Rituxin Maintainance

Budski1279
Budski1279 Member Posts: 19
edited March 2014 in Lymphoma (Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin) #1
I just finished my fourth Chemo session of R-chop and after a CAT and Pet scan I was told that I was cancer free. I have two more sessions of chemo and then my Dr. wants me to do maintenance treatments of Rituxin. Has anyone had this type of regiment and how did it go?

Comments

  • Lilly731
    Lilly731 Member Posts: 8
    #2
    Congratulations on the fantastic news!! My husband also finished Rituxan and CHOP for NHL and has started his Rituxan maintenance treatments. He goes every 3 months for 2 years for this. It is the same as the treatment he was getting but without the CHOP (chemo) part. He has had no problems at all and is working and has a very active lifestyle.

    Best of luck to you!
  • geo51
    geo51 Member Posts: 5
    #3
    if rituxin is all you need, god bless. this is the easiest chemo on the body, and can be done as out patient. please if you dont mind, do you have insurance? does it cover rituxan, if not, any co pays? how much do you spent out of pocket. thanks, geo.
  • GTOJohn
    GTOJohn Member Posts: 1
    #4
    I just finished my first maintenance rituxin and got my Pet scan results yesterday. They showed me free of any cancer. Had no problem with the rituxin at all.
  • Budski1279
    Budski1279 Member Posts: 19
    #5
    GTOJohn said:

    I just finished my first maintenance rituxin and got my Pet scan results yesterday. They showed me free of any cancer. Had no problem with the rituxin at all.

    Thank You for that info. I am just a little concerned about the long term use. I have two more chemo treatments of R-chop before the treatments of just Rituxin alone. Hopefully it keeps the beast at bay.
  • dixiegirl
    dixiegirl Member Posts: 1,043 Member
    #6
    I had 6 rounds of CVP+Rituxan and have been on Rituxan maintenance since. My pet scan after 4 chemo's showed no cancer, but the 2 since are showing very small uptake, but when they tried to biopsy it in December were unable to find it. So currently changed schedule of every other month to once a week for 4 weeks. Seems like the Rituxan is holding mine off from getting worse, which is a good thing. Good luck with your treatment and congratulations on the clean scan.
  • djellis
    djellis Member Posts: 1
    #7
    Congratulations. My Wife has been on Rituxin Maintenance for about a year and a half now with very little problems. She goes in 1 day a week, for 4 weeks, in Feb and 1 day a week, for 4 weeks, in August for maint. She does get a little tired by the last couple of weeks, but no problems other than that. We usually go out and eat on maint days, after finishing the rituxin and then go home and have a glass of wine or two on the patio. Rituxin is a wonderfull thing.
  • MameC
    MameC Member Posts: 1
    #8
    Delayed effects from Rituxin

    I received 4 treatments 1 week apart in January.  I sailed through it.  Now I am experiencing fatigue and weakness. It may not be due to the medication but I am wondering if any one had any delayed reactions to the drug.

    Thank you!

  • Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 Member Posts: 3,817 Member
    #9
    Usually

    Mame,

    Most reactions to Rituxan show quickly, some even while receiving the dose (allergic reactions that at times even flat-line patients).  Respiratory or muscle/joint pain can occur a bit later and then linger.  "Weakness" occurs in 10-29% of all patients.  Most patients who receive Rituxan do so while getting combination chemotherapy, and therefore it is difficult to say which drug caused their fatigue, since virtually all chemo drugs induce fatigue.  The exception is monotherapy Rituxan maintenance (quite common for many refractory indolent NHLs), when Rituxan is all that is being applied.

    Very generally, all chemos intensify effects with more dosing, so feeling worse after more treatments is common and may be what you are experiencing.  Usually, this passes with time.

    Go to the Rituxan offical website ( www.rituxan.com ) or chemocare.com for a complete listing of side-effects.

    max

  • Nellie4579
    Nellie4579 Member Posts: 20
    edited March 2018 #10
    Rituxin Maintenaince

    Today my Oncoligist told me she wants me to start rituxin maintenaince every two months for 2 years. My pet scan showed all tumors gone except the one in my thyroid, it has shurnk from 10cm to 4. Was really hoping for full remission but it is what it is. I am also concerned about long term rituxin use. I will check out the info you posted Max, Thanks. Good luck everyone!

     

  • ShadyGuy
    ShadyGuy Member Posts: 922 Member
    #11
    Are you sure ...

    that your thyroid tumor was 10 cm and not 10mm? 10cm is almost 4” which is quite a large tumor. Even 4 cm is over 1 1/2 inches. In any case best of luck. You seem to be well on the road to recovery.

  • Evarista
    Evarista Member Posts: 336 Member
    #12
    Nellie4579 said:

    Rituxin Maintenaince

    Today my Oncoligist told me she wants me to start rituxin maintenaince every two months for 2 years. My pet scan showed all tumors gone except the one in my thyroid, it has shurnk from 10cm to 4. Was really hoping for full remission but it is what it is. I am also concerned about long term rituxin use. I will check out the info you posted Max, Thanks. Good luck everyone!

     

    Rituxan is not just for lymphoma

    When considering long term Rituxan use, do remember that there are hundreds of thousands of rheumatoid arthritis patients who remain on Rituxan maintainence for years and years. Use of Ritux in this patient population has been followed for the 11 years since first used.  Here is the abstract from that 11 year study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26276965

    "CONCLUSION: This final report demonstrates that RTX remains well tolerated over time and multiple courses. No new safety risks were identified and there was no increase in the rate of any types of adverse events with prolonged exposure to RTX during 11 years of observation."

  • Nellie4579
    Nellie4579 Member Posts: 20
    edited March 2018 #13
    Yes, it is CM

    ShadyGuy, the tumor in my thyroid was pushing against m esophagus making it hard to swallow food. The ones in my salivary glands were so swollen i looked like a chipmunk. My primary caregiver took 8 months to send me to an ENT, he thought since i had recently been sick was why my lymph nodes were swollen then he put me on thyroid meds. He is no longer my doctor. 

    Thanks Evarista, that info makes me feel better. I also have RA so at least i will be killing two birds with one stone.

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