Anyone about skipping the last 4th session of AC and T?

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Been through two cylces of ACT... nausea pretty constant the whole week after treatment #2. Worried it will be worse for #3 and then even worse for #4... Anyone know of any research about skipping #4?  I had a grade 3 tumor Invasive duct, with one instance of micrometastic cancer in one node. ACT is kinda being done prophalactically. Do I really need all 4 treatments?

 After this there's Taxol and then radiation.... 

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  • GrandmaV
    GrandmaV Member Posts: 1,267
    edited June 2012
    feelingstrong, There is no research for 3 instead of 4, but that doesn't mean it won't be affective.  I didn't have ACT, I had TCH and thats what my onco told me.  My onco stopped my TC after #3 due to toxicity, I'm continuing with herceptin until November and had radiation and now a hormon blocker.    I asked him if I got enough TC and he said he didn't know.  Can you ask your onco for more or different anti-nausea medications.  Zophran, Compazine, and emend are 3 I know about.  But also ginger ale helped me with nausea.  Ginger in any form can help.  Only you and/or your onco can make this decision.  What ever you decide you'll find support here.
  • Sassa
    Sassa Member Posts: 1,588
    edited June 2012

    I had 4 AC and had a big problem with nausea and vomiting.  I spend the night after my second AC chemo vomiting.  I talked to my oncologist and I was changed to Kytril for my 3 and 4 chemos.

    The Kytril worked well for chemo #3, held me for chemo #4, but if I had a 5th chemo, I probably would have been upchucking again.

    Each AC took me longer to recover from. Talk to your doctor now about changing your meds for nausea.

  • CarlaInNC
    CarlaInNC Member Posts: 28
    edited June 2012

    I've just had my 4th infusion of AC. The effects are indeed cumulative and this has been the worst 4 days of my entire chemo experience in terms of nausea. My docs have been very good about mixing up my meds and bringing me back in for fluids in an effort to control the side effects. 

    I start my 4 cycles of T week after next. I'm told that the last 4 cycles will be like a night and day difference from the CT. So if you can just get through that last AC session...even with the help of a LOT of anti-nausea my feeling is it will give you a leg up.

    It does indeed suck. I never could have made it thru without a LOT of support from people who love me. Even as I'm slowly beginning to recover from AC hell, I'm glad I did it and gave myself every opportunity to prevent a recurrance.

    I hope the same will be true for you, too. 

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