pcl1029

Hi,

Thrombocytopenia (low platelet counts) is the most significant myelosuppressive effect of carboplatin; It usually takes 4-5 weeks to recover.
Therefore your oncologist is correct to advise your husband to take a chemotherapy break.
God bless.

Hi,
When patient taking Coumadin (warfarin), monitor PT/INR blood level weekly to monthly is essential to prevent bleeding.
Ask doctor for monitoring the PT/INR through his/her offices or hospital Coumadin clinic will do it. Keep the INR between 2-3 for therapeutic purpose.
God bless.

Hi,
You are correct in the sense for easy understanding of their different pharmacokinetics.
Xeloda metabolized in the liver mainly; Depending on the dose,5FU has linear and non-linear distribution of the drug through out the body tissues including the liver and therefore the amount goes through the liver are different and secondary to the side effects of fatigue.anorexia.

The major side effect(for myself) is fatigue; I can nap for 3-4hours in the afternoon and have to nap for 1-2 hours after a days of work before dinner.I always, if I can ,take a 30 min nap at lunch time while I am working. I try to go to bed around 9pm.
And I do agree that your daughter needs oxaliplatin and 5FU( orXeloda-the same but in oral form) since without the platium group of chemotherapy agents the tumor seems coming back. Oxaliplatin is less toxic than cisplatin but it is still belong to the platium family,that means still have the potential side effects belong to that family.
God bless.

Hi,
Base on your message,I assumes your mom have bile duct cancer in the common bile duct?( you indicated the narrowing of the bile duct)
If the cancer spreads upward along with the bile duct, it will affect the liver to become cancerous , if it spreads( metastasized ) down ward along the common bile duct, it may spreads to the abdomin and may cause to have cancer like peritoneal carcinomatosis or affects other organs.
For practical purposes, you should decide where to have the second opinion before August 13 . The learning curve for you now may seem to be very steep,but as the times goes by, you will do fine.
In theory, if your mom is relatively healthy,and does not have other health issues, age will not be a risk factor ,that is why you need a center which is familiar with this cancer to treat your mom.
God bless.

Hi,
First and foremost,I am just a patient of this cancer for 38 months now; By God’s grace, like your mother ,I discovered my cancer accidentally earlier enough to be still alive today through the good hands of my liver surgeon.
The point I want to make here is that you have to seek the best liver specialist,liver surgeon and other medical professionals to handle this relatively rare cancer if your mom’s cancer is only at the earlier stages of stage II.

Without skillful physicians who specialized in this cancer, prognosis is usually poor and time wasting with regret.

If you cannot go to Mayo Clinics in Minnesota for 2nd opinions by a liver specialist (Dr. Gores-liver transplant specialist at Mayo) or at John Hopkins in the East;along with medical oncology consult there, I think seeking medical care provided by local hospitals(such as ERCP) may not be the best choices for this disease and may be time wasting and delay the earlier chances of appropriate treatments for your mom. If I were you, Call Mayo Clincis or John Hopkins to schedule appointments(appointments usually required MRI or Ct scan,ERCP,Lab tests etc.) as above should provide your mom the special care she will need especially if What you said her cancer is only stage II.
Surgery provided the only possible cure for this cancer, and early accurate diagnosis provides the best chance to take advantage of such possibility of being cure.
God bless.

Hi, Lainy,
With regard to your question about chemotherapy before the procedure for your friend. I cannot get in touch with the oncologist that I want ..(vacationing) but I think it is ok.
God bless

Hi,
thanks for repost your message here it will provide more people who can share your message.
BTW,when is the oncologist appointment? I hope I can revise the infusion part before your appointment,it will take me another couple weeks to get it done.
God bless.