Arimidex did not work for me
I will go back on Taxol/Carboplatin every 3 weeks. I will start the chemo on February 22. The doctor only gave the Arimidex a 10 - 20 per cent chance that it would work, but I felt it was worth trying. In those two months we enjoyed the holidays, went on a weeks vacation and a 7 day cruise, and met a UPSC sister, so it was a good 2 months.
The doctor said it is unknown how many treatments I will need, as it will depend on how the CA 125 responds and how I do. He says many people are able to get multiple doses of the taxol/carbo without problems, and others do develop allergies to the drugs. He said it may take several treatments before the CA 125 starts to come down.
He did say if this combination does not work, there are other options, but would not say what they are at this time. Since I responded so well the last time, it is hoped that I will respond well again.
This is not the news we wanted today, but knew the day was coming when more treatment was needed. My brother is coming for a 10 day visit, and friends from home are coming, too. It will be good to spend time with them.
I feel great, so it is hard to believe terrible things are going on inside of me. In peace and caring.
Comments
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Sorry to hear your news
Well I am back on just Carbo so we will be going through it together. I had Doxil last time and Carbo/Taxol the time before that. All we can do is wait and see Ro I will have my next one on the 23rd of Feb. so I will be thinking of you. It's such a up and down journey that we all have to go through and just when we think hey a straight road for a change.....boom!
I am sending you warm hugs from Oregon and will be hoping that we come through this once more.
Sharon0 -
((((Ro)))). Carbo/taxol is the BEST one-two punch, IMHO!fuzzytrouble said:Sorry to hear your news
Well I am back on just Carbo so we will be going through it together. I had Doxil last time and Carbo/Taxol the time before that. All we can do is wait and see Ro I will have my next one on the 23rd of Feb. so I will be thinking of you. It's such a up and down journey that we all have to go through and just when we think hey a straight road for a change.....boom!
I am sending you warm hugs from Oregon and will be hoping that we come through this once more.
Sharon
I'm echo Sharon's comments. I had my first infusion of Avastin today and need to pick up my perscription tomorrow for Cytoxin (a chemo in pill form), so all 3 of us can be chemo-buddies.
I am thrilled that you had a long enough remission to be able to go back to carbo/taxol. That chemo combo has the HIGHEST percentage of success of all the chemos you could be trying, so I feel really good that you will soon be back in remission once again! Glad you made the most of your break from treatment. ((((Ro))))0 -
another fellow chemo traveler
Hi=I am glad you got your break from chemo . Like you I had two and half months and it really helped me get psyched to go back to chemo now.I got snowed in in Idaho visting my niece and great nephews, spent a week with my girlfriends eating and drinking and yakking and then went to a football bowl game with my hubby. I am even planning a trip midway thru my chemo-I think my doctor thinks i am nuts and says he will applaud me if I can go. (My only hedge is no non refundable fares or deposits but that is only becasue I believe i might have too push it back a few weeks.)
I started Cisplatin/Adriamycin Jan. 20th and hope to have my second on Thursday-I say hope because apparently nadir white counts were very low so we are doing bloodwork again tomorrow. While I want to stay on schedule, I want to stay on this treatment for the full round of 7. And I may be a cock-eyed optimist but I really feel chemo can turn it around and at least buy us a lengthy remission.Then, who knows ?
For comic relief, I ordered one of those beanbag Bozo the Clown dolls that has a sand base and when you knock it down to the floor, it bounces right back up grinning - and then I am going to post a picture of me with my bald head trying to knock my new buddy to the floor and gladly failing. Then maybe we can all laugh together.
Lets all keep each other's spirits up and keep fighting.0 -
Doggone it!nancygt said:another fellow chemo traveler
Hi=I am glad you got your break from chemo . Like you I had two and half months and it really helped me get psyched to go back to chemo now.I got snowed in in Idaho visting my niece and great nephews, spent a week with my girlfriends eating and drinking and yakking and then went to a football bowl game with my hubby. I am even planning a trip midway thru my chemo-I think my doctor thinks i am nuts and says he will applaud me if I can go. (My only hedge is no non refundable fares or deposits but that is only becasue I believe i might have too push it back a few weeks.)
I started Cisplatin/Adriamycin Jan. 20th and hope to have my second on Thursday-I say hope because apparently nadir white counts were very low so we are doing bloodwork again tomorrow. While I want to stay on schedule, I want to stay on this treatment for the full round of 7. And I may be a cock-eyed optimist but I really feel chemo can turn it around and at least buy us a lengthy remission.Then, who knows ?
