When to consider "quality of life" over treatment

2»

Comments

  • josh r.
    josh r. Member Posts: 264 Member
    #22
    Fight or flight?
    Hi Fitts,
    Whatever you choose our prayers are with you. As has been said all our situations are different so who can tell another brother or sister what to do. In July of 1991 I chose to fight and God willing on November 21st of this year I'll cellebrate 21 years of NED due to all the people in my "corner". I along with many others are in yours. God bless, Josh r.
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #23
    Pam M said:

    Amifostine
    My doc did tell me something like Amifostine was first used to try to protect organs during chemical warfare, or something like that.

    Amifostine...
    Myself and several others have had the Amifostine injections.... Each day just before radiation.

    MyChemo MD ordered it to help relieve or minimalize the thick ropey phlegm, and maybe restore some salivary function.

    In my case I can only endorse it... I never had the complications some here have had with the thick choking phlegm. I also have close to 95% of my saliva back as well.

    Not sure if it was the Amifostine or not..., but.

    Most people can't finish before having some side effect from the AMifostine.., for me that started around 32 out of 35. I started having really high fevers, or extreme chills.

    Stopped at 33 and didn't get the last two...

    They also left a big itchy welt for several days. They were injected into my stomach each day.

    JG
  • TheFitts
    TheFitts Member Posts: 8
    #24
    Kent Cass said:

    Qualilty of Life?
    Hmm...In the past five years I lost both my Sister and her Husband to lung C, and a Cousin to H&N; and, I am a H&N/Nasopharyngeal who was put thru the most intense, though shorter in durantion and ultimately with less chemo, C&R tx out there.

    First of all- "quality of life" is not an option with H&N if you refuse treatment. Yes, it is moreso with lung, as breathing, and pneumonia and it's symptoms, along with symptoms tacked-onto where the lung C has spread, are what the bad/end times bring. With H&N...it do get very ugly. THIS IS A SUBJECT SELDOM TALKED ABOUT, HERE, but I've long felt should be. You know how we warn people to stay away from Google images for H&N C? That's the kinda ugly that it gets, folks. And, that is why we go thru the tx without much of a 2nd-thought. So, what kinda quality of life are you hoping for? A couple weeks or months, and then a very trying and ugly death? I would advise you, and anyone, who is contemplating refusal of treatment to check-out Google- to see some of the places this H&N thing might take you.

    I apologize if the above seems rather blunt, but this is C we are dealing with. Enough said.

    kcass

    Appreciated
    I am not one to take offense and appreciate bluntness and honesty. So thank you. Sugar coating is the last thing I want.
  • TheFitts
    TheFitts Member Posts: 8
    #25
    Skiffin16 said:

    Cisplatin ~ Kidney Damage
    Pam, you are correct, it's not given that Chemo WILL give you all or any of the possible side effects, but that possibility is there. Many here have chemo induced kidney damage, many such as myself and you don't...or at least my GFR numbers along with the other blood related kidney numbers are good.

    Buy, kidney damage is a very real possibility with Cisplatin, and platinum based chemo. One of the reasons that they flush your system as soon as you recieve it;

    I presume you were just trying to drill that home also, that damage is not a given.

    ACS on Cisplatin

    Cisplatin can damage the kidneys. This risk is reduced by checking your kidney function before you get the drug, giving you extra fluids by vein, and asking you to drink extra fluids for a few days after the drug is given. This extra fluid helps to flush the medicine out of your system and protect your kidneys.

    Wikipedia on Cisplatin

    Nephrotoxicity (kidney damage) is a major concern. The dose is reduced when the patient's creatinine clearance (a measure of renal function) is reduced. Adequate hydration and diuresis is used to prevent renal damage. The nephrotoxicity of platinum-class drugs seems to be related to reactive oxygen species and in animal models can be ameliorated by free radical scavenging agents (e.g., amifostine). Nephrotoxicity is a dose-limiting side effect.

    Interesting on the Amifostine reference though as I had platinum based chemo both Cisplatin and Carboplatin, and Amifostine injections.

    JG

    Cisplatin
    Thanks for the comments on both sides. Cisplatin is one of the drugs. Also, new research (I do not know if it has been published yet) is that the kideny damage is more likely in african americans, which my brother is, which is why we were giving it extra weight. I do realize that not everyone is affected by side affects.

Discussion Boards