Am I out of options?

Wenchie
Wenchie Member Posts: 88
OK, this isn't good. I've been on Folfox, then Folfiri (made me really sick) then just 5FU and Avastin, then one treatment of Erbitux (very bad reaction/eyes were puss) and most recently on Zeloda alone. CEA in three months went from 15 to 57. I can't have another port (I keep getting blood clots) and I'm unsure of what's left. Any advice?

Comments

  • steveandnat
    steveandnat Member Posts: 886
    hang tough
    I'm sure you'll get the right combination. That erbitux is really not for everyone. What does your oncolgist have to say? What are your scans showing? Pray you get some good answers. Jeff
  • steved
    steved Member Posts: 834 Member
    Off protocol
    So much of our treatments are ruled by protocols and it sometimes feel hard to step off (both for us and the docs) but I guess that is where you are heading. I really don't have teh knowledge to know what is next- I would guess possibilities would include going back to older drugs (some have talked of being on minomycin here) or going onto very new drugs perhaps within a trial (see posts on regorafenib and aflibercept).

    I have been on xeloda and avastin together for 6 months whcih only involves a fortnightly hour infusion which I have a line put in for each time (never done ports)- it has some evidence behind it as effective and seems to hold my tumour.

    I guess it is time for a sit down and talk with teh team but arm yourself with as much knowedge as possible so you know what questions you want answered.

    steve
  • Sonia32
    Sonia32 Member Posts: 1,071 Member
    Hugs
    Agree with the two Steves. You will find the right treatment for you.
  • peterz54
    peterz54 Member Posts: 341
    Panitumumab (Vectibix) ?
    it's an EGFR inhibitor, as is erbitux I believe. didn't see it on your list. if you have been off of a particular chemo regime for a while I believe you can go back on once your body has had time to de-adapt (question for Onc).

    studies suggest eating a very good diet (shifting to plant based diet) and moderate exercise significantly improves outcome.

    elsewhere you can find discussion on supplements (plant extracts) for which evidence appears to be mounting may have a future role in cancer therapy. some of the extracts act to inhibit pathways which promote cancer growth in ways similar to avastin and the two EGFR inhibitors, but much is not known (dosage, etc). My wife's Onc favors tumeric and mushrooms (shiitake). curcumin, an extract of tumeric, is available in pill form if you can't incorporate tumeric into recipes.

    use google scholar or pubmed to check out research on these and other supplements (resveratrol, quercetin, genistein, EGCG (from green tea)) and their roles in colo cancer, and discuss with your oncologist.


    good luck
  • janderson1964
    janderson1964 Member Posts: 2,215 Member
    I have had 3 blood. Lots. I
    I have had 3 blood. Lots. I am on my second port but know problems with a steady diet of coumadin. Also the new drug Regergofenib (spelling is probobly not right) should be out soon and some hospitals are already getting it as a trial (my hospital is supposed to have by the end of the month). The good thing about that is it is taken in pill form from what i understand.