Any chemo for life people here?

Butt
Butt Member Posts: 352 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

Yep, I heard it from my local oncologist and an MD Anderson doctor. They think it will be either FU5 plus Avastin or Zeloda plus Avastion that is basically the same s&&&. Trying to comfort me that there may be breaks. If you’d some how long they usually last? Hard to smallow those news.........Butt.

Comments

  • JanJan63
    JanJan63 Member Posts: 2,478 Member
    #2
    My onc has said I will be.

    My onc has said I will be. She figured I'd have chemo twice a year for the rest of my life. Maintenance chemo. But mine is the immunotherapy drug, not traditional chemo. She said to think of it as a chronic disease like diabetes or high blood pressure.

    Jan

  • Tunadog
    Tunadog Member Posts: 235 Member
    #3
    Chemo for Life

    I’m going to be on Xeloda and Avastin for the rest of my life. (Maintenance Chemo) I’ve been taking it for a couple of years, except for time off due to an infection.

    You should be able to handle it.

    Good Luck

     

  • Butt
    Butt Member Posts: 352 Member
    #4

    I don feel good while on chemo and I don t think it is sounds too surprising to people on this board. I get better a few days before the infusion when I desperately trying to catch up on work, household stuff, errands. The perspectives of being on chemo for the rest of my rather short life is horrifying. It looks like it won t kill cancer and as we all know sooner or later will stop working. Looking for your experiences. Butt.

  • Joan M
    Joan M Member Posts: 409 Member
    #5
    Me too

    It's really frustrating to think of being on chemo the rest of my life too,  I'm praying for an immunotherapy to be developed that will work for  my cancer type,  I hav e KRAS mutant and MSS. So far it only works if you're MSI. Praying that the chemo will keep my alive and that I'll be healthy until they figure it out. 

     

  • lizard44
    lizard44 Member Posts: 409 Member
    #6
    Lifer here, too

    I've been on chemo  for almost four years and will be on it for life, however long or short that might be.  For the most part the chemo has kept the cancer in check, although the last CT scan  shows it may be  rearing its ugly head again, so we may  need to change up the  chemo cocktail once more. I  started out on Folfox plus Avastin, then had  28 rounds of radiation with 5Fu, followed by 54 treatments with Erbitux and Camptosar.  In between all that I had APR surgery and a liver ablation. Now I'm back on Folfox and Avastin and  am due for  round 11 of 12 tomorrow if my blood count is high enough.

    I'm fortunate in that I don't have young children to take care of.  I've  also been fortunate in not getting many of the side effects, like nausea.  I do  have quite a bit of fatigue but try to pace myself.  As far as housework and gardening, etc., I do what needs to be done in short  spurts with frequent breaks to rest. It takes longer, but it gets done and I don't wear myself out that way. I'm still able to get out and about and attend weekly yoga classes whenever possible.   I do try to avoid crowds because of my compromised immune system so try to plan trips  to the grocery store, etc.  when it's least crowded, and carry a mask  and gloves to use  just to be on the safe side. It's no picnic, but for me it hasn't been that bad, all things considered. I hope you do well on chemo, with minimal problems. Hang in there.

    Grace

  • 8colon8
    8colon8 Member Posts: 40 Member
    #7
    My wife was told that she

    My wife was told that she will be on xeloda forever, unless a surgeon is willing to operate on her.  They found 2 active lymph nodes by the aorta around the abdomen.  She was done with her 8 cycle of chemo (oxaliplatin and xeloda) and the oncologist added 2 more cycle. After this additional cycle,  oxaliplatin will be dropped but xeloda with be her maintenance chemo for the rest of her life.  She's not processing this very well.  

  • Bradnjerzee
    Bradnjerzee Member Posts: 17
    #8
    Lymph Nodes

    I have 2 para aortic lymph nodes infected that I am treating and I just completed chemo.  Next step will be 25 founds of radiation to try and knock nodes dead.

    Does your wife ahave para aortic nodes infected?   What is her treatent plan?

    Brad

  • 8colon8
    8colon8 Member Posts: 40 Member
    #9
    Bradnjerzee said:

    Lymph Nodes

    I have 2 para aortic lymph nodes infected that I am treating and I just completed chemo.  Next step will be 25 founds of radiation to try and knock nodes dead.

    Does your wife ahave para aortic nodes infected?   What is her treatent plan?

    Brad

    Brad,

    Brad,

    Her CEA after her first chemo went from 32 to 96. The PET scan pick-up 2 active lymph nodes around her aorta but it can't be confirmed as cancerous without biopsy or surgery.  Her surgeon wants her to complete her course of chemo treatment before considering to operate. Her chemo recipe was oxaliplatin drip for two hours with 14 days oral xeloda, rest 7 days repeat cycle for 8 cycles.  Her oncologist wanted to add erbitux after the PET scan but she never started it because she didn't want to deal with more side effects.  By the end of her cycles and 4 PET scan later, the activities has shrung to minimal. Her oncologist has classified she as in remission but wants to help prolong that time frame by continuing "maintenance chemo" with xeloda only. 

    Patrick 

  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    edited April 2019 #10
    Yep

    I’ve been on a relatively easy chemo combo of Xeloda and Avastin for close to six years. I received scan results this past Monday and there is no change in the two tumors in my right lung, and my left lung is still clear. Unless things dramatically change, I can keep on doing this for a while.

    Attitude is everything

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