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Doxil and Avastin, Help Questions

sarahliz
  • By sarahliz
  • Posted September 20, 2008 at 6:08 pm · 27 replies
  • In Treatment
  • Shared with the public
3 Recommendations

Has anyone tried Doxil and avastin? My doctor says that this is the next way since normal chemo didn't work. I was highly highly allergic to Taxil and it sounds like it!! What are the side effects if you have tried it?

He also says that I should search for a clinical trial and get second opinions from other places. I am lost on how to do that. I call around and I can't talk to anyone that will tell me if I would be wasting my time flying around the country to see if they have a study that I would qualify for. Help!!!

Explore topics in this discussion:

Cancer Taxol Surgery Avastin Breast cancer Ovarian cancer Taxotere Chemotherapy Pain Carboplatin

27 replies

September

Mywife has ovarian cancer. On the first go-round, last year May thru December, she was given Taxil and Carbo combined. We thot it was cleared up. Well, here we are again and she is being given Doxil. (She says not Avastin.) My wife will ask her RN about Avastin. As her husband, I am also her caregiver. We are working with Texas Oncology, Austin (TX) branch.
Now for Doxil side effects (note: not everyone gets the exact side effects). It is totally different from the earlier effects. After the third treatment (the first two treatments were a 'piece of cake') is when these effects begin to show. The side effects include itchy skin (hands, back, feet, groin) starting in the hands and moving elsewhere. Lesions (canker sore-like) in the mouth, along the gums upper and lower, which can be controlled by a 'swish & swallow' prescribed med. This can spread to the inside cheeks and down the throat. A 5-day Pregnozone treatment & mouthwash will control its effects. Body itching is controlled by keeping the skin moist, taking Benedryl, and extra-strength Lanocaine on the hands. Just before her fourth infusion, she had intense body itching. A prescription was given to her to purchase NicoDerm CQ, Stage 3 (7 mg) patches to be worn 1 patch 2 days before and 2 days after infusion.
At first, the itching seemed intolerable and she was always asking "Is it worth it?". After using the NicoDerm CQ patch one single day, the itching reduced to almost nothing. She wore hers 5 days prior & 2 days after. She has less reactions now than before. You are welcome to contact us if you want further info.

hinsopa

Hi Sarah,
I would strongly encourage you to go to MD Anderson for a second opinion. Our docs here in NC are great,but that cancer center has tons of resources and that's pretty much their purpose. I've known several women that have gone. All you have to do is call them for an appt. I have a friend that is there now. If you'd like to talk to her, just send me a message and I'll give you her contact info.
Patsy

Kaylouise28xx

Hi,

Im newly diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer and due to start my chemo in Oct, they have offered me a clinical trial in Avastin but im still not sure whether to take it on or not???

Kay xx

gunpowderandlead

Hey Sarah,

Try calling the Mayo clinic in Rochester MN, The phone number is 507-284-2511. This is where I will received all my treatments. I do know they mentioned your drugs to me when I was getting the meet and great Onc meeting last week. I will be doing the carbo/taxol treatment. IV and IP in belly this week. 1st one of 6.

How did you know you were allergic to this?

Stacy

Dot

Hi, Sarah.

I started with the usual carboplatin and Taxol. About six months after finishing those, I had to start chemo again, this time with Doxil. The Doxil was much easier for me to tolerate. For about 3 difficult days, my hands were very sensitive and felt as though they had been burned. I couldn't cut up my food, couldn't peel shrimp. I held a cold soda between my hands for most of three days. Then my hands felt fine, but they did peel. The peeling wasn't painful, just a little gross to look at. :-) My feet also peeled, later, but they never burned at all.

I also had mild nausea occasionally, but no vomiting, and mild fatigue occasionally.

The effects of Doxil can be worse than this, but this was my experience. I haven't taken Avastin, but that might be next for me, because my CA-125 has just started moving upward again.

