using aranesp

Songflower
Songflower Member Posts: 608
edited March 2014 in Uterine/Endometrial Cancer #1
Hi, I am new to your board. I am 57 years old and have serous papillary uterine cancer stage II. Nodes all negative and washings showed adenocarcinoma. I also had endometrioid; I am previous tamoxifen user. I have had surgery, four cycles of carbo/taxol and waiting for #5. I am concerned about the black box warning on aranesp used to increase your blood count. I have taken two shots with good results. Is anyone else using these epoe drugs? They seem to work so well. I have a Gyn/Onc who is very good and she uses it. I am just trying to be informed and an advocate for myself.

Thank you,
Bluebird

Comments

  • lindaprocopio
    lindaprocopio Member Posts: 1,980
    #2
    My oncologist used blood transfusions & time instead of drugs.
    Aranesp is like Procrit, same derivative? My oncologist took the 'Black Box' warnings (which are just 1 step better than a Drug Recall) seriously, and liked to try blood transfusions and waiting an extra week to see if your body could recover on its own. That always did the trick for me, although it really stretches out how many months it takes to get your 6 rounds of chemo in! But I know that he routinely used these drugs when people really needed to get their chemo rounds close together, and that he used them with people who were being treated for a recurrance because their value outweighs the danger. If you have no kidney problems or other concurrant health risks, your oncologist must believe your risk is acceptable and your cancer treatment protocol aggressive enough that you need this drug, Black Box warning or not. Just be sure you are carefully monitored. I know Deanna had Procit in order to be able to safely get her last round of chemo in. She may be able to tell you more about her oncologist's rationale.
  • deanna14
    deanna14 Member Posts: 732
    #3
    lindaprocopio said:

    My oncologist used blood transfusions & time instead of drugs.
    Aranesp is like Procrit, same derivative? My oncologist took the 'Black Box' warnings (which are just 1 step better than a Drug Recall) seriously, and liked to try blood transfusions and waiting an extra week to see if your body could recover on its own. That always did the trick for me, although it really stretches out how many months it takes to get your 6 rounds of chemo in! But I know that he routinely used these drugs when people really needed to get their chemo rounds close together, and that he used them with people who were being treated for a recurrance because their value outweighs the danger. If you have no kidney problems or other concurrant health risks, your oncologist must believe your risk is acceptable and your cancer treatment protocol aggressive enough that you need this drug, Black Box warning or not. Just be sure you are carefully monitored. I know Deanna had Procit in order to be able to safely get her last round of chemo in. She may be able to tell you more about her oncologist's rationale.

    Some kind of nurse I am! LOL
    I did get 1 injection of Procrit, but didn't realize there was any black box warning. I actually never talked to my physician about it. I went to the chemo center for the blood tests at the end as I was not "due" for exams. The infusion nurses were always very careful to warn me to drink extra fluids and report any swelling to my physician. Which I did... I was told that they could give me a diuretic if I got too uncomfortable or short of breath.
    Anyway, I think if you trust your physician to administer chemotherapy that you can probably trust him when it come to prescribing aranesp.
    Sorry I am not more help!
  • Songflower
    Songflower Member Posts: 608
    #4
    Thanks for your input.

    Diane

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