Xeloda - a chemotherapy pill I will be startingc

woodlands

I have had MBC for two years and unfortunately have already gone through Ibrance, Verzenio, Letrozole, and Afinator. Afinator caused internal bleeding in my stomach (I was unaware of this other than being exhausted walking) and I ended up having an emergency transfusion of two pints of blood while we were on vacation. I stopped Afinator and the bleeding stopped. I see my oncologist tomorrow. She wrote me a message because my tumor markers went up. "There is also some increase in the tumor in the breast and in the axillary lymph node on the MRI. I think we should change course, and specifically I think that we should go to an oral chemotherapy drug called Xeloda."

I looked up the side effects of Xeloda and there are lots of them, just like with an infusion of chemo (which I had one time in Jan 2020 when I was misdiagnosed with regular breast cancer).
Can anyone share with me if they have taken Xeloda, their side effects, and how they responded? This is the first truly serious change in my medication in two years. So far my 6 bone mets have stayed inactive this entire time and I have had no pain. Thank you!

moth

woodlands, we have a huge thread on Xeloda, full of resources & tips. Suggest you read back a few pages & join in https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/8/topics/...

Anonymous

Woodlands, would you consider a second opinion? I had very slight lymph node growth and main tumor growth and MO went for local management through surgery rather than switch off ibrance as its been holding my bones "beautifully". Or is the switch to xeloda due to inability to tolerate the other drugs and you need to find something tolerable and xeloda is the option?

woodlands

Thank you for your advice, SondraF! My white blood cell count dropped to 2 on Ibrance, even after we dropped the dosage level. My WBC is currently at 7.5 - the highest it has ever been. Maybe I can try Ibrance again. It was the first medicine I was on when I was diagnosed. I think that COVID just happened and my onc was worried about my low WBC. Can you tell me what surgery you had? I currently have my original tumor and now I have the lymph nodes showing from the MRI Mammogram I had 2 days ago. My onc likes to keep the tumor so she can monitor the effect on the medicine I take.

DivineMrsM

Woodlands, hope to see you on the Xeloda thread that moth provided a link to! Lots of good info. Btw, I had iv chemo in 2011 and currently on Xeloda and X is much more tolerable. I have minimum side effects, the hand and foot syndrome is very manageable. Wishing you a good run on it!

ShetlandPony

Xeloda has been my favorite treatment. Very do-able. It's all about getting the right dose for you. Definitely visit the All about Xeloda thread.

woodlands

Thank you everyone for your kind words and advice. I found the All About Xeloda thread very helpful. I am on Day 3. I heard Day 5 is when the side effects could kick in during the first month. Unfortunately, my onc started me at 4,000 mg a day.