Search Results for '5fu'

Jtoro, please don’t jump the gun. Have you thought of another opinion? If you go to the search button you may pull up posts that talk about 5fu/oxiliplatin. You do have the week to decide what you want to do. Remember, it all is your decision. I am wishing the best for you and you will make the right decision! You never know how strong you are until “strong” is the only choice you have!

Dave-Welcome and sorry you had to find us. I am a CC survivor, I am cancer free 2 years thanks to 2 liver transplants!! I have a remarkable story to share with you. I am alive because of God, 2 strangers and Dr. William Chapman st Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis MO.
Dave, like you I was basically healthy, just itchy. I was diagnosed by an ERCP (I ended up having 9 total while waiting.) My trial was intravaneous gemcidabene for 8 weeks and then 6weeks of 5 days a week radiation, while wearing a chemo pump with 24 hour a day 5FU chemo for the same 6 weeks of radiation. I then has surgery to make sure it hadn’t spread and was placed on transplant list Jan29,2009 I took mega doses of XELODA (24 pills a day) while waiting.I received my first liver May 24, 2009. I had two “fake liver” calls during that time, one time I was actually being wheeled into the operating room. My MELD score kept increasing because the longer we wait the sicker we are supposingly. I never had the “lifetime movie” expierence, I managed all my naseau with 3 types of meds (Adavan, Compazine and Zofran). I also “crawled into my recliner” at the end of radiation and that was pretty much where I stayed. I was hospitalized several times because of the stents. Fatigue was the main sympton amd the longer I waited the more tired, but I was never bed ridden.
I would love to talk to you and help answer any questions. Please feel free to email me or call 618-567-3247. You can also read my story at thetelegraph.com under christmas miracle. (I also keep it posted on my FB page Catherine Sims Dunnagan, I also have another CC transplant story posted). I have so much to share with you about being a transplant patient I look forward to hearing from you.
Dave there is HOPE, and you are truly lucky to be able to qualify for this trial.
Lots of prayers-Cathy

Hi, Trevor,

This was the reply to you not long ago from me if your former ID is ” tnyjax34 “.

Hi,
If GEMOX(the regimen which you are having now) works like you say, I will continue the course of treatment until otherwise. You want to reserve more options for the future just in case. For me(as a patient),CC is a long war and not just a battle. You need to think far ahead of the game if God is willing to give His Grace to you and me to have that long the time frame to fight and learn about CC.
Gemox+ Cetuximab(a MoAb like bevacizumab-Avastin) have good results in objective response(63%) but long -term outcome were not reported.So when I read this article ,I ( as a patient)will think about what is next if this regimen don’t work again after initial success and/or if the CC recur again for the 2nd time . The other clinical protocol is Gemzar+Xeloda+Avastin which also provided good results but side effects like colon perforation from Avastin has been reported.
In general “IF IT WORKS,DON’T FIX”
God bless.

The following is my response to your current questions.

If currently your CCA is “stable” that means your CCA is currently responsible to the GEMOX treatment . Carpoplatin and cisplatin(which you had before changing to oxaliplatin because of nausea/vomiting side effects) are more or less the same because they are all belonging to the platium family .
Gemzar+ carboplatin is mainly a regimen for bladder cancer. GEM/CIS and GEM/CAP are for biliary and pancreatic cancer.

If you have peritoneal metastasis GEMOX+ Avastin may be of value since I knew it has good objective response( partial response>30% for my sister-in law’s peritoneal carcinomatosis in her omentum.) She had to discontinue the Avastin due to colon perforation caused by Avastin. But every patient is different and the incidence rate for GI perforation of Avastin is <1%-4%.
Folfox is 5FU+oxaliplatin but CAPOX–CAPecitabine(a prodrug of 5FU)+ OXaliplatin may be easier for patient since Xeloda is taken by mouth. If you had extrahepatic CCA before you had the liver transplant,a phase II study of CAPOX trial of 65 patients with advance biliary cancer shown more favorable results to extra than intrahepatic CCA patients.
Of course molecularly targeted agents like Tarceva and others are among other choices if you will need them in the future.

Again, please always keep in mind that ,the addition of other drugs ,in theory, will add toxicity too. so you have to weight the benefits against the adverse effects as well. good luck and
God bless.

Hi,
Based on what your wrote,your mom’ CC have been spread on both lobes and front and back sides of the liver.
I also take a look at your link for SRFA,which is not much different the percutaneous RFA that I had about six months ago except it may be more precise for the location. (ie:they use the same needle-electrodes to burn off the tumors like RFA (see the study list at the bottom of this email.)