Best to you,
Dot

Dot

Hey, Sarah, I just realized this was you writing. :-)

Ask Charlotte to help you with the second opinion. She helped me with the one I got at Johns Hopkins. I'm guessing Dr. B doesn't have any trials for you right now??? I'm sorry you aren't happy there, but a doctor has to be right for YOU.

Have you received my private e-mails?

Dot

sarahliz

I don't think I have gotten any emails from you. Charlotte is helping some. Dr. B can get a clinical trial open for me but it is going to take about 4 to 5 months to get it open.

Dumpyandme

My mother will be starting Doxil shortly and all of the information above has helped us know what to expect. Would you all be willing to comment on the amount of time you remained on Doxil until switching to the next chemo drug?

September

Sarah, adding to what Dot explained, my wife (Sharon) has red, 'burning' hands, and they are peeling too. She holds gel ice packs between her hands or under her feet for hours or as needed. We are an active couple and so not stay home all the time. As an example, Sharon carries her ice pack (in a homemade cloth pouch) with her and holds the pack between her hands when we attend Line Dance lessons (2 hrs). She has just finished her 4th infusion. On Tuesday, we visit the doc to see if he wants to continue Doxil or put her on something new. She responded well to Carbo/Taxol but, as she started chemo anew in less than a year after completion, she had to be placed on Doxil. The indications are Doxil is working, but we won't know until the blood test on Tuesday. Yes, the count goes up (a lot; doubled; or a few points) every time; this time it is expected to drop.

September

As a retired Educator, I still research lots of areas. So, I went looking for Avastin. Here are 2 info sites for you...http://www.avastin.com/avastin it gives Indications & Usage, but says nothing in combination with Doxil. The other site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/avastin calls it by its other name Bevacizumab indicating FDA approval for use in breast cancer in early 2008. FDA approved its use but an outside adviser group voted against use with breast cancer.

Dot

Hi, Dumpyandme.

I started in July 2006 with six treatments of carboplatin and Taxol, but I received Taxol for only three of those treatments. I finished in November, had a CT scan in December with no indications of cancer.

Eventually, the CA-125 number started going up, and a CT scan was again showing cancer. So I started Doxil in June 2007. I had six treatments, then took December off and had a CT scan. Some of the tumors were gone, all the remaining ones were significantly smaller. Because I was tolerating it so well, I had two more treatments, in January and February of 2008.

The Doxil kept my CA-125 at 28-30 all of this year. (My lowest CA-125 has been 27.) Earlier this month, it was 38. I have the test monthly, so we'll see what the October test shows.

I think someone already mentioned that your CA-125 is likely to go UP when you first start Doxil. Doxil is a very interesting drug. You can find out more with Google.

Wishing you and your mum the best,
Dot

grammy_linda

There is another discussion on this site about avastin, and depending on where you are it may or may not be approved, is it a great move forward in treatment...absolutely, it has been recommended for my sister, though she is from TX where it is not approved, she is working with ( while here in CA for a year) her Dr here to get approved. The other discussion here..she contacted Genentec and even though her insurance would not pay, the company is giving it to her at a discount ( about 1/10th of the cost).
the link below is to my web site, it is a clinical trial for those who are platinum resistant and recurrent- it is called trabectedin, might be worth checking out...

http://groups.msn.com/OvarianCancerNetworkingOrg/topics.msnw?action=get_mes sage&mview=0&ID_Message=124&LastModified=4675690836382079646
hugs and take care
Linda

mpetersen

www.clinicaltrials.gov has a fairly comprehensive listing of clinical trials...i'm not sure where you live, but many clinical trials are held near major metropolitan areas, or at academic medical centers...you can always contact a clinical trial coordinator at the sites listed to see if you would qualify, and this can be done over the phone...good luck!

