CHEMO QUESTIONS

STEPHANIE0721

I WAS DIAGNOSED IDC STAGE IIB.  HAD BIL MAST W/ RECONST ON 6/22/09. MET WITH ONCOLOGIST WHO GAVE ME THE CHOICE OF TACX6 OR ACX4 -TX4.  HE COULD NOT TELL ME WHICH WAS MORE EFFECTIVE JUST THAT TAC WAS MORE AGGRESSIVE.  HE DID SAY I COULD NOT WORK IF I CHOSE TAC BUT COULD WORK WITH 4X4.  I HAVE NOT HAD MY CATSCAN YET.  HE SAID IF THERE WERE ANY METS HE WOULD STOP THE TAC AND SWITCH CHEMO TO INCLUDE ADVANTIS? 

CAN ANYONE PLEASE GIVE ME SOME INPUT ON THE PROS AND CONS OF THE TWO REGIMENTS AND ANY EXPERIENCES YOU HAVE HAD WITH IT. 

 HE ALSO SAID I AM AT LEAST STAGE IIIA WITH AGGRESSIVE CANCER.  MY SURGEON STATED I AM IIB-ALL MARGINS WERE CLEARED IN SURGERY..  TWO DIFFERENT SURGEONS TOLD ME I HAVE SLOW GROWING NON- AGGRESSIVE CANCER.  I HAVE HAD THE TUMORS FOR 1 1/2 YEARS AND HAVE BEEN TOLD REPEATEDLY THEY WERE CYSTS.

THIS ONC ALSO STATED HE WOULD PROBABLY WANT TO RADIATE MY ARMPIT AFTER CHEMO.  NEDDLESS TO SAY I AM GETTING A SECOND OPINION

THANKS FOR ANY INFORMATION.

nelia48

Hi, Stephanie!  Glad you found us all here, as you will find so much information to help you out.

I had the taxotere/cytoxin mix.  I had to have it first, before surgery, in order to shrink the tumors as they were too large.  Sorry that you carried those tumors for so long before being diagnosed. 

Sounds like the oncologist is following the right path for you.  Being that you had 5 out of 14 nodes positive and that the tumors were there for that length of time, radiation would be an appropriate choice.  Is there a reason you don't want the radiation?

I had a hard time through chemo, but it was doable.  Since I'm overweight, I had 3 times the normal dosage, and it really was hard, but it did the job it was supposed to and the tumors shrunk way down.  After surgery, I did the radiation.  Finished that in April.  Just had a PET scan, and everything is clean.

If you have any other questions, I'd be glad to answer best I can.  Others will be along to help you out, too!

STEPHANIE0721

HI NELIA48, I HAVE NO PROBLEM IN HAVING RADIATION.  I AM MORE CONCERNED WITH WHICH CHEMO REGIMENT IS BEST FOR ME.  I AM CONCERNED THAT THE DOCTOR HAS A TREATMENT PLAN WITHOUT MY CAT SCAN.  HE DID NOT GO OVER ANY OPTIONS IF I HAVE METS.  MY 2ND OPINION ONC WILL HAVE MY CATSCAN RESULTS SO HOPEFULLY THERE WILL BE A MORE CONCISE PLAN.  THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT AND SUPPORT.  CONGRATULATIONS ON THE "ALL CLEAR".

STEPHANIE

STEPHANIE0721

HI LJH58,

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INPUT.  WERE YOU OFFERED ANY OTHER REGIMENT?

I DO HAVE TO CONSIDER WORK AS WELL AS 2 SONS.  MY ONC DID NOT SAY TAC WAS MORE EFFECTIVE JUST MORE AGGRESSIVE SO HOPEFULLY I CAN GET SOME CLARIFICATION ON THAT FROM THE NEXT ONC I SEE OR PEOPLE ON THE BOARDS.

THANKS AND GOOD LUCK WITH THE REST OF YOUR TREATMENTS,

STEPHANIE

Gitane

Hi Stephanie,  phansen, over on the chemo forum asked the same question you are asking.  I found this information for her and am copying it here for you.

http://www.cancernetwork.com/display/article/10165/1389095?pageNumber=2This article gives information about the maximum amount of adriamycin one should have (Adriamycin is the A in the TAC regimen) for your age and health issues. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/589182 This article gives updated medical opinion on whether TC is an equivalent regimen to AC in terms of its effectiveness.I would have posted these as live links, but my computer won't let me.  You can copy them and paste them in your search box to reach these sites. 

Hope this is what you are looking for. G  

STEPHANIE0721

G,

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INFO.

STEPHANIE