Weekly Taxol for Stage 4

Zills - I'm on Abraxane, but had some nail lifting. I cut my nails as short as possible and started using a product called Polybalm, which has been trialed on patients on chemo in the U.K. It has really helped my nails. It's kind of a waxy consistency and comes in a mascara-type tube and applicator. The applicator is actually a pain to use, but I have found the product very effective. I've only found it sold online.

www.polybalm.com

Olma - My first order was mailed from a rep in the U.S. I just placed a second order, but it seems to have been shipped from France. I apply the Polybalm right before chemo and then a couple times a day if I remember for a couple of days after chemo. I do not use it everyday or as often as they did in the trial and still got good results. As I mentioned, the only nuisance is it can be difficult to get the product out of the tube. They recommend running under hot water to soften it if you need to. My husband also cut open the tube with a penknife when it seemed nearly empty and Iwas able to still get a lot of product out that remained in the tube. I hope it helps you.

Zills, congrats on being stable!

I'm a fever person. Never really figure mine out. Sometimes they're very high, sometimes minor; sometimes seems related to treatment, sometimes I think they're 'cancer fevers'. I was hospitalized twice for febrile neutropenia in 2018 while on AC and they never found the culprit. The immunotherapy adds its own wrinkle. I *suspect* that our immune systems might be causing this. It's possible for ex that when a treatment - even chemo or radiation - is attacking a cancer cell, it helps the immune system 'see' it and then it mounts some sort of response. And body's immune systems like to trigger fevers.... So that's my guess. In absence of other symptoms or any signs of developing sepsis, I mostly ignore them now & my MO has been comfortable with this (esp during covid. Cancer pts here don't go to the ER without calling the duty oncologist first who will make special arrangements for us. Might get admitted directly onto a ward instead of ER etc...)

Does anyone know what is next after tamoxifen. After three months of taxol where my tumor counts came down a lot. Today they look like they are starting to creep back up. They didn't go up a lot. But worried about week off and then how long to get scans. Just curious what the next step would be. So far nothing lasts longer then three months.

Moth sorry my statement may have been confusing. Not sure why I said tamoxifen. I have been on taxol. It did look like carboplatin may be next from what I read. My last biopsy was a year and a half ago when I was diagnosed. Is that too soon to have another biopsy? I know my mo said she wouldn't give me adromiacin. Not sure why unless its because I had it back in 2016.

Does anyone use retinol for the steroid acne?

It appears I get to stay on taxol. My tumor counts came down on today's blood test. Dr said there must have been something else causing the count to be high like inflammation. So glad since it seems I have been going through medications too quickly.

Zills will you be able to go back to taxol if you need it in the future.

Katie weren't you supposed to have scans this month? Interested to see your results.

Zills, I’m glad to hear this good news about your scans and liver enzymes! Having paid my dues with taxol, Benadryl and steroids (dexamethasone), I plan to insist on abraxane should my onc recommend a taxane in the future. The steroids gave me crying spells where I couldn’t stop crying over something minor. My family figured out that it was the steroids. I have a history of unexplained low fevers, although one time it was a high one. It was a Saturday night fever, in fact. I stopped reporting them. (Not necessarily recommended by medical people but works for me.) I also figure they are cancer fevers. I also got a really high fever the evening of my flu shot. That one I reported and went in, but no other explanation was found.

Katty that is great news! I’m so happy for you!

(Edit: Posted on the liver mets thread instead.)

Thanks Sandi, yes the plan is to continue with the Taxol along as long as it is tolerable and working! I am still just on cloud nine!!!

Thanks SP. I’m not sure why they dont start with axabrane because it has less side effects. Yes ask because that dexamethasone is serious. I started out on 13 over a three day period. It opened my eyes to how dirty my house is.My whole summer was a big washout due to serious side effects.

Congrats Kattysmith. I ice but still have neuropathy. It’s supposed to be milder on axabrane and I’m now on a 3 week on / 1 week off because of neuropathy.

Good morning, all. I know some of you from the Ibrance string and more recently the Xeloda string. I had thought my PET scan of 10 days ago looked good (clearly an amateur scan reader.....), but I met with my MO yesterday, and she has some concerns. MRI next week to see if some uptake in hips and sacrum are problematic. I may be changing either to Taxol or to AA (Aromasin and Affinitor), depending on what the MRI discloses. Do any one of you know of strings which provide information on those treatments? I'm a planner, and I want to "read up" so that I can participate in any future change. Thanks so much!!

And Katty....great news for you!!

xox

That's great news!!! I hope that Taxol continues to work for all of us!

Lynn, there is a Taxol thread for all stages called Weekly Taxol Group that you might search for more information! Other than the neuropathy, I am finding this to be very tolerable.

I hope everyone is having a good week. I'm getting my second vaccine today!

Katty

Lynn - I'm not caught up with all the post here and on the Xeloda thread... I'm sorry to hear that you need to get the MRI. Sending hugs and prayers that it's okay. Just for your information, I shaved Liz's head after her second cycle (that would be 6 weeks after starting Taxol). I think Liz looks great with no hair but I guess I'm biased. She's now on her 4th cycle and her hair is growing back! I think it's growing back evenly but Liz thinks it "might" be a little thinner here or there.

At the risk of losing clumps of hair after starting treatment, I'd be optimistic about hair loss due to the Taxol. We were surprised at the hair growth and when we asked the onc, he said most of his Taxol patients have little to no hair loss.

Grant