Biweekly AC..followed by taxol/ carboplatin

Hi Margaret,

I can't comment on the 12 weekly taxol-caroplatin, but I did do four rounds of AC every fourteen days, followed by four rounds of Taxol every fourteen days. Some people found the AC worse than Taxol, while others reported the opposite.

From reading and participating on these discussion boards, it seems that how hard AC is compared to Taxol (I think that the number of people who have done Taxol with Carboplatin is quite small, but I think I recall some people who did that - I hope someone chimes in soon) is unpredictable, but weekly Taxol seems to be better tolerated than dose dense every two weeks.

I found the AC to be very hard, but doable. For me, managing nausea started out as the biggest issue, which was managed with meds, but the anti nausea meds slowed down my entire digestive system, so I ended up taking lots of laxatives, too, to keep things moving. It was not fun, but here I am two years later.

Some people tolerate AC pretty well, saying that they were able to schedule their infusions late in the week, and they were down for the weekend to recover, and doing ok by the start of the following week.

I think it is fair to say that everyone has some side effects, but you can't predict which ones, or how severe. Except for hair loss. When I started AC, my treatment team could practically predict the day - they said my hair would likely come out between day 14 and day 20 after my first treatment. Sure enough, 90 percent fell out on the morning of day 16. I got a buzz cut around the time I started chemo and had a wig that resembled my own hair, and that worked out fine. A lot of the time, I just wore a headcover as it was comfy.

During Taxol, I had acid tummy a lot, and I think that is pretty common. Your treatment team will talk about fatigue, and how it is cumulative. I found this to be true, though fatigue seems an inadequate word. Like I said before though, it was doable.

Your team will likely watch for peripheral neuropathy while on Taxol, as it is a fairly common side effect. Most times, this side effect resolves after you are done treatment, but not always.

I had Neulasta injections the day after each infusion, and though my blood counts were low, i never had to delay a scheduled treatment.

I don't want to frighten you because you can do this!! However, I strongly believe that these boards are a place for truth. Chemo is HARD, but how hard? For some, very hard, for others not so much. I have never heard someone say it was easy. My DH would say that watching me go through treatment was hard, but to be honest, i felt like a spectator, too. I went to my chemo treatments, and then would wait to find out how I would feel afterwards.

I joined a discussion group with others who started chemotherapy the same month I did - this was a great support and comfort, to be able to travel along with others having similar experiences.

TNBC is scary, but it tends to be very sensitive to chemotherapy. Talk, talk, talk to your treatment team. The nurses are there to help you! Before cancer, I was a pretty healthy person, and didn't know many nurses or understand what they do very well. Now I know, and my appreciation for them is beyond words.

You can find some information about getting ready for chemo, and supplies to have on hand, on this site. I didn't need all of them, but fwiw, here's my "Top five" list:

1. A squeezable sports bottle full of water, to rinse after going to the bathroom. I found that all of my excretions seems caustic, and rinsing helped. I didn't have a bidet, but it would have been nice.

2. Biotene mouthwash and toothpaste. I also kept baking soda and a glass in the bathroom, and any time I was in there, I did a quick baking soda rinse.

3. Laxatives, mostly over the counter, though I did have to take prescriptions on occasion. You will find that you keep track of your bodily functions quite closely. This was a constant problem for me, and I urge you to stay on top of this. On the other hand, I think some people find that they have diarrhea, so you will have to wait and see which camp you fall into. Lomotil is not expensive, and having some around just in case might be a good idea.

4. A variety of high liquid foods, from water enhancers to popsicles to soup. You will be encouraged to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, and it is very possible that things will not taste normal to you. Do not stock up on your favourite foods. Someone who had been in treatment before me warned me about this, and they were right. Your favorite foods will not likely taste right, and that might colour how much you like them after treatment. Remember, there IS an AFTER TREATMENT to look forward to!

5. Sneakers, workout gear, etc. You will feel better if you keep moving. Even if you can't manage much, it all counts. There were some days when I could just walk a short distance, but I did it. Some people can be more active, and everyone whose comments I have seen agrees that staying active helps you feel better.

This has been long, but I hope it is helpful. I'll say it again, in all caps: YOU CAN DO THIS.

Gentle hugs,

Donna

I stumbled across your post as I was searching for threads about Carboplatin. I also have TNBC and am doing a protocol of AC followed by Taxol & Carboplatin. Today will be my 1st Taxol/Carboplatin infusion, assuming my blood work is good. I found AC to be challenging, mostly trying to fight off nausea. The meds worked as long as I stayed ahead of symptoms but they made me feel very drowsy. I have young kids so I prefer to be more alert! Otherwise, the 2nd week was a nice break and other symptoms were manageable for me.

Good luck! I'll keep an eye out for you. I didn't come across much info on carboplatin so I'm not sure what to expect.

You will probably have a 'one on one' class with one of the Chemo RNs before you start Chemo the first time (at least I did before both A/C and Taxol) where the drugs will be explained and a whole lot more info pertinent to 'doing it'.

I had no issues with nausea at all. I did 'religiously' take my anti-nausea meds throughout A/C but 1/2 way through Taxol I stopped taking them (just had the ones infused) and had no issues at all. Do I suggest anyone could or should do what I did - Hades NO. Just said to point out that while some do have MAJOR issues with nausea - not everyone does.

In talking with my Dr and the Chemo RNs, while there has never been documented research on it, there does seem to be a correlation between 'Morning Sickness' and Chemo nausea. I had absolutely no Morning Sickness with either of my boys and no nausea issues with Chemo. That doesn't 'prove' anything at all - just a thought.