For comic relief, I ordered one of those beanbag Bozo the Clown dolls that has a sand base and when you knock it down to the floor, it bounces right back up grinning - and then I am going to post a picture of me with my bald head trying to knock my new buddy to the floor and gladly failing. Then maybe we can all laugh together.
Lets all keep each other's spirits up and keep fighting.
I hoped the Arimidex would work, too. So sorry it didn't. I wish you an uneventful course of chemo.
Suzanne0 -
Ro, sorry about the Arimidex
Sorry it didn't knock that CA125 way back but you had a nice chemo break and you tried it. No stone unturned. Now you're got a new treatment plan in place, and you feel great. Like Linda P. always says, how bad can it be if I feel this great? And you are looking forward to family and friends visiting. Good for you. Good luck and keep us posted.
Cindy0 -
Sorry to hear that
Sorry to hear that anti-hormone treatment didn't slow things down. I don't recall if your cancer tested +ve or -ve for e/p hormones. I am surprised your doc is going straight to the big guns for second line treatment although enough time must have passed and they should be the most effective choice, just so much more intense. I achieved remission for recurrence with low-ish doses of Gemzar. I don't know if there is potential for longer remission with your bigger 'guns' but if so, that would be a GREAT reason to go that route. Like you, my lymph nodes showed very slow growth, but I just wanted to see 'no activity' to feel like i was prolonging my life. Here's to much success with this course of treatment!
Annie0 -
ro
i'm so sorry the arimidex didn't work, but i agree it was worth trying. i'm on tamoxifen and megace, and have only a slim hope of it working, but maybe....won't know until the end of the month. then, if it doesn't, back to chemo. before i had my assay done, one of my doctors also wanted me back on carbo-taxol since it also had worked so well. but the assay came back with several different chemos that apparently worked better. won't know for awhile, but don't want a chemo that has neuropathy has a side effect since i have some residue neuropathy in my toes and fingers--not enough to bother me, but i wouldn't want more.
ro, there are other chemo options--some of the options i have i've never heard of, so they're out there. best, best of luck on your chemo, and hopefully you'll have another nice, long remission. keep us posted on how you're doing. i know what you mean about having these two extra months of hormones, and not chemo--it makes a difference. glad you feel so good, and it is strange to think one can feel so good, yet still have this disease. i never really felt great except when i was in remission; otherwise i seem to feel everything.
thinking of you, ro, and wishing the very best for you.
sisterhood,
maggie0 -
Romaggie_wilson said:ro
i'm so sorry the arimidex didn't work, but i agree it was worth trying. i'm on tamoxifen and megace, and have only a slim hope of it working, but maybe....won't know until the end of the month. then, if it doesn't, back to chemo. before i had my assay done, one of my doctors also wanted me back on carbo-taxol since it also had worked so well. but the assay came back with several different chemos that apparently worked better. won't know for awhile, but don't want a chemo that has neuropathy has a side effect since i have some residue neuropathy in my toes and fingers--not enough to bother me, but i wouldn't want more.
ro, there are other chemo options--some of the options i have i've never heard of, so they're out there. best, best of luck on your chemo, and hopefully you'll have another nice, long remission. keep us posted on how you're doing. i know what you mean about having these two extra months of hormones, and not chemo--it makes a difference. glad you feel so good, and it is strange to think one can feel so good, yet still have this disease. i never really felt great except when i was in remission; otherwise i seem to feel everything.
thinking of you, ro, and wishing the very best for you.
sisterhood,
maggie
Ro,
Well, as Linda states, I too think the taxol/carbo is a good solid fighter!
I am thinking your body will respond to that, and expect to read soon about a drop in your CA125.
Wishing you an easy chemo process and lots of strength and healing.
Hugs!0 -
We're with You
Ro you have been such a trooper and so kind to everyone on the board. You can do this again; I know you can. Sending you love and hope. You are such a fine soldier and I love you!
Songflower0 -
Thank you everyoneSongflower said:We're with You
Ro you have been such a trooper and so kind to everyone on the board. You can do this again; I know you can. Sending you love and hope. You are such a fine soldier and I love you!
Songflower
Thank you so much for your kind words, the encouragement, love, hope and cyber hugs you send. They are much appreciated.
I had a good visit with my brother, and friends from Illinois. We were busy, so it was a good distraction. Tuesday is the big day to start chemo again. It will be a long day with lab at 7:30 a.m then chemo starting at 9:30. It takes 8-9 hours for me to get the chemo due to reactions to both drugs during my first sessions of chemo. At least my body can tolerate it at a slower rate, and diluted more than usual.
I'll be thinking of Sharon and Linda as I get my chemo and wish them both the best. In peace and caring.0 -
Ro & Others
Sending healing thoughts and prayers your way!
Too many reoccurences lately.....Let's keep kicking this disease's butt!
Laurie0 -
ladies - good luck on 22nd and 23rdTiggersDoBounce said:Ro & Others
Sending healing thoughts and prayers your way!
Too many reoccurences lately.....Let's keep kicking this disease's butt!
Laurie
Wishing you both well for your forthcoming chemos. Hell - recurrence isn't great news - but I have my fingers crossed for you that you can knock it back into remission.
Up and at 'em, ladies!
With much love and caring
Helen xx0 -
Chemo questionslindaprocopio said:((((Ro)))). Carbo/taxol is the BEST one-two punch, IMHO!
I'm echo Sharon's comments. I had my first infusion of Avastin today and need to pick up my perscription tomorrow for Cytoxin (a chemo in pill form), so all 3 of us can be chemo-buddies.
I am thrilled that you had a long enough remission to be able to go back to carbo/taxol. That chemo combo has the HIGHEST percentage of success of all the chemos you could be trying, so I feel really good that you will soon be back in remission once again! Glad you made the most of your break from treatment. ((((Ro))))
Hi Linda,
I have followed your posts since I joined this group in 2009. My 78 year old mother has UPSC. She looks and acts younger. s feels great, has no symptoms, leads a normal life. I have posted her history previously so I won't go into that now. I hate to bother you, but you have been such an inspiration to me. I have tried to be an informed, pro-active advocate for my mother. She has an excellent gyn. oncologist at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles, but we don't get to spend much time with her. Mom had a cancer spot removed from her left lung last year (that was the only metastasis at the time) then was on Doxil for 6 months. Recent PET and MRI show new small spots in both lungs and also on thoracic spine. We will meet with her doc next week and Mom will also start more chemo soon.
You wrote that carbo/taxol is most successful. Mom had carbo/taxol twice already, it got rid of uterine and liver mets. You are now on Avastin and Cytoxin. Is this because patients cannot hve the same type of chemo more than once or twice? We have been told that tissue assays are not possible because they don't want to put her through a painful biopsy to get fresh tissue.
I suppose what I am asking you is, can you suggest any questions I should ask the doctor? I am sort of running out of steam after 3 years...I trust her medical team but I feel like I should be asking more questions about the type of chemo she needs.
all the best.
Lili0 -
Best of Lucky to everyone starting treatments.HellieC said:ladies - good luck on 22nd and 23rd
Wishing you both well for your forthcoming chemos. Hell - recurrence isn't great news - but I have my fingers crossed for you that you can knock it back into remission.
Up and at 'em, ladies!
With much love and caring
Helen xx
I wish none of this was happening, but in the scheme of things....hang in there and be tough.
Sending you all positive vibes to kick this cancer down....all the way down...
Jan
((( hugs )))0 -
Good luck Ro, Sharon and LindaRo10 said:Thank you everyone
Thank you so much for your kind words, the encouragement, love, hope and cyber hugs you send. They are much appreciated.
I had a good visit with my brother, and friends from Illinois. We were busy, so it was a good distraction. Tuesday is the big day to start chemo again. It will be a long day with lab at 7:30 a.m then chemo starting at 9:30. It takes 8-9 hours for me to get the chemo due to reactions to both drugs during my first sessions of chemo. At least my body can tolerate it at a slower rate, and diluted more than usual.
I'll be thinking of Sharon and Linda as I get my chemo and wish them both the best. In peace and caring.
I'm having my third (out of six) carboplatin/taxol treatment tomorrow, 22nd February. It's adjuvant treatment for uterine carcinosarcoma stage 1a. I'll be thinking of you all and hoping it goes well (so far I have been very lucky and had minimal side effects but I am not complacent because I know they can be cumulative ). Ro - I am pleased you have been feeling fine, despite complications. I read all your posts, though I do not often post myself. Best wishes from London
Susan0 -
Hope all is went well todayRo10 said:Thank you everyone
Thank you so much for your kind words, the encouragement, love, hope and cyber hugs you send. They are much appreciated.
I had a good visit with my brother, and friends from Illinois. We were busy, so it was a good distraction. Tuesday is the big day to start chemo again. It will be a long day with lab at 7:30 a.m then chemo starting at 9:30. It takes 8-9 hours for me to get the chemo due to reactions to both drugs during my first sessions of chemo. At least my body can tolerate it at a slower rate, and diluted more than usual.
I'll be thinking of Sharon and Linda as I get my chemo and wish them both the best. In peace and caring.
Hey Ro:
It must have been a long day for you and I just wanted you to know I am thinking about you. I hope you had an overall good day and you were able to tolerate the chemo.
((Hugs))
Kathy0
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