Continuing Maintenance After the 12 Months

[Raygun]

My wife (OC IIIC last summer) is almost half-way through with the 12-month taxol maintenance and is doing very well.  CA125 is in the teens, and CT/PETs have been negative.  

I have a hypothetical question about the approach to use after the 12-month maintenance cycle is completed.  It seems to me that the point of the 12-month maintenance chemo is to assume that there is some quantity (undetectable with current technology) of cancer cells remaining after the initial taxol/carbo cycles and to continue to administer taxol to attack these cells.  This would certainly account for the results attained in Dr. Markman’s study.

If a patient such as my wife wanted to be conservative and treat her cancer as aggressively as possible, wouldn’t it be reasonable to resume an every-four-week taxol maintenance dose after some