gemzar/carboplatin treatment schedules

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kaayborg
kaayborg Member Posts: 613
edited June 2016 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

I have been on gem/carbo getting close to a year now but am really starting to fight a battle with platelets the last two months. I am wondering what alternative treatment schedules people might have tried to alleviate gemzar's attack on platelets. I know I am now in unstudied territory so thought I might try to gather some case studies if there are any out there.

So far I have done:

1) day1 gem/carb, day8 gem/carbo, 1 wk recovery

2) reduced gemzar with day1 gem/carb, day8 gem/carbo, 1 wk recovery

3) reduced gemzar with day1 gem/carb, day8 gem/carbo, 2 wks recovery

4) further reduced gemzar with day1 gem/carb, day8 gem/carbo, 2 wks recovery

What has happened for the last 2 cycles is I get day1 gem/carbo but have to skip the second, causing a 3 wk recovery and I'm near positive it's going to happen again regardless of the further reduced gemzar.

Any info out there are whether it is best to keep the day 1 and day 8 but add more weeks of recovery or to drop a treatment and have shorter recoveries?

I discuss this with my onc on Friday. Any help you have to give is appreciative. Next scans are due mid June.

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  • many
    many Member Posts: 254
    edited June 2016

    we have personally done Gem+ carbo as per schedule -3 but you may Benifit from papaya leaf juice -25 ml taken twice which will elevate the Platlet level to near normal level

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  • Becs511
    Becs511 Member Posts: 303
    edited June 2016

    My schedule is currently:

    Week 1: Gem/Carbo/Hercepton

    Week 2: Gem Only

    Week 3: Off; no drugs

    I have had some issues with low platelets, but my doctor says it is the carbo that causes them, not the gem. That is why I have 2 weeks off of Carbo between infusions. It usually gives me enough time to bounce back. So perhaps instead of reducing the Gem, you can try lowering the Carbo?

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  • kaayborg
    kaayborg Member Posts: 613
    edited June 2016

    Met with my onc yesterday. She feels it's the carbo that is most effective for me since it often works well with trip neg so no plans to reduce that but in the future we may drop gemzar altogether to help with platelets. For now we continue with the current plan with some modifications around vacation plans meaning my 2 weeks of recovery will turn into 4 weeks. If I miss treatment this Tues. she'll have me do one just before we leave so it'll be a partial cycle with 2 weeks recovery. Scans in a couple weeks. Hoping they give me reassurance that all is still working.

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  • kaayborg
    kaayborg Member Posts: 613
    edited June 2016

    Not many in this situation but in case someone reads this in the future, we're definitely doing two weeks on, two weeks off, carboplatin only. Scans were stable and platelets were up enough today for treatment.

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