Gemzar/ Carboplatin chemo treatment

Hi everyone! Haven't been on here in a while but I have had continued success with this treatment. My MO seems to think that I can stay on it for a while since I have not had bad SEs. She has spoken to both M.D. Anderson and the chief of surgery at my center about removing the part of my liver where my cancer is! We would do the mastectomy at the same time. I would pick up with the Gem/Carbo after the surgery and do another scan to see if they have removed all of the cancer that I currently have. I met with the surgical oncologist, he specializes in the liver, on Monday and I'll see my MO next week. This is not done very often with breast cancer patients so I will definitely keep you posted.

Well, I am really not happy with the roller coaster ride this gemzar is giving me. I was to get #4 infusion yesterday, platelets were fine, wbc's just a tad low, but absolute neutrophils too low, so no infusion. Spent all morning waiting for labs, with a rather uncomfortable IV in place, only to be told "no go today." Unfortunately, MO is out this week, as are most of the rest of them to some conference. I sure hope they are going to find some good news for some of us! 

In any case, I am pretty discouraged today, aggravated because I can't seem to PLAN ANYTHING and this is causing me a lot of distress. I know it shouldn't. I know I should "relax, breathe, accept." But I am having trouble with that today. Am just feeling very sorry for myself. Then my neighbor called, stopped over for coffee, brought her 2 girls (ages 8 and 10) who are home schooled over for a little visit. We chatted, the girls did some drawings in a couple of sketch books that I had gotten on sale a few years ago and had not used, and probably won't anyway, so it made the morning a little brighter, and I found that little bit of gratitude that was missing earlier.

My arm is very sore from yesterday's IV, so am using warm packs on it. Nurse is supposed to call this afternoon to discuss maybe getting my labs done locally the day before infusions are scheduled so I don't make a big trip in for nothing next time, and maybe re-schedule for next week. Meanwhile, I am going to make the most of this "reprieve" and enjoy feeling better for a few more days, because honestly, I have not felt "well" since last week's #3 infusion. When the MO gets back, maybe I will talk to her about the every other week schedule that some of you are on. Will also ask her about neupogen support.  I also felt some distress as I know my cancer grows very rapidly, and it has not been getting larger since starting gemzar, and I am hoping that it actually gets smaller if I can tolerate the drug.

Sorry for the long post. Just needed to vent a little.

amgsc, great news ! I hope the operation is successful in removing all the tumor in your liver , i read an article about it , some people go in remission for a long time . I hope it is your case. My prayers are with you. Please keep us posted. Best of luck. 

slowloris, thanks for the info on the difference between neulasta and neupogen. I got neulasta with taxotere and did fine overall - yes, a little pain, but I could handle that. I will discuss with my MO to see if it is in  my future as well.

Well, the bad news was that the day after my chemo delay, I got a horrible belly pain and vomiting, my PCP sent me to the ER, they found a "partial obstruction" and my WBC count was UP! SOOOOO - the good news is that I got my chemo today so I am nearly back on schedule. Feeling better overall, still not sure about the belly thing except that I do have a mass right in the middle of my abdomen, so that may be shifting and putting pressure where it shouldn't, so I am hoping if the chemo works fast enough it might shrink and that would keep me from having repeat attacks (it happened on Christmas Day, but it also resolved fairly quickly, so nothing done at the time).

I just realized recently that most everyone here is TNBC. I am Er+, but my MO explained that eventually the cancer cells that initially need estrogen to grow with find other ways to grow if the estrogen supply is cut of (like with tamoxifen or an AI), and so then they begin to behave like triple negatives. I guess this is one reason she has me on the gemzar. I just found that interesting ... didn't really think about it before.

Linda, i am sorry your dose had to be cancelled, it is frustrating but now that all is back to normal , i hope you get good results from this combo treatment. I am ER+ , but my doctor preferred chemo as a first line treatment and because it gives him a faster results. Cancer can become resistant to anti hormonal treatments . I hope the mass in your abdomen resolves quickly and does not cause you any problems. Most the ladies here are tnb and Idc i seem to be the only one with lobular cancer:( so i don't know how well mine will respond to chemo till now it seems to have stopped the progression and the biggest tumor shrank a little. Good luck to you and keep us posted. 

