CMF info?

Options
marshabel
marshabel Member Posts: 142
edited June 2014 in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
CMF info?
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • marshabel
    marshabel Member Posts: 142
    edited March 2008

    Have any of you been treated with CMF? I have had an immediate recurrance with new node involvement, so I will be starting  next week. I had 8 treatments of AC/T followed by 34 rads beginning last March. There doesn't seem to be much about CMF on the boards.

    Thanks

    Marsha 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • LisaSDCA
    LisaSDCA Member Posts: 2,230
    edited March 2008

    Hi Marsha -

    I am so sorry you have had this start all over again so soon. Have you considered a second opinion? Many oncs. are using Taxotere and Carboplatin for triple neg.s these days. Also, not meaning to overstep, but local recurrance in the same or contralateral breast is not uncommon in trip.negs. Have you given any thought to mastectomies since your tumor has shown itself to be an aggressive one?

    Anyway - CMF is not often used in this country anymore. It was much more common 15 years ago. Some refer to it as 'chemo light'. It does have value in the case of women who have need for chemo but have pre-existing heart problems which make Adriamycin contraindicated. Again, though, frequently these days simply Taxotere and Cytoxan will be used in cases of possible cardiac toxicity.

    Good luck, be strong, kick butt!

    Lisa

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • marshabel
    marshabel Member Posts: 142
    edited March 2008

    Thanks, Lisa -

    I have already had Adriamycin, Cytoxin, and Taxotere. My onc did explain about CMF being an older treatment, and said he also has plans B, C, etc. if needed. I have thought about mastectomy, but since the recurrance was regional in the lymph nodes instead of the breast, I'm not sure if that would be helpful right now. But, this is all happening really fast, and I am still gathering info!  ( I really needed to get on these boards so that I could talk to you ladies!)

    Keepin my chin up,

    Marsha 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • OneBadBoob
    OneBadBoob Member Posts: 1,386
    edited March 2008
    Hi Marsha--we actually have quite a few CMF ladies here on the board--you may want to join that discussion at CMF Question for questions regarding this treatment.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • sueps
    sueps Member Posts: 2,266
    edited March 2008

    Hi Marshal...

    I am trip ng...just done 4 ac and now on Cmf ...I too questioned my Oncologist over here in the Uk...who assured me and assured me this  came out on top on a 5 year trial...I aked him why a lot of people get taxol...he said taxotere was better than Taxol  less toxic...he went to the san antonia breast conference over in the US  in Jan and told me the US were still using taxol for many...

    I am not sure what is right or what is wrong I just trust my Onky implicity...he also said Taxol was a treatmeny for node positive ...hope it helps to know that some one else is having it...I had a mastectomy btw and am having rads in June xxx

    Marsha if its any help the ac I had was epirubicin to mop up any stray cells like antibiotical ...and the CMF then tangles the DNA up so the cancer forgets how to regrow xxx

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ravdeb
    ravdeb Member Posts: 3,116
    edited March 2008

    sueps...How are you doing on the CMF? I heard that the "F" was very tough.

    Taxol was originally approved for node positive breast cancer but has since been used for triple negative with or without node involvement. In 2005 when I was in treatment it was still very new for triple negs and I had to push for it. My insurance wouldn't cover it so it was donated to me. I became the pioneer at one of the hospitals for taking Taxol with node negative Triple neg bc. I left that hospital (because the onc would not give me Taxol) but my surgeon who is there, helped push it and it is now pretty standard for triple negs, with or without node involvement.

    When I did the Taxol they said that some women tolerate the Taxol better than the Taxotere or the other way around so that if Taxol was too tough, they would switch it. Taxol was easy for me.(well..compared to AC, that is..it's all relative!).

    At any rate, my second and then third opinions at the time told me that the "F" in that combo was very hard.

    Marsha..good luck with whatever chemo you are on! They all work towards killing the cells big time. So many opinions on this!!! One's head could spin!!!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • sueps
    sueps Member Posts: 2,266
    edited March 2008

    Hi Ravdeb....thx so much for the post..it is all so intruiging....isn't it...

    I told my Onky I had concerns for not being put on Taxol after I read on here trip neg was treated as node positive ...and lots of you trip negs were gettting it...in fact I was really worked up LOL...well he reassures me...that taxol is widely used in the US ....I dont know..I am on this flippin trial .... so I am having CMF 2 on 2 off...etc...

    The CMF has been a killer for me...especially as I was hospitalised the 2nd lot of the first cycle ..for a bleeding tongue... nose bleeds..bleeding from every where couldnt eat... low blood etc...they gave me a bottle of morphine to use..which I havent cos it makes me blerghhh ...GIVE ME RED DEVIL ANY DAY!!!!!

    I am dreading nxt Tuesday 2nd lot of the 2nd cycle...I am having 8 in all....

    I must do some more reading on the chemo..I find it very fascinating....

    Much Love to you all....... it is one hell of a journey and I thank god we all found each other xxx

    ps ....maybe as I had stage 1 and the whole thing off and all my nodes out...thats why I am having cmf.... What did you have with taxol  ravdeb xxx

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • sueps
    sueps Member Posts: 2,266
    edited March 2008

    ps ravdeb..I wish we hadnt heard of trip neg...my grandmother lasted 40 years after 2 bouts of b/c without chemo ..and the old fashioned radiation...no chemo then!!! no hormones!!!

    Makes us all wonder .... all we can do is roll our sleeves up and have faith....(not easy)  all of you are in my thoughts EVERY DAY XXX

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • dash
    dash Member Posts: 766
    edited March 2008

    A lot of people don't understand that CMF can be administered several different ways. My oncologist and surgical team doesn't consider CMF with oral cytoxan for 6 months to be considered 'light'. My oncologist has said it has been shown to be equal to 3 months of AC without the cardiac worries. I couldn't do AC because of a family history of early heart attack deaths and did the 6 months of oral cytoxan/CMF instead.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ravdeb
    ravdeb Member Posts: 3,116
    edited March 2008

    I've never heard of "chemo-lite". I can't imagine there is such a thing. Chemo is a poison. Different chemos will work differently on different people..that's the mystery they haven't solved. But...LITE? Nah.

    suep..I did dose dense AC followed by 12 Taxol. I got really sick on the AC and could only do 3 out of the 4 of that. I was supposed to get Taxol dose dense but because I was so sick on the AC, my onc was afraid to endanger my life any more than it had been on the AC. Taxol on the 12-weekly was easy..well..after my bout with AC..all is relative.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • sueps
    sueps Member Posts: 2,266
    edited March 2008

    We are all hammering our triple neg sisters...all of you have done great...

    I did 4 ac ... and doino CMf 2weeks on 2 off ...closer together ...2 give boil in the bag boot face a megga thrashing....

    We will do this trip negs....we will xxx I pray for you all..you have done well with treatment Deb...Did you have rads...I got rads in June Yell  actually chemo brain sueps...did you have a mastectomy Deb xxx

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • LisaSDCA
    LisaSDCA Member Posts: 2,230
    edited March 2008

    I apologize if my initial comment seemed to disparage or belittle in any way the chemo experience of those dealing with CMF. I understand that it can be as awful as any. Dosing is the deciding factor. However, CMF can also be given as an all-oral regime and in lower doses that are more tolerable, have fewer side effects. Thus it is sometimes chosen by more elderly patients or those who will not accept a chemo where they will lose their hair.

    One benefit to CMF is that there is 30 year data out there on it. You don't get that with Taxol!

    Sue, here's an abstract (and access to the full article) about research showing that enduring the Epirubicin and then CMF is worth it!

    http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/355/18/1851

    Lisa

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories