Second Opinion

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StaceyEle
StaceyEle Member Posts: 12
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
Hello everyone thank you so much for your advice. Today I am writing together with my mom. We went to Fox Chase to see a her gyno oncologist. She suggested yet another drug, Etoposide. I keep hearing Doxil from members in this group so I will ask her oncologist about it. If there is anyone that knows about this drug it would greatly help. Tomorrow we are going to discuss this other drug with her oncologist. It's so daunting with all these drugs out there to choose which one will be the best for her. Etoposide is in a pill form but I do not know how well it works.
Thank you ladies!
Take care,
Stacey and Margarita

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  • aussie59
    aussie59 Member Posts: 48
    #2
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    Hi Stacey and Margarita, My gyn/onc has suggested I take this drug next
    because it is less toxic than the drug my onc is suggesting. I believe it is an old drug but I do not know how effective it is. I certainly would like to hear from you if you are able to obtain more information on this drug. I had doxil in Sep 2003 to Feb 2004
    and it put me in remission until May 2005. I think we will consider using doxil again after I get my strength back. At this stage my onc is concerned with drug resistance with Doxil. We are all unique and we respond differently to drugs which is why it is so difficult to treat this disease. I wish you all the best with your search and my prays are with you. Irene
  • StaceyEle
    StaceyEle Member Posts: 12
    #3
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    aussie59 said:

    Hi Stacey and Margarita, My gyn/onc has suggested I take this drug next
    because it is less toxic than the drug my onc is suggesting. I believe it is an old drug but I do not know how effective it is. I certainly would like to hear from you if you are able to obtain more information on this drug. I had doxil in Sep 2003 to Feb 2004
    and it put me in remission until May 2005. I think we will consider using doxil again after I get my strength back. At this stage my onc is concerned with drug resistance with Doxil. We are all unique and we respond differently to drugs which is why it is so difficult to treat this disease. I wish you all the best with your search and my prays are with you. Irene

    Hello Irene,
    You are right, this whole process is overwhelming. We are praying that this drug works for her, it is the first one after carboplatin that she is trying. She begins on Wednesday but I will let you know how it goes. It has the same side effects, low blood count, however it is supposed to have less nausea and hair loss. It is also in a pill form. I researched all the drugs and I keep hearing good things about Doxil, her oncologist is also hoping to get avantia(??) soon which he says is very promising for ovarian. Which drug was your oncologist suggesting? We were debating between etopocide and topotecan. That remission you had sounds great, I hope my mom will have that too! I will tell her about it. Talk to you soon! Stacey
  • aussie59
    aussie59 Member Posts: 48
    #4
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    Hi Stacey, The multiple chemos which I have used are Carboplatinum,Taxol,Caelyx (Doxil),Taxotere,Gemcitabine topotecan and oral tamoxifen. My onc. is now suggesting ifosfamide which is an old drug very toxic and I will have to spend one week in four weeks in hospital because it is very harsh on kidneys. I will have to travel each month to Brisbane (a two hour flight). My gyn/onc has written on two occasions to my onc suggesting oral etoposide or cyclophosphamide because I have not been given alkalising agents in the past. All three drugs have an equal 20% - 30% chance of a good response. I am very hesitant to go on the ifosfamide because I had radium in 2005 and I had to have a stent. Accordingly we constantly monitor my creatinine. Thankfully there are so many drugs available and more coming on line but it is difficult to select the one which your body will respond to. I wish your mother all the best and she must be so proud of you. Irene.
  • StaceyEle
    StaceyEle Member Posts: 12
    #5
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    aussie59 said:

    Hi Stacey, The multiple chemos which I have used are Carboplatinum,Taxol,Caelyx (Doxil),Taxotere,Gemcitabine topotecan and oral tamoxifen. My onc. is now suggesting ifosfamide which is an old drug very toxic and I will have to spend one week in four weeks in hospital because it is very harsh on kidneys. I will have to travel each month to Brisbane (a two hour flight). My gyn/onc has written on two occasions to my onc suggesting oral etoposide or cyclophosphamide because I have not been given alkalising agents in the past. All three drugs have an equal 20% - 30% chance of a good response. I am very hesitant to go on the ifosfamide because I had radium in 2005 and I had to have a stent. Accordingly we constantly monitor my creatinine. Thankfully there are so many drugs available and more coming on line but it is difficult to select the one which your body will respond to. I wish your mother all the best and she must be so proud of you. Irene.

    Hello Irene,
    Thank you so much for sharing your experience and insightful information. How was topotecan for you? My mom just started the etoposide about two days ago, so far no side effects. We haven't heard much about this drug but Fox Chase suggested it and her onc was going to use it as the second drug after topotecan. It sounds tough for you to be travelling each month to Brisbane. Where is your gyn/onc?? I hope they can come up with some other options for you. Have you heard where the best places are for ovarian or anything like that?? I am just wondering if I should get some other opinions.
    Take care,
    Stacey

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