chemotherapy with cytoxan and taxotere

I completed it in August.  Had four cycles every three weeks and did really well.  I attribute that to supplements prior, during tx as well as acupuncture.  Patti

daysone  ~ There's a very lengthy, on-going thread here on TC.  You'll find it in the Chemotherapy Forum.  4 vs. 6 has been discussed there several times. 

I had 4.  What I've gathered is if you're quite young, and/or your bc is in multiple nodes, your onc may recommend 6 or may suggest doing 6 if you are tolerating it well.  On the other hand, I don't believe there is any data yet saying that there's any benefit to 6, and I personally had such a terrible time recovering from 4, I shudder to think of doing 6, unless it's absolutely necessary. 

I also think that some oncs just go with 6 because TC is a newer regimen, and because they're now dropping Adriamycin out of the equation, they feel "safer" with 6.   But the original study that came out in late 2007 showing the effacacy of TC was done with 4.      Deanna   

I had my first treatment today with TC.  I feel fine so far - just a headache - my stomach seems a little upset.  I'm wondering what else might occur within the next day or so.

I'm also on the 6 treatments of TC. My onc said there was some research that showed there was some benefit for the 6 over 4. Since this is a second primary for me and it's triple neg grade 3 we should probably play it safe and do the 6. So far I've got 3 treatments done and my SE's have been pretty tolerable. My hair started to fall out after 18 days from the first treatment and is still falling out a bit even now. I cut it short since it was driving me crazy and I still actually have quite  a bit of it, although not enough to be seen in public without something on my head. I am a bit freaked about the nail thing but so far nothing going on there. I do have a little bit of bone/joint pain but not sure if it's the Nuelasta or the Taxotere, I'm thinking when my toes ache a bit it's probably the T but it's not bad at all. The worst thing for me is at around day 3 I get very bloated and then constipated (so annoying to say the least). No nausea or vomiting at all but I do take Emend to help with that, I get achey around my neck and shoulders days 4 & 5 after treatment and by Monday I'm back to teaching my stroller fitness class and taking care of a 3 yr old and 20 month old little boys. I just hope things continue this way. At this point I wish I only had 4 because that would mean I only have one more treatment but I think I can suck it up and do 3 more. Good luck to everyone here, hope you all are doing well and will continue to be well.

I'm meeting with my oncologist next week and am gathering all my questions and research because I know her regimen will be TCH (H is Herceptin) and want to discuss the question of what the T is (either Taxol or Taxotere).

I've read up on the advantages and disadvantages of both, compared to each other, and am at this point leaning toward asking for Taxol because of the 6% possibility of hair loss being permanent from Taxotere (even though the risk of permanent neuropathy is higher with Taxol; if I were given the choice of some permanently numb toes or fingers vs permanent bald or semi-baldness ... I'll take the numbness, please!).

Whichever one I end up getting (hopefully I will have the choice), I plan to use the iced mitts and slippers because of the significant reduction in damages to hands and feet in the studies that were done. They were done on Taxotere but since both are "sister chemicals" it should work for someone getting Taxol as well, or so I assume.

A friend of mine who got 4 months of Taxotere/Carboplatin and 12 months of Herceptin had severe nail problems during the chemo and again now for some reason after completing her entire regimen (she's been off the TC for a full year) is suddenly losing fingernails again. I asked her if she had used the ice mitts/slippers and she said her oncologist (and she went to 3 of them in all, because the first one wanted to give her ACTH and she refused the A) never even mentioned them. Odd because the study results (and there's another 2009 one from Australia which I lost the link to, sorry) were so definitive: http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/frozenglove0805

 Thanks for the tip that there's a possibility of getting only 4 rounds of the taxanes instead of 6. I had no node involvement so will use that in my argument for 4! The  2.3 cm tumor size was what put me into the Stage II camp.

Those who have already started taxotere: Did you oncologist tell you about the frozen glove/frozen slippers thing at all? I'm wondering if this is one of those things that maybe many of them just don't bother to mention,though I can't think why not...

I just finished my last round of four TC treatments.  Thank God I'm done with infusions.  My legs feel like they weigh a thousand pounds especially when I go from sitting to standing.  They also tire very easily and I am having some joint pain.  Has anyone else had this?  I keep thinking it will go away but it hasn't.  Maybe it is just the cumulative effect of chemo. 

I completed my TC X 6 regime 11/13/2008!  Woo hoo!  In my case I am in a trail plus i had 3 lymph nodes involved so I had 6.  I had no problems during my treatments, worked 40 hours a week.  I am the DON at a skilled nursing facility.  Don't know how I did it.  I never used any ice during txs and had no nail or neuropathy issues.  My worst problems were:  1)  Weight GAIN.  I quit smoking so I know this contibuted.  55 pounds!  Ugh.  I have lost back 30 pounds with lots of hard work.  2)  My hair.  I had EXTREMELY thick coarse hair.  My hair is so VERY thin and fine now.  You can still see my scalp EVERYWHERE.  I say I would rather be alive with a little hair than dead with alot.  3)  I am having terrible cramps in my calves at night.  My Dr.  attributed mine to my exercise and suggested stretching before bed.  My labs have all been WNL. 

Busy living my life now!  Take care everyone and hugs to all!

I had TC back in 2008.  I also had 4 rounds.  It was very easy to tolerate.  I also had few side effects.  It did make me more tired by the end but truthfully, nothing that stopped me from living my life to the fullest!

One piece of advice is to drink 3 liters of water a day to flush the cytoxan out of your kidneys where it settles.

Lorrie 

I finished 4 rounds of TC in February.  My arm has been numb and tingling for 7 weeks and use of my fingers is getting worse.  Has anyone had this before.  I keep waiting for it to go away!