Questions about Doxil

Hi Again Ladies....

I will be starting Doxil on Friday. Have had Carbo/Taxol 2 years ago for stage 3 ovca--did fine. Just tried single agent Carbo for a recurrence ....didn't work. Had 3 liters of ascites drained last week and had labs sent for chemo sensitivity....Doxil and Topo are my best choices. Doc doesn't want to use Topo yet.....

I know many of you have used Doxil....how is the treatment compared to Carbo/Taxol? I think the NP said every four weeks for 6 months-it's all becoming a big blur.

Any advice?

Will the ascites return if the Doxil works?

Many thanks
Terri

I've been reading (probably something I shouldn't do) about the side effects and complications that arise when using Doxil. This will be another LONG week, even though I keep saying that I'm in control....

Trying to keep busy...catching up on paperwork, and going thru insurance papers isn't helping, but somebodies gotta do'em!

I know that I felt the same just before starting Taxol/Carbo, have my meditation tapes ready, my soduko puzzles and my DH! What more can I ask for!

Terri

Dear Terri

I don't know if this will be much of a help to you, but I finished 6 rounds of Doxil and Gemzar last May. It did shrink the tumour some, and kept it under control for a good year. It was administered every 3 weeks for me, but I think I would have preferred 4!

Because I had both drugs, the effects are likely to be different, but I can tell you how it was for me, although I will stress that other women on the list who have been on Doxil had next to no problems with it... I do hope it's that way for you!!

You have likely heard about the hand/foot syndrome, well, I did have irritated and painful hands for a couple of days in each cycle, it was difficult to open jars and do that kind of thing, but again, it only lasted a couple of days. Also had nasty mouth sores, lasting a few days in each cycle as well, perhaps 5, making eating anything crunchier than yoghurt very painful! As well, the skin on my abdomen became very dark in colour, in spots it looked like a bad sunburn, and the skin peeled off, causing sores in spots where there was rubbing, like under my breasts. The chemo was reduced a bit at that point, and the skin peeling issue was lessened, although not totally.

All in all, it was a difficult chemo for me, but it may have been because of the combination of drugs. Fatigue was also a problem, and it took quite a while to bounce back after finishing, a number of months.

I also had quite serious hair thinning, although I was told that I likely wouldn't lose my hair! In the front and middle it thinned out a lot, I eventually lost my eye lashes and brows, and all other bodily hair. Over a year after chemo, I still don't have any underarm or public hair, which is fine, although my brows grew in to about half thickness of what they were. Also, my hair became very curly, interesting for me after having totally flat hair before!

Anyway, I'll be thinking of you as you start your chemo. Let us know how it goes, I really hope it will be easier on you. As far as ascites returning, I'm afraid I don't know anything about that, let's just hope they stay away! Take good care,

love, Janet J
in Denmark
ovca 1c, diag. Mar. 03
taxol, carbo 9 tx.
doxil, gemzar 6 tx.
probably starting something else in September!

Janet...

Thanks so much for the reply....I'm still a basket-case! Have just gotten the orders for a Muga scan (which they do here to test your heart for any damage prior to the Doxil chemo---which scares the daylights out of me)

I know that I worried this much before my Carbo/Taxol treatment, and they were pretty ordinary compared to some peoples stories. I just really worry about these chemo drugs-sometimes they can seem worse than the cancer itself! At this point, I really don't have much of a choice--CA125 is rising rapidly, and nothing shows up on my cat scans other than the ascites. So I know the cancer has comeback, but is spreading more than I would like. Hate this disease!!!!

I wish that you didn't have to look forward to more chemo in September....I'll be thinking of you

Thanks
Terri

Dear Terri

Sorry for the late reply, but we have been in Hamburg, Germany, since Wednesday, and just got back!

I had that Muga scan thing too, I guess it is normal procedure for Doxil patients. The scan was easy, and everything was fine. I think the heart problems are quite rare, but of course they have to check.

I really hope the Doxil will help you, as I said before it really knocked the wind out of my tumour, and kept it under control for a good year. It did take me a while to get my energy back, but generally I have felt quite good for most of the time, which has been great. The CA 125 isn't a good marker for me... before my original surgery and diagnosis, it was very high (over 1,000) but since the taxol and carbo chemo 3 years ago, it has stayed under 10, even though I recurred during that time. They still check it before each oncology appointment, though.

The worst problem for me has been my plummeting red blood count, and so I have had many blood transfusions in the past year. (I think I have received just under 30 units since I started counting!) After my radiation, which was given to counterract intestinal bleeding from my growing tumor, my blood counts have been more stable, but they still go down slowly, and I am pretty sure I will be having another tranfusion in the next few weeks.

When do you start the Doxil? I am pretty sure you won't lose any hair, I think mine was due to the Gemzar, or possibly the combination of the 2. Anyway, good luck with the treatments, just take one day at a time, and you'll get through it no problem. We chemo veterans are a strong bunch! Take good care,

love, Janet J
ovca 1c

Hi Terri,

I had 5 treatments of doxil and even though it didn't shrink my tumor, it was by far the easiest chemo I had. I did everything I wanted to do while on chemo. No hair loss either. My MUGA before I started treatment was at 62% and after I finished it was at 72%. I took coQ10 for my heart and it must have helped so I will continue to take it. I never had any hand-foot syndrome either, my onc told me to take 300mg of vitamin B6 for that.

I sure hope the doxil will be the very thing to stop your cancer in its tracks and I hope you breeze through the doxil as easily as I did.

's

Terri

My treatment with Doxil was basically okay. I had the hand and foot syndrome. Mostly my hands were very sore, cracked, and dry. My feet were more like an allergic reaction with alot of itching and constantaly wanting to rub them. Also shoes became an issue for me trying to find some I could wear comfortably. Mostly went to wearing slippers at work since everything else bothered me. I did not have the thinning of hair with the Doxil, but since changing over to the Gemzar recently it has began to thin. I was also alittle more tired with the Doxil. But all in all it really was not that bad,.

Good Luck

Sugar

Well, unfortunately, Doxil is NOT for me....

Went in Friday for the first treatment---I have turned out to be one of the unlucky 10% of people to have a severe reaction to Doxil....scared the life out of me and DH !!

I am allergic to some drugs (morphine and demerol) lucky me (no pain relief from them) and my chemo nurse was aware of that, so she kept a close eye on me. She didn't even put the Doxil in the pump, just let it drip into the port slowly. We were talking, and in the middle of a sentence I felt weird...couldn't catch my breath all of a sudden, then horrible back and lower back pains. ARGHH! Luckily she was well trained and calm--shot me up with Decadron and Benadryl right away after stopping the drip. Blood pressure went sky high (as if it wasn't high enough already that day) and chills set in. SO MUCH FOR ME & Doxil!!

Unfortunately, this limits another possible drug for me. Doc doesn't know if they'll premedicate me with steroids and stuff the night before, or if they'll even rechallenge me on the Doxil.

Have to wait for Doc--he's bringing up my case to the group of Doctors at the Cancer Institute next Wednesday to see which way to go from here. I'm hoping Topotecan will be the next attempt, have heard good things about the drug...... Will keep my fingers crossed.

Thank you all for your support....
Terri