New Stage?

esined
esined Member Posts: 22
edited March 2014 in Caregivers #1
My husband finished the first 8 rounds of chemo for metistatic colon cancer in his lung and in his lymph nodes next to his wind pipe. We were told chemo (FulFox with Avastin and oxioplatin every other 8 rounds) will go on until the cancer stops responding or he can't take it anymore. He has had round 9 without the oxioplatin which will be removed through round 16 and then back on for round 17, etc. On Thursday he had double vision and fell three times. Oncology had us go to emergency. They took blood, did an exam and a CAT scan of his head. They think it may have been a small stroke but they don't know. On Monday he is having an MRI to be sure since the balance and vision center is in the one place the CAT can't see. Is this the next stage to worry about? Are strokes a side effect of the chemo? Or are these a combination of side effects that look like a stroke?

Comments

  • sue Siwek
    sue Siwek Member Posts: 279
    #2
    follow your oncologist
    follow your oncologist direction. then call your oncologist and ask for him to call you back and explain to you what is happening. i know that this is very confusing and will say that in retrospect i.e. (10yrs.) i would have asserted myself more. i would have asked any question that entered my mind and waited for an answer. if it was evasive i would have pressed for a more through answer. that is to say that you must listen to what they have to say and understand what they are telling you and not what you want to hear.
  • trish07
    trish07 Member Posts: 138
    #3
    Pertaining to Stroke...
    My husband had a rare side effect from Avastin. His symptoms also mimicked a stroke. The Cancer Center that my husband goes to is 2 Hrs. away. I had to have him taken to our local hospital. They were sure he had a stroke...but after an MRI they were questioning what they were seeing. At that point I had the ambulance transfer him to the Cancer Center { small hospitals do not normally understand drugs used for cancer }. It was found the the Avastin had caused the Vessels in his brain to leak fluid which caused swelling of the brain and therefore displayed symtoms of a stroke. His oncologist said that in all the years of using Avastin he had never had this happen. Needless to say, my husband was never given Avastin again but did continue with the Oxaliplaitin.

    There were no long term effects, he had only had one treatment of Avastin, but the oncologist said that it could have killed him. I would be very adamant with his Drs. to look into it being a side effect of Avastin.

    I hope all turns out well and that they find out if it was a stroke or a side effect.

    Please keep us posted,
    Take Care, Trish
  • esined
    esined Member Posts: 22
    #4
    trish07 said:

    Pertaining to Stroke...
    My husband had a rare side effect from Avastin. His symptoms also mimicked a stroke. The Cancer Center that my husband goes to is 2 Hrs. away. I had to have him taken to our local hospital. They were sure he had a stroke...but after an MRI they were questioning what they were seeing. At that point I had the ambulance transfer him to the Cancer Center { small hospitals do not normally understand drugs used for cancer }. It was found the the Avastin had caused the Vessels in his brain to leak fluid which caused swelling of the brain and therefore displayed symtoms of a stroke. His oncologist said that in all the years of using Avastin he had never had this happen. Needless to say, my husband was never given Avastin again but did continue with the Oxaliplaitin.

    There were no long term effects, he had only had one treatment of Avastin, but the oncologist said that it could have killed him. I would be very adamant with his Drs. to look into it being a side effect of Avastin.

    I hope all turns out well and that they find out if it was a stroke or a side effect.

    Please keep us posted,
    Take Care, Trish

    Thanks so much for the
    Thanks so much for the information. I will follow up with his Doctor. The MRI was yesterday so we are still awaiting the results.

    Denise

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