I think it is difficult for you mom to have SRFA or RFA based on the multiple extent of the tumors involvement of the liver.

Current NCCN guidelines for metastatic CC included:
Gemcitabine/cisplatin;
Clinical trials at most of the big cancer centers in the US,may be some at Italy and UK.(most of the trials have molecularly targeted agent add to the current 5FU or gemcitabine 1st-line therapy)
5FU based or other gemcitabine based regimen
and finally supportive care in that order.

Your mom is only 57 years old, so the age factor is on her side;make sure she eats well and use Ensure or other protein liquid supplement to increase her energy to fight the cancer.(I took 1-2 bottles/day(about 350-700 calories total in addition to my regular diet;I took multivitamins for adults 1-2 tab/day;I drink at least 6-8 glasses of liquid-about 2000-2400ml/day for hydration and mostly I eat fruits and vegetables,soy beans products like TO-FU ; try to sleep for at least 8hrs starting no later 10pm.)these are things we can do for ourselves.

At this point,I will follow your oncologist recommendation to start the GEMOX treatment and will follow with PET/CT in 2 months to check on the progress.
Currently GEMOX+cetuximab has the highest objective response rate(63%)but the long term outcome such as OS and PFS were not reported.further study of this combination is warrented.
(you can read my messages on the expericnce forum about the PET/CT and chemotherapy as well as the management of the side effects.)
And if you like ,you can always,like others, write to me via emails thru this web site by clicking my email address under my ID PCL1029.
Below are a few of the chemotherapy currently used without the molecularly target agents.
Chemotherapy such as GEMOX; ECF regimen of epirubin+cisplatin+infusional 5FU); GEMCAP(gemzar+capecitabine)Gemcitabine+irinotecan;Oxaliplatin+capecitabine to name a few.

Stereotactic radiofrequency ablation.
Bale R, Widmann G, Haidu M.
Source

Department for Microinvasive Therapy (SIP), Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstr. 35 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
Abstract
PURPOSE:

To describe the technique of percutaneous stereotactic radiofrequency ablation (SRFA) and its application in a patient with an unresectable multifocal intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC).
MATERIALS AND METHODS:

A 72-year-old man presented with two nodules of an ICC with a maximum diameter of 10 and 4 cm, respectively. To produce overlapping ablation areas and cover the entire tumor volume, 18 paths for the placement of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) probes at multiple locations were planned on 2D and 3D reconstructions of the computed tomographic (CT) data. The 15-gauge coaxial needles were advanced through the aiming device to the preplanned depth. A control CT fused to the planning CT data confirmed correct needle placements. RFA was performed with an impedance-based multiple-electrode RFA system. Fusion of the contrast-enhanced control CT with the planning CT showed an appropriate zone of ablation.
RESULTS:

Besides a mild asymptomatic pleural effusion, no complications occurred. Twenty-seven months after the first RFA, two new small distant liver metastases were successfully treated by SRFA. Currently, 38 months after diagnosis and 36 months after the first SRFA, the patient is free of detectable disease.
CONCLUSION:
SRFA seems to offer an effective treatment option in selected patients with even unresectable ICC.
Keep in touch and
God bless.

Dear Sandtdad,

I just wanted to take a minute and welcome you to the site. My daughter, age 25 has CC too. She also has one big tumor on the right side of her liver and small ones on the left side. She is on gem/cis and 5FU. Her big tumor has shrunk 2 cm. each way so far and her little ones are smaller too. She actually feels better being on the chemo. I hope your treatments keep working and one day you will be able to have surgery. Please visit this site often. The support is awesome. Take care.

-Pam

Dear Margaret,
I am so sorry that you are going thru this but you have been strong so far and Tom knows that you have fought this terrible disease right along with him.
God Bless You and your family but know that Hospice will do whatever needs to be done to make this final step easier for him and all of you.
My Dad is not too well either. He tried a new “cocktail” of 5FU and 2 other chemos. His breathing is also shallow. As a matter of fact, when I went into his room yesterday when he was napping I though he was not breathing. He sleeps a lot and his ankles are extremly swollen. He also looks ashy.
I will go back to stay with him tomorrow and if he is the same I will call his Dr and ask him to have hospice come back as they were there last week but because he tried the chemo they couldnt do anything yet although they felt he needed oxygen already-I do too. I know he’s trying to get thru Christmas but I dont see that happening.
Take care of yourself,
Kathy