Docetaxel (Taxotere) - Experiences - Thoughts?

taxotere
My husband has his 6th treatment 3 wks ago, so I can help you here. We had no hope really when he decided he would give it a try, but can you really not try? He is on "vacation" the 3rd of Dec. we get the full results of his new scans, and decide on the last 4.

While it has not been easy, it has been mostly inconvenient. Before his first treatment his WBC was 13.7, within 4 days it was. 08, so this meant he was neutropenic and needed to get the shots to build up his WBC so he would stay well. It turned out he is chemo sensitive, but this was a double pointed sword. We live 40 miles from doc, so for next 3 wks he went in daily, including Sat for shots and ivs. Got it up to 4.5 by 3rd week , so. . .another chemo treatment. Went back daily for 2 wks, 3rd treatment only one week and mondays to watch it. After that every treatment was 2 wks worth of shots, 3rd week off.

The shots draw from your bone marrow, like jolts of electricity to start with, by third treament/shot regime jolts are building up in the pain dept. and get your attention. By the 5th treament, you roll in pain for 2 days, and the pain is coming from everywhere, your shoulders, your head, your legs and your feet even. Last treatment we got ahead of it, tylenol 3 works best, believe it or not. Day four after chemo, start taking it and pain is more nagging than anything.

Now, remember 40 miles each way, alllll those days, so inconvenient.

Now the taxotere experience itself. Treatment on Monday, you feel great, around thurs pm, maybe getting funky/tired. No later than fri pm really, really tired and just don't feel good. You rest all weekend and the following week you gain your legs back. Week 3, you feel great, like nothing was ever wrong with you. Now, you have never been ill, just a general malaise is all. Your doc will make sure you are NEVER nauseous, bowel issues, not gonna happen. They really do have it down to an art.

Every treatment is the same. Takes about 1.5 hours, 15 minutes for the port flush or so, go get lunch, shop or go to work. Treatments are every 3 wks and the side effects really are minimal, except for the shots, there is no pain. (port placement does hurt for a few dayss, after all it cuts into chest/upper breast tissue) You can set your calendar by the events and prepare for it.

Right now we know his MRI shows shrinking of tumors in his bones, his psa is down to 2.2. Bone scan sceduled for next Monday, then PET, and wait for the third.

So yes, he would recommend it. He does have some tingling in his feet, he drove himself for the shots, we went together for chemo, moral support really is all. He went into it scared to death of the poison he was putting in his body, but when your choices are so few, you grab everything you can, he doesn't quit anything.

He was diagnosed March 2011, PSA 1913. Gleason 4+5, stage 4, bone mets from base of his neck to hips make me cry, lymph nodes, bone marrow involvement, and a total of 5 spots between both lungs. He is 60 now, went on disability April 2012 mostly so he could take pain meds for the mets, xgeva for the bone cancer as well.

PS If you know anything about prednisone over such a long period of time, you will wind up with "moon face." It is temporary and will go away, after first treatment beginning of week 3, he said his scalp hurt. His hair was falling out, that went away when I shaved it. Sorry if this is wordy and jumbled, this small screen it is hard to go back to previous paragraphs.

Good luck on whatever you decide to do.

nowrest said:

taxotere experience
I have been on the stuff for over a year. Treatments every three weeks. I find that I have to rest for about four or five days after the treatment. No pain or anything. The biggest issue is constipation. I have tried everything to prevent or control it with some success. I don't drive after the treatment. They were giving me Benadryl with the treatment which really made me tired. We have stopped that now. Is it working ? Who knows! My PSA is a over the board but the lympth nodes have decreased in size so that is good news.

constipation
The constipation was easily beat with senna, taken regularly with help you a lot. Felt like it was mostly a result of the extra pain meds. Benadryl, that is guaranteed to make you sleep. Zofran was given for the anti nausea at chemo, and regimen for 3 days. Script for compazine was never taken, and Ativan was never filled for anxiety.

After a year you have to be tired of it whether it is working or not. So many ups and downs gets to be draining mentally as well physically. Wishing you well, and enjoy your holidays.

Raddad said:

Over a year? I thought was 6
Over a year? I thought was 6 to 8 treatments 3 weeks apart.

Why do you not drive after the treatment?

Thanks!

drive
I don't drive first of all with the Benadryl I was afraid I would fall asleep. Now without it I still feel woozy. The process at our clinic takes about four hours as they do labs first. After all that sitting I just don't feel good. By the way I have had a total of 35 Cheom treatments. Can't get rid of the big C but trying to contol it.

Six of one, half-dozen of other

Dayton,

Your post is not totally clear to me, but as I read it, you were previously on Taxotere, and now are going to Cetuximab ?

I've had three friends go through Taxotere: two guys with prostate, and one woman with breast.  it is the most common PCa chemo, and one of the most common Breast Cancer chemos, although for breast, it is ususally part of a cocktail - three or more chemos at once.

I have not known anyone on Cetuximab, but it is listed as a "monocolonal antibody," which is a newer (10 years old or thereabout) type of chemotherapy, similiar to the very popular Rituxan, which is used for blood cancers, and also for inflammatory arthritis.   Rituxan is a much easier drug to use than "conventional"chemos (drugs classified as 'cytotoxic'), but Cetuximab has quite a long list of possible side-effects.  Your hair will likely grow back while on Cetuximab, since Rituxan does not cause hair loss.

