maintenance chemo infusions.

mind boggling
mind boggling Member Posts: 16
in Lung Cancer #1

Hey guys, had my last chemo, done with radiation and surgery.......now they are talking of maintenance chemo, where the infusions just take an an hour ?  anyone going through something similar?  Thank you...........

Comments

  • mind boggling
    mind boggling Member Posts: 16
    #2
    no feedback? Argh!!!  best

    no feedback? Argh!!!  best wishes to all of you.

  • dennycee
    dennycee Member Posts: 857 Member
    #3
    mind boggling said:

    no feedback? Argh!!!  best

    no feedback? Argh!!!  best wishes to all of you.

    Sorry

    Was watching to see if you got feedback.  I have not had any maintenance chemo and was interested to learn.  Maybe someone at inspire.com can help you.  

  • Puggle
    Puggle Member Posts: 88 Member
    #4
    Avastin for maintenance

    My husband is due to start maintenance chemo next week.  He had surgery, radition and completed 5 cycles of carbo, avastin and alimpta for NSCLC (adenocarcinoma).  His blood counts were too low to complete the 6th one.  The 5 cycles worked really well and everything shrunk or became less dense.  We started with tumors that were too small to even biopsy so we were real happy with the results.

    We are told that he will be in and out very quickly for this maintenance chemo but, since we haven't started yet I can't provide any more feedback yet.  I'll follow up once we get one completed.

     

  • Christine135
    Christine135 Member Posts: 71
    #5
    Maintenance Chemo

    Hi mind boggling,

    With any surgey, it is possible that the surgeon cut through undetected cancerous cells and once those are cut, they can develop into cancerous cells so the maintenance cheom happens for a period of time after surgery to reduce the risk of those cells spreading. I am normally on the esophageal site as my husband was diagnosed in April 2012 with esophageal cancer, went through chemo and radiation and then surgery to remove his entire esophagus. He went on maintenance chemo six weeks after surgery. He was getting Herceptin and it took about 2 hours total at the hospital from start to finish. He did not have any serious side effects except for some fatigue. He has a power port in his chest which has been amazing..saves the veins from collaspsing. They drew blood to check his counts and then it took a half hour-45 minutes to get the Herceptin. We went every 3 weeks. Check with your doctor what exactly you will be getting but this is what maintenance chemo is about. 

    Good luck. 

     

  • mind boggling
    mind boggling Member Posts: 16
    #6
    Christine135 said:

    Maintenance Chemo

    Hi mind boggling,

    With any surgey, it is possible that the surgeon cut through undetected cancerous cells and once those are cut, they can develop into cancerous cells so the maintenance cheom happens for a period of time after surgery to reduce the risk of those cells spreading. I am normally on the esophageal site as my husband was diagnosed in April 2012 with esophageal cancer, went through chemo and radiation and then surgery to remove his entire esophagus. He went on maintenance chemo six weeks after surgery. He was getting Herceptin and it took about 2 hours total at the hospital from start to finish. He did not have any serious side effects except for some fatigue. He has a power port in his chest which has been amazing..saves the veins from collaspsing. They drew blood to check his counts and then it took a half hour-45 minutes to get the Herceptin. We went every 3 weeks. Check with your doctor what exactly you will be getting but this is what maintenance chemo is about. 

    Good luck. 

     

    Thank you

    Thanks for the responses. I am thinking avastin. It should take about an hour for the infusion. Before with the carbo/tax it was taking a good seven hours. Now to start getting weight back on me and muscle mass rebuilt. I had a pnemectomy and am getting used to working with less lung capacity. I am trying hard to find some form of normaly to life.........though I am not foolish enough to believe it may even get close to normal. I keep trying though.........plugging along. Once again, Thanks for the responses, it means allot.

  • RHumphrey
    RHumphrey Member Posts: 12
    #7
    mind boggling said:

    Thank you

    Thanks for the responses. I am thinking avastin. It should take about an hour for the infusion. Before with the carbo/tax it was taking a good seven hours. Now to start getting weight back on me and muscle mass rebuilt. I had a pnemectomy and am getting used to working with less lung capacity. I am trying hard to find some form of normaly to life.........though I am not foolish enough to believe it may even get close to normal. I keep trying though.........plugging along. Once again, Thanks for the responses, it means allot.

    maint. chemo

    I am waiting to see if I will also be on maint. chemo.  I start my 6th round of cisplatin and alimpta this week.  I was told I MAY have maint chemo for the following 3 treatments.  I have not had surgery.  Sorry I could not give you any info, seems like we are in the same boat.

  • RHumphrey
    RHumphrey Member Posts: 12
    #8
    mind boggling said:

    Thank you

    Thanks for the responses. I am thinking avastin. It should take about an hour for the infusion. Before with the carbo/tax it was taking a good seven hours. Now to start getting weight back on me and muscle mass rebuilt. I had a pnemectomy and am getting used to working with less lung capacity. I am trying hard to find some form of normaly to life.........though I am not foolish enough to believe it may even get close to normal. I keep trying though.........plugging along. Once again, Thanks for the responses, it means allot.

    maint. chemo

    I am waiting to see if I will also be on maint. chemo.  I start my 6th round of cisplatin and alimpta this week.  I was told I MAY have maint chemo for the following 3 treatments.  I have not had surgery.  Sorry I could not give you any info, seems like we are in the same boat.

  • glcs52
    glcs52 Member Posts: 16
    #9
    maint chemo since August of last year

    I have been on maintenance chemo of alimta and avastin since August of last year.  Avastin is about 30 minutes, then Alimta for 15 minutes.  You still have the time before, wait on meds from pharmacy, etc.  I am usually there about 2-3 hours, but that may be the Cancer Center I go to, plus I go Friday afternoons every 3 weeks.  The chairs are packed out.  I work full time so Fridays is good for my work schedule and recovery if needed.

     

    Gail    

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