if oral CHEMO has failed ...

FaithAndTrust

my dear friend has just been told that oral CHEMO CAPE has stopped worked and she must now have taxol IV CHEMO.. she is very upset as she thought she would have longer in oral chemos..if the TAXOL gets cancer under control could she go back to oral CHEMO?

Many thanks for any help on this for my friend ❤

LoriCA

A chemo drug stops working when the cancer becomes resistant to it. You wouldn't typically immediately go back to the same drug that no longer works. Sometimes it's worthwhile to try it again a few years later because the cancer may have changed/mutated enough that the drug will work again, but that's usually something that's tried when we start running out of options. My MO had me try Taxol a second time only because I had such a good response to it the first time, but it was obvious after two infusions that my cancer was still resistant to it.

Her oncologist should be discussing if she'll be on Taxol until it stops working or if he only intends to keep her on it for a specific period of time. We usually stay on a drug until it stops working, and then move on to the next one. Can't say what might be next for your friend without knowing her ER/PR/HER2 status and what drugs she has already done. There are other oral cancer drugs but we don't know if they are appropriate without more information.

FaithAndTrust

thanks Lori for taking the time to reply..my friend is happier knowing that you can revisit some drugs so tgat was great to tell her. she started Taxol yesterday and yes told on it until stabilisation or it stops working.

she is IBC too but HER2 neg..

good luck to you Lori and thanks again.