Bonnie, Sue, Joanne and Sandy

lizper
lizper Member Posts: 199
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
What chemos have you received? My Mom´s Onc has told me she is terminal and there is nothing else to due. She is in the hospital due to an occlusion(blockage)in her intestine. Dr.says it´s due to implants and disease progression. She has received Bristaxol with Carboplat, Cisplatin with Gemzar, Femara, Avastin with Genoxal, Doxil and last month Genoxal tablets by themselves. If there is less blockage he could try to repeat Carboplat. I have heard from all of you that there are many treatments out there but he says there is nothing else. I have some chemo names. Can anyone tell me if you have received this, if they are approved by the FDA? NEXAVAR (Sorarenib),Tamoxifen (I know it’s for breast cancer but can this work?)Taxotere, Navelbine, and 2 new ones: Telcyta or Flavopiridol given with cisplatin, both are for OVCA. Liz

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  • BonnieR
    BonnieR Member Posts: 1,526 Member
    #2
    (((((((((HUGS)))))))))
    Dear Liz, I am so sorry to hear your mom's disease has progressed to where the docs figure chemo won't help anymore. I know I may not be far from that place either, but if she still wants to try there still are the oral drugs like Saundra is on too. I have heard that they can slow the disease down when all the chemos fail.

    I am currently trying the nexavar, it is fda approved for lung and renal cancer. No nausea from it but it is mean to your body. I could only take it for two weeks, and am still recovering from the side affects. Hopefully once I do we will try a lower dose.

    Carboplatin is one that held my disease stable last year, and a lot of people get good results from it. My cancer was platin resistant but over the years it became sensitive again, so you just never know. One tries n tries n tries, then unfortunately, for some of us, our bucket gets empty. Maybe this year there will be a break through for curing cancer, not just treating cancer.

    First thought is ~ get her through the bowel issues first ~ then look at the different chemos or variations of treatment. You know bowel problems just get worse from all the chemo and pre drugs. So unfair, to deal with the disease and the awful side affects to fight the disease. :-(

    Again I am truely sorry to hear this latest news, and will continue to pray for your mom and you. You are such a loving and caring daughter; know you love and support mean more than any drug or time she may have. God Bless!!

    Hugs ♥ Prayers Bonnie
  • saundra
    saundra Member Posts: 1,370 Member
    #3
    Hugs and Prayers
    Dear Liz, I am so sorry to hear this news. Sadly, Joanne got her angel wings a couple of weeks ago.

    I am currently on a pill (anti-estogen) called Femara that works like Tamoxifen. It works on about 1/3 of ovca and blocks estrogen from feeding the cancer cells. The side effects are bone loss and a fuzzy face. I have had no other side effects. It takes two months for the CA125 to show any improvement. It has brought my count down from 84 to 50, so it seems to be holding it back but not killing the bad cells.

    How is your Mother's attitude at this time? Does she want to keep fighting or give up? I know that my mother wanted to not fight anymore and just be released from the pain that she was in. I had to understand that she was just not going to fight anymore and let her make that decision. My grandmother did the same thing, so I think from my experience at being with them, that attitude has a great influence on whether drugs work or not. They were both bedfast and embarrassed at not being able to take care of themselves. Their quality of life was very low so I can see why they made their choice. I felt selfish to ask them to keep fighting just for me and in fact, told my mother that I would miss her but it was OK for her to go on.

    You have been a wonderful daughter to fight for your Mother and search for additional treatments for all of these months that I have been visiting this discussion group. I admire your determination. I will continue to have you in my prayers. ((((HUGS))) Saundra
  • groundeffect
    groundeffect Member Posts: 639 Member
    #4
    Your MIL
    Liz,

    I have been tamoxifen, which depletes OVCA-feeding estrogen, for almost a year now. It took my CA-125 from a high of 284 last summer to my most recent reading of 56. I've been asymptomatic in all other respects.

    Because my scans haven't shown any lesions, my docs aren't calling for anything more, but have said I will probably have carboplatin and taxol, if I need more chemo.

    You MIL will really need to get by this bowel obstruction before her docs will consider another line of treatment, unfortunately. Any chemo lowers resistance to the other bad things she could encounter.

    Best of luck to both of you, Sue
  • green50
    green50 Member Posts: 312
    #5
    saundra said:

    Hugs and Prayers
    Dear Liz, I am so sorry to hear this news. Sadly, Joanne got her angel wings a couple of weeks ago.

    I am currently on a pill (anti-estogen) called Femara that works like Tamoxifen. It works on about 1/3 of ovca and blocks estrogen from feeding the cancer cells. The side effects are bone loss and a fuzzy face. I have had no other side effects. It takes two months for the CA125 to show any improvement. It has brought my count down from 84 to 50, so it seems to be holding it back but not killing the bad cells.

    How is your Mother's attitude at this time? Does she want to keep fighting or give up? I know that my mother wanted to not fight anymore and just be released from the pain that she was in. I had to understand that she was just not going to fight anymore and let her make that decision. My grandmother did the same thing, so I think from my experience at being with them, that attitude has a great influence on whether drugs work or not. They were both bedfast and embarrassed at not being able to take care of themselves. Their quality of life was very low so I can see why they made their choice. I felt selfish to ask them to keep fighting just for me and in fact, told my mother that I would miss her but it was OK for her to go on.

    You have been a wonderful daughter to fight for your Mother and search for additional treatments for all of these months that I have been visiting this discussion group. I admire your determination. I will continue to have you in my prayers. ((((HUGS))) Saundra

    Etoposide is my next chemo
    I too have been on quite a few chemos. Taxotere and Etopside seem to work well. The carbo kept it going down well for awhile and for some strange reason my count went up after 8 months so I am going to a chemo pill call Etoposide which also is in a drip drug. What seems to make me lose my hair helps shrink my tumors. So I will be happy to wear a wig or bandana as long as the tumors shrink and the count goes down. I am sorry about your mother having a tough time now but miracles do happen.
    Prayers and Hugs to all
    Sandy
  • JanQ
    JanQ Member Posts: 236
    #6
    green50 said:

    Etoposide is my next chemo
    I too have been on quite a few chemos. Taxotere and Etopside seem to work well. The carbo kept it going down well for awhile and for some strange reason my count went up after 8 months so I am going to a chemo pill call Etoposide which also is in a drip drug. What seems to make me lose my hair helps shrink my tumors. So I will be happy to wear a wig or bandana as long as the tumors shrink and the count goes down. I am sorry about your mother having a tough time now but miracles do happen.
    Prayers and Hugs to all
    Sandy

    Hi Sandy,
    I have been
    Hi Sandy,

    I have been looking for someone that has experienced this Chemo. I started taking this pill this morning, I will take another when I go to bed tonight. Two pills for 20 days.
    Can you tell me the side effects you experienced and how it worked on the cancer.

    Thanks so much and God Bless,
    Jan

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