I was not told I had a choice between oral or pump and still to this day it pisses me off.  I didn't know a pill existed at the time.  Stupid me, huh!

Anyway,  I've had both oral and pump and found oral doesn't disrupt my life or QoL.  Also consider other things like chemo's half life, toxicity and all that stuff.

RickMurtagh

Pump

I hated the pump. I felt like it was a brick that would drown me if I fell in water, but the visiting nurse who came Friday's to remove the pump was an angel. Not like an angel.  An actual angel. She spoke truth into what I was going through, but encouraging also.  Simply the best...

abita

Highlight of infusion week

Highlight of infusion week

When I was on it, I was new to cancer, and was so stressed on infusion day, my bp would be like 160/90. But on pump disconnect day, it was around 120/80. so it was my highlight day also