linda congrats because your mass isn't cancer , i am so happy for you. I am happy also you got your gemzar and that SE's are fine. It is quite tolerable, you may get throat or mouth sores after 3 days use the magic mouth wash it works quite well, just in case. I am tolerating the combo very well till now, thank god. My MO knows thar chemo works very slowly on ILC but he said it will take the anti estrogen 3 months to work , he didn't want to give the cancer that long. He is not expecting a lot of shrinkage, if he get 25% he will be very happy. Till now my first scan after 3 sessions dhow 8% shrinking on the largest tumor the small one did not change but became less prominent , there is no progression he was very happy with this. He will continue if he gets his results with aromasin. I was retested again for hormones after the liver biopsy and i am still 85% estrogen + , femara succeed for three years in slowing it. It is ture my cancer is slow growing therefore chemo is less effective on it. I cross my fingers and count on my faith that it will hold it for a while. He told me as much about IDC. The behavior is different but at the end there is no good cancer or a bad one. It is just damn cancer lolll . It takes courage and all of us ladies have enough of it to fill the entire world and still we are here and hope to stay for a long time. 

thanks Linda, no progression is good for the time being , and sometimes it stays no progression for a long time. The drug seems to work on IDC there is a thread of 12 years survivors liver mets , a lady named Denny she is a 12 years survivor with gemzar and herceptin. Now she is on new med and i am sure she will pull through. There is hope but it takes patience , endurance and a lot of faith. We cannot count on herceptin but this combo seems to work on liver mets . I hope pretty soon you will see some decrease also . Keep me posted on your progress.  

slowloris, i hope your PET comes out no progression . The mood swings come from neulesta, i was feeling the same today and i feel the same everytime i start neupogen. It is worst than the chemo. I tell you the same STAY POSITIVE. My prayers are with you and with all of us. Pop in anytime to vent or just to say hi and keep us posted. Good luck on your pet. 

Linda, 

I am sorry to see you so depressed and giving up , i am doing the same combo , but my onc decided from the beginning on six cycles, i am on my fifth. However, i had scans after third cycle, the response is partial no total, one of the large tumor shrunk a little , but no new tumors nor progression. He wants to continue to six and he is not expecting full response but around 25% and he will move me on anti hormones. Linda as i saw your cancer is grade 2 and many positive lymph nodes , like mine. Except i am lobular , meaning i respond even less than you to chemo. Why isn't your doc proposing anti hormonal inhibitors? It seems you haven't taken any !! I cannot get NED but i will settle for no progression and some regression. Please, don't give up and don't think of hospice , you still have other options. Why don't you get a second opinion ? I am sorry if i seem to be imposing my ideas on you. It is not so , but i just don't want you to give up. My prayers are with you.  

My dear linda, i am so glad you are feeling better today and i feel you have more hope. Hope is the key word for enduring cancer there no other. Gemzar i well tolerable i got no neuropathy from it , i got this one from ACT i still habe some reminders till now. Massages helped me after the treatments as well as some yoga. Still gemzar alone may work on your mets as it has a good track record in effecting liver mets. Also , there is a lady named Kathlyn Rich her she ha d become hormone resistant her onc insited on giving her an old anti hormonal called Cytadren and ot worked on her. Check this with your onco , you have nothing to lose. If this happens to me i would try it also. mTor is affinitor it is working on some and on others it is not. When i was dxd the second time with distant reoccurrence one of the best onco in my country suggested i start on this combo affinitor+ aromasin but my treating onco refused this option he said maybe later but for now you are healthy and i want to keep you healthy and give other treatments and then if there is a need we will consider this option. The main thing is not to throw up the towel yet. And no one can tell when it is one's time . You will know inside you. But for now i think you still have a lot to fight for so keep the fight until you know and feel that it is time.  Do not worry about how much you write , write as much as you want and as often as you want. I don't mind at all if you like you can pm  me also . I am always checking my mails. Somehow this give me a lot of strength and a sense of balance and it rewards me even if i can help one person or ease their worries, and i get the same from the stories of others. All these ladies here are such wonderful ladies and it is an honor to converse and exchange ideas with them. Let me know your progress always . Big hugs.

Anytime Linda. I just noticed that you got afinitor with letrozole if you are postmenopausal then afinitor should be take with aromasin (exemestane) , they are given together for best results. Or each alone. I just thought you should knw this, even if you research afinitor it is advised with exemestane. Stay well and let's keep in touch. Hugs.