Weekly Taxol versus Biweekly?

Dose dense dosage?! Excuse my redundancy! Dose dense Taxol, is what I should have typed!

Hi there Mom of twins,

Everything I've read describes AC as hellish. I'm glad to hear that your experience with dose dense Taxol was an improvement.

It looks like I will be starting in May (going through the last of my tests and port placement in the next 2 weeks) and trying to prepare myself for the worst, hoping for the best. Once I saw my MO on Friday, things started moving fast. I will be having neo adjuvant chemo, followed by surgery, radiation and hormone therapy. This coming week I have Chemo Counseling with the Nurse Practitioner in my MO's clinic and I have many, many questions for her. Among them - can I still dog-sit by daughter's very frisky puppy from 5/17-5/21?! I guess it will depend upon where that falls in my chemo treatments; and maybe she'll just say absolutely not. I know that sounds like a silly thing to have on my list of concerns, but it's just one example of how I'm staggering around in this new normal. (No, no, no, I don't want this to be my normal!)

I've read through your posts on various threads and appreciate the concerns you address and the information and encouragement you share. I will be sure to get back to you with my MO's response on Taxol dosage and scheduling.

A/C is not "hellish" for all who do it. There are many posts here at this site from differemt women who say that for them Taxol was worse than A/C. I'm one who had a much worse time on adjuvant weekly Taxol than on neoadjuvant DD A/C. I've written about my experiences in many Threads.

Neoadjuvant A/C did not slow me down at all. Hair did go 'bye-bye', did loose appetite, sense of taste and smell. Loss of appetite - eating was not a problem - I just never thought about eating/never hungry. Hubby would call me every few hours during the day to remind me to eat 'something'. (This was probably what was the hardest on him throughout my DX/TX. The first 4+ yrs we were married, he had seen what the ravages of anorexia nervosa does to the person living it and what it does to the entire family - Mom was anorexic and had been for many years.) As far as taste - nothing tasted 'bad', it just had not taste at all (or smell). (We went to Deadwood, with some others, for prime rib. I love hot horseraddish in moderation but I was basically 'ladleing' it on but couldn't taste it. The others who were with us started stareing at me, Hubby noticed before I did. Explained to them - waiter too who was a bit concerned about how much of the hot horseraddish I was 'chowing down' on - that I could not taste it.

Adjuvant Taxol was not 'nice' - I basically was utterly and completely EXHAUSTED the entire time - basically existing in bed or on the couch most of the time. The loss of appetite, taste and smell continued but 1/2 way through the 12 weekly Taxol, my K (potassium) levels plummeted and had to go on mega doses of K (still 7+ yrs later, I still have to take K to keep my level in the 'normal' range.). I also had 'big issues' with low temperature. I had to be in one of the glasses in cubicles with it's own thermostat turned up as high as it would go and layers of warmed blankets piled on just to stay 94f or a bit higher. Still am seldom above 97. The other 'issue' (if you can call it,that) on Taxol I was given IV benadryl (had oral on A/C) and within seconds of it starting I would go 'nighty night' until 20 min. before end of infusing. As quick as I went to sleep, I'd wake up as if nothing had 'happened'. Good thing though was that I started feeling less EXHAUSTED the week after last Taxol when I started Rads and felt better every day/week.

Other than the low K, all of my blood work stayed great throughout all TX.

I did do Neulasta with A/C as a 'precaution' (according to Dr T.) but not with Taxol.

I only know that Dr T. (and those he had consulted with) suggested the 12 weekly Taxol as being the best option for me (was given other options), so I chose it. As I remember, he said the 12 weekly will maintain a more constant level - guess it worked for me.

Most will do either Neoadjuvant or Adjuvant - weird me did both neoadjuvant (A/C) and adjuvant (Taxol).

None of us can tell anyone else what 'they' will or will not experience. There is no "One Size Fits All" as we are each so unique.

Had to smile at how Kicks blackened her toenail. Hopefully, if I don't drive in any Mud Bogs my nails will last through 4 treatments of AC! And if I'm very lucky and there ISa correlation between pregnancy and chemo treatment, I won't suffer from nausea. Never felt better as when I was pregnant ...but that was 30+ years ago!

Mom_of_Twins, I spoke to my MO's nurse practitioner today and finally had a chance to ask about 12 rounds of Taxol weekly vs 4 rounds of dose dense Taxol biweekly. Her response confirms what Kicks and KB870 have said - everyone reacts differently and uniquely. She said that chemotherapy drugs and delivery are not only based on the individual's cancer, but also factors such as age, overall health & fitness and tolerability. Your MO must have made the right decision for you, since you tolerated the dose dense Taxol so well. I on the other hand, at age 64 and not at my physical best (to say the least) will likely have fewer SEs if I have 12 lower doses weekly.

Interestingly, I learned that my neo adjuvant AC chemo is considered dose dense. I'll have 4 rounds, biweekly, starting on May 18. Then it's on to Taxol for 12 weeks, Wish me luck. I've made note of the many helpful hints from all of you so I feel I'm as prepared as I can be. Thank you!