PLE

Hi Kay,
I have been on clinical trial of Avastin since my chemotherapy in August of 2007 for Ovarian Type III. I was the first on the trial and the doctors believe I am getting the real thing. My first CT in November showed I was completely clear of cancer and just had another one last week which is still clear. I would highly recommend that patients try these clinical trials. There are a few side effects but they do not interrupt my lifestyle. I have slight myalgia and high blood pressure. My hair has grown back and Avastin does not affect that. Wishing you the best!

xericjean

For those who have hand/foot syndrome, I am taking Docetaxol (taxotere, but w/ similar hand/foot syndrome symptoms) and Aflibercept (a next-generation Avastin, also known as AVE0005) in a clinical trial at MD Anderson. They are very good at dealing w/ side effects. I also belong to another forum which has good info about this, so, putting all that together, here's what is important for me to do.

The most important thing you can do, according to all I've read, is to put ice on your ankles and wrists and suck on ice to prevent mouth sores during and after chemo. I took baggies in my luggage to Houston and filled them w/ ice chips while I had the docetaxotere. Then in the motel after chemo, I filled the baggies from the ice machine much of that evening and the next morning for my ankles and wrists before I flew back to Denver.

I know one woman who bought Cry0-Max Cold Pack ice wraps from CVS and they are good for 8 hours. I bought some also, and for the next week used them periodically. I have a little tiny bit of peeling, but I feel it saved me from a big problem.

I also keep all lotioned up. The one that works best for me in over-the-counter products is Norwegian Formula's Neutrogenia Hand Cream. It doesn't say for extra-dry hands or anything else- just Hand Cream. It's very thick and stays on a long time.

xericjean

Poopdeck

I was diagnosed in 2004, ovarian cancer, I did taxol/carboplatium, it worked, then after almost a year it came back. Then I had Gemzar/carbo. It really did a good job, but the side effects were really bad for me, I had a lot of blood tranfussions and some platlet tranfussions. I can't take taxol anymore because I have the neuropathy it caused in my legs, feet and hands. The cancer returned again this past year and I'm currently on Doxil. The side effects for me are the hand/feet syndrome, peeling and burning. I stay really tired and my counts have stopped in the 50's and won't go any lower. I don't know yet what the next step is that we are going to do, but the place I go is the Cancer Treatment Center's of America. This is a great place and they treat your whole body, not just the cancer itself. They have a web site, www.ctca.com, and they will fly you and someone else to the place you decide to go to, the first time for free. After that, they only pay for you to fly free. But if you drive and are not on Medicaid or Medicare, you can get your gas paid for by filling out forms they have for you at the Center. This is the best place I found to go for treating Cancer. If I had to do it all over again, I would have went there when I first found out in 04, but I didn't know anything about it till this last time. My husband found it on the internet and we called and were in within the next week. They are great people and the doctor's are wonderful. When ever I talk to anyone that knows someone or just found out they have cancer, I always recommend the Cancer Treatment Center's of America. Good luck and I hope everything works out for you.

LindaK

I am volunteering in a research study conducted by Dr. Franco Muggia at NYU in New York. The purpose of this study is to test the tolerabilty and effectiveness of Doxil and Avastin. I have had one treatment to date and have felt no side effects. I will keep you all posted as my treatment continues.

KaMay

A study would be nice. Try M.D Anderson. However, both Doxil and Avastin are approved by medicare for ovarian cancer, so I would think that your doctor could determine the dose and give it to you. I was on Avastin - didn't work. So now I am on Doxil.

Barbann

I was diagnosed with peritoneal cancer in 12/06, have had carbo/taxol with a follow up treatment of taxoterene for 10 months. Was in remission 6 months and my cancer has reoccured in my pelvis and abdomen. I will be starting treatment with Doxil on 1/5/09.

Am looking for any hepful information I can get.

FavoriteAunt

I don't have an answer about Avastin because right now I'm just on Doxil. I've had 2 treatments and some side effects are just starting to show up now, so I appreciate all the things you mentioned. I'll wait and see if my onc. decides to add anything to the mix, depending on whether my next test shows if the Doxil is working.

I'll keep watching your posts to see how things go and what you find out. All the best to you and to your wife for 2009.

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