We got the adjuvant chemo plan today

betula
betula Member Posts: 86
edited May 2017 in Colorectal Cancer #1

We saw the oncologist today and found out my husbands plan for chemo.  He will have four months of Folfox.  Specifically he will have 2 days every two weeks of 5fu pump and an infusion of oxaliplatin once every two weeks.  Prior to surgery the plan was two days of 5fu but due to finding one out of 31 nodes tested involved and four tumor deposits the plan has been upped at bit. 

I know everyone's experience is different but wondering how everyone did with this combo.  He is fairly young...47 and pretty healthy except for this. 

Thank you all for the support and info that is provided from reading everyone's personal experiences.  Thank you all for sharing!

Betsy

 

 

Comments

  • NewHere
    NewHere Member Posts: 1,428 Member
    #2
    My Experience

    Posted the following in this thread :  https://csn.cancer.org/node/309577  (Still running around, but wanted to post, take a look at https://csn.cancer.org/node/309577 and also https://csn.cancer.org/node/309103 and my profile).   Need to head out again.  (I had 11 out of 21 lymph nodes, Stage IVB, 6 months FOLFOX)

    ##########

    FOLFOX is one of the common combinations for Colon Cancer, and it was my drink of choice for 6 months, not that I drank it Laughing

    I wrote a bit about this in this thread:

    https://csn.cancer.org/node/309103

    Also if you click on my profile, I wrote as I was going through it.  Will try to get back a bit later, need to get ready for something I need to do shortly, but wanted to reply with some things that could help

  • EissetB
    EissetB Member Posts: 133
    #3
    I was diagnosed of stage IIIC

    I was diagnosed of stage IIIC. The tumor was negative forperineural invasion but positive for lymphovascular invasion. Don't know what it meant though :)  15 lymph nodes were removed & 7 of them were involved by carcinoma with final pathological stage as pT3 N2B. Don't know the meaning of this  number either :) So oncologist put me with adjuvant FOLFOX 5FU/leucovorin/oxaliplatin. Hang in there. Everything will be fine. God is good. He will guide us through this problem.

  • mozart13
    mozart13 Member Posts: 118
    #4
    Just finished my 3rd round

    They give me prior to hospital infusion zofran and dexamethasone to prevent nausea, dex also gives me boost of energy. First two times I didnt take dexamethasone on following days, that made me tired, yesterday and today I took only 4 mg, and feel much better, zofran I dont take, no nausea, apetite is good, my blood pressure spiked up and HR, thats beceause of corticosteroid, thats dex, I am ussually on lower side. I checked my BP just day before, and is almost normal.

    Had constipation first time, zofran does it, took magnesium, and dulcolax, magnesium helps also with muscles, drink a lots of fluid, eat well, watermallon is my favorite now, some one mentioned it earlier, and I adopted. Idrink getorade, gives me boost, and taste I like.

    Keep an eye on potasium, mine dropped from 4.1 to 3.6 just after couple of treatments.

    My platellets , WBC, and some other stuff are low, my oncologist mentioned that some oncologist would stop at this point, but not this one, and I like agressive apptoach.

    Gonna give myself  Grastofil injections starting tommorow, to boost platlets, and other low stuff, apparentlly stimulates bone marrow production.

    But overall, I dont feel bad, just a bit weak, but still manage to go for walk twice a day.

    If you have any specific question feel free to shoot!

  • Woodytele
    Woodytele Member Posts: 163
    edited May 2017 #5
    Kitchen sink

    i'm on folfox, got the pump for 44 hrs after the infusion, they call this the "kitchen sink". Basically throwing everything at the cancer.  Everyone's experienice is different, but I'm about the same age 44, and you get the fatigue, mouth feels weird, food can taste different, everyday you get a little stronger, and after maybe 4 days after the pump or FU is disconnected, you feel "ok". It's a battle. 

  • betula
    betula Member Posts: 86
    #6
    Thanks

    Thanks everyone for your comments.  Dave's stage is T3N1A.  From what I can determine that is stage IIIc?  It was uncomfortable at the appointment with the oncologist to ask questions about what this means for prognosis, etc.  I guess I should not even be thinking that way and just assume this last phase of treatment will stop this cancer forever. 

    Betula

     

  • SandiaBuddy
    SandiaBuddy Member Posts: 1,381 Member
    #7
    Questions

    Betula: I would encourage you to ask questions.  I bring in a typed list of questions and take notes.  The doctors may roll their eyes, but hey, they are working for me and my life is at stake.  You should definately understand the chances of recurrence.  These statistics can help you to plan and can also help you to decide if the side effects are worth it.  I think that the more you know, the more you can make educated decisions.  I am in a similar situation to your spouse and my oncologist said the chemo would lower my chance of recurrence from 30% to 20%.  That is only a 10 point gain and real food for thought for me when I consider the side-effects.  Please also educate yourself about lifestyle issues that could reduce the chance of recurrence.  Regular exercise could drop the chance by 50%.  Drinking 5 cups of coffee might also drop the chance by about 50%.  Having a high Vitamin D level could do the same.  A new study coming out says that eating tree nuts could drop your chance by 42%.  It makes sense to me to understand and maximize the chances that your loved one live as long and as well as possible.

  • betula
    betula Member Posts: 86
    #8
    Thanks SandiaBuddy

    The oncologisty said this treatment would reduce the chances of reoccurance 30-40%.  When I tried to ask more about potential for reoccurance, etc he kind of shut me down by saying, "well, that is not going to happen to him so we aren't going to worry about that". 

    I have been researching as much as I can on my own in between work, kids, etc and did just read about the tree nuts.  Thank you for all of your information and keep us posted on how things are going for as you continue your treatment.

    Betsy

     

  • SandiaBuddy
    SandiaBuddy Member Posts: 1,381 Member
    #9

    Besty:  I would caution you that some of the research about chances of recurrence is quite old and has much higher numbers, for example: 

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25430983

    There are also alternative opinions about the value of chemotherapy: http://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/jco.2015.65.3048

    Reply to opinion piece: http://ascopubs.org/doi/pdf/10.1200/JCO.2016.68.4886

    If it were me, I would not accept the oncologist's statement of "that's not going to happen."  It makes more sense to me know the risks and benefits of any course of action and to have the statistics that will allow you to plan your life most effectively. 

    Best of luck with all of this.  It is a burden.  But the folks on this forum can provide good informaiton and support.

     

     

     

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