Cetuximab does not have a long track record in use against PCa, and is regarded as experimental for PCa use by some insurance carriers, but your doctor most likely knows the details on this for your particual insurance and situation.

The numbness you described is neuropathy, caused by nerve damage to the fingers and toes (digits).  I had severe neuropathy to the waist , but it usually mitigates/gets less severe over time. Some chemos kill the nerve  insulation in the ifngers and toes, causing this.  (I was never on Taxotere, and got neuropathy from a different Hodgkin's Lymphoma drug known as Vinblastine.)

Cetuximab is apparantly not given with steroids (Prednisone, etc.) but Taxotere always is.   Steroids almost always cause insomnia, jitters, and increased appetite.  If you previously were on steroids but go off of them, you may find that you are much more tired and lose appetite.  I did a five-drug combination of chemo drugs with no steroid for six months, and slept about 15-17 hours per day for about five months, and became anorexic, unwilling to eat, living on Ensure and other drinks.

Here is a description of both drugs from chemocare.com, which is affiliated with the Cleveland Clinic and the Scott Hamilton CARES initiative (Scott Hamilton was an ice skater who later contracted brain cancer.)   I hope your experience is mild; most people do NOT get most of the side-effects listed for any given chemotherapy drug.

Chemos for PCa are not regarded as curative, but rather pallative: They beat the disease back, but do not completely eradicate it.  Patients treated for blood cancers with Ritruxan often live for many years, or even a decade or more, with no advancement of the cancers.  In that sense, chemo for PCa is analogous to HT, which also is not curative.  Chemo is used at a variety of pionts in PCa treatment: Neoadjuvant, adjuvant, or in end-stage (terminal).

max

http://chemocare.com/chemotherapy/drug-info/cetuximab.aspx

http://chemocare.com/chemotherapy/drug-info/Taxotere.aspx

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taxotere

Thank you Max for your response. Iwill give a short history of my last few months.

I was being treated by Dr.Dattoli and he thought I was in good shape even with my PSA still at .557 so he stopped my Trelstar in May. I went all summer with no blood tests( mistake) and starting in August all food started to taste bad and i started to lose weight. I thought it was a GI problem so went to a Dr. and he ran several tests and it showed that I had a issue with my liver. went back to Dattoli Sept. 20 and he ran a few tests thought I was looking OK. did a blood test and it came back with a PSA of 154 and raised Liver numbers. He thought it was a mistake so he tested again and it was 701. He sent me to Sand Lake for scans and it show that I bone mets through on many of my bones all small spots, something on my sigmoid and a spot on my liver.He started me on Zytiga. I had a colonoscopy and it showed 3 prostate cancer spots on my sigmoid. Since Dr. Dattoli did only radiation and seeds I went back to Moffitt cancer center in Tampa. I started seeing Dr. Fishman and and the last blood test that Dattoli did was 469 I had one done at Moffitt and it had gone to 1207 so they started the taxotere. I have had 2 sessions so far. let me back up a little. In Oct. I had a other blood test called Guardant 360 and they sent back a 15 page report of drugs that would help me. Most were in stage trials but one of them was the Cetaximab. My last blood test at Moffitt showed the PSA up to 1368 but the but the ALT had gone down a lot. The Dr. said one chemo session won't drop the PSA. So I am started on the Cetaximab on Wed. I am still on the Zytiga.

I hope I was not too confusing. The Dr. said if this doesn't work I have 6 months if it does I will have a few years. I am okwith this as I have a great family and friends and I will enjoy them as long as I can.

It has been 12 years since I had my prostate removed so it has been a long battle.

 daytona19     

VascodaGama said:

Max; can you list the symptoms you experienced?

Max,

Your post is very informative. Can you share details regarding the time, length of the symptoms you experienced and what you did/take to counter the effects? What was the protocol?

I hope that guys on chemo treatment manage to control and lay down the bandit successfully.

Best wishes for a good 2017.

VG

Certainly

Will do so Vasco...headed out door at moment.

max

taxotere

Thanks Max for your response. I wrong about when I would get the Cetuximab it is Jan. 11 as the Dr. wants to keep the same 3 week schedule. I will let you know how I am doing. I am still on Zytiga and never miss taking it so I should get full benefits from it if it works. I know this will not cure me just trying to get some more time with my family and friends. I just wish my taste buds were good so I could drink some wine!!

daytona19

taxotere

Thanks Max,

My case is  serious but I have not given up hope. My family and friends are so supportive and I am enjoying them. I have a 6 and 8 year grandchildren living 2 miles away and they are the joy of my life. I have a wonderful wife and 2 children that give joy every day so i have a lot to live for.

Thank you again for your support.

daytona19 

Yes !

Daytona,

Most chemo vets of numerous relapses describe Prednisone as the most miserable of chemo experiences. Irritability, restlessness, insomnia are common. Then the 'crash,' and sleeping a few days.

I never used any steroid, but understand. Please continue to update,

max