Avastin

abita

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1696958#Comment_1696958

I am so sorry. I can't even imagine how much pain in losing someone you loved for so long.

Andres03

HI Abita,

I wanted to check how are you coupling with Avastin and Lonsurf. My mom will start soon her third line of treatment and honestly, I am a little bit scared since the first two lines did not have a major effect on her. SO hoping to find out how this line of treatment works.

abita

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1699113#Comment_1699113

What treatment is she starting? I am sorry her first treatments didn't work. Did they not work at all, or did you mean you were disappointed that the tumors grew back when those treatments stopped working?

I want to say this is my 6th protocol, but not sure. 5th or 6th.

By coupling so you mean how do I take them since one is IV and one is oral. The lonsurf is Mon-Fri for 2 weeks, then off for 2 weeks. And I go in the first and third week for my avastin infusion.

Andres03

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1699117#Comment_1699117

Well her first treatment was FOLFOX. She had four rounds of chemo and the side effects were manageable. After her four rounds, she became fully constipated and she had to be operated on to put on a stomach bag. This meant that cancer grew while she was having FOLFOX.

The doctors then changed her to FOLFIRI, for which she had 6 rounds in total. She had her scans and we are waiting for the result back, but in the meantime, mom had an infection, so an extra CT was done to find out what happened. From that CT scan, it seems that there was a progression of cancer. Even though her Mets in the liver seem stable and the lung base are clear (She previously has one spot on the lung, but it seems it is gone). The doctor infer that most likely the treatment did not work, which apparently is expected due to her KRAS mutation. We still need to hear the entire report, but the doctor did not seem very hopeful.

Yes, I meant your side effect with this protocol.

abita

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1699119#Comment_1699119

oh, you meant my side effects, not how I coupled the drugs together.

I definitely know I am on chemo because of the fatigue, but considering how I felt on folfox, I take this in stride.

I am sorry to hear about the mutation. I don't know much about KRAS, or how many treatments are available.

Are there any trials? Has she gotten a second opinion?

Andres03

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1699121#Comment_1699121

Nice to hear that there are not a lot of side effects besides fatigue,

We have not gotten a second opinion yet. I have already scheduled an appointment with a second oncologist and hopefully looking to have her scan looked up by some doctors in Germany.

Also, HAve you tried high-dose of vitamin C?

abita

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1699122#Comment_1699122

I have not. But I do try to get lots of vitamin C, which I know is different from getting megadoses. I even make sure to keep juice in fridge for when I am not up to eating fruit. In fact, drinking my juice right now.

gmtexas

Good day to all colorectal cancer survivors and families. I am new to CSN but not new to managing my late stage colon cancer as a chronic disease, (into my 11th year). Responding to original post on experience with Avastin: Avastin was a 'go to drug' for me during my first 8 years of treatment/surgeries. Avastin, not a chemo drug, but a regular drug used to help effectiveness of the overall chemo regimen. My understanding is it cuts off blood supply to abnormal cells (cancer cells) and allows chemo drugs to work better. It worked so well for me (intermittent remissions), my doctors added a treatment protocol that included Avastin, by exchanging it with one of the other chemo drugs. Though I did not know which side effects came from which drug, I did have mild nose bleeds (for me, very manageable) and did, for a time, struggle with shoulder impingement (unable to lift arms over head without extreme discomfort). That went away rapidly with physical therapy, strengthening muscles behind my shoulder blades. It is unfortunate that others have not had the fortunate experience that I have had with Avastin. I simply wanted to balance the conversation for additional discussion. My best to each of you.

annarama

Hi abita, my boyfriend (stage IV mcrc) has been on Avastin (+Xeloda) for a while, during the first day right after treatment he is very tired, his eyes are watery and his nose too, his blood pressure also rises (he is 43). Sometimes his skin itches and he gets acneiform eruptions ( he uses salicylic acid on these eruptions when he can tolerate it + a moisturizer). The watery eyes and nose symptopms usually go away after two days. Good luck with your treatment.

abita

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1699685#Comment_1699685

The eruptions sounds like the issue I have. I have always gotten ingrown hairs on my chest, but now they fill with blood, and I have ruined a shirt or two. Thank you for mentioning this, as I was starting to worry that it was something else. I mean, yeah the blood sucks, but knowing it is a side effect other's have seen is a relief.

annarama

Yes, they especially appear on his scalp and on his chest (where he has hair), so they are rather follicular acneiform erruptions, if you can (I know this is hard) try not to pick at them :(. He never had problems with acne before his treatment. If you think your skin is resilient enough try some over the counter retinols (Paula's Choice has great options, they even have as little as 0.1% retinol concentrations), but patch test and use an spf if you use retinol.

gmtexas

Annarama, my very best wishes to your boyfriend battling late stage cancer. It hurts when I see our young men and women dealing with our disease. If you don't mind sharing, is his primary colon or rectal cancer? Either way, my very best. I remember acne/lesion side effects to one of my chemo regimens, covering chest, back, face and scalp (shower droplets caused pain, especially on scalp). I visited my dermatologist, who prescribed a concentrated steroid based lotion for face and liquid steroid based solution for scalp, chest and back. It helped tremendously. They also had a special, all natural powder makeup that cosmetically helped, during group presentations and training. For what it’s worth, I have embraced treatment these past 10+ years, and the many side effects that come with treatment, as a necessary component of managing my Stage IV colon cancer as a chronic disease. I've been blessed with bouts of remission, including a three year span, and currently in remission since January of this year (2022).

annarama

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1699718#Comment_1699718

Thank you very much for that kind reply and your suggestions, his primary is colon cancer. Good luck to you and I hope that you continue to stay in remission for as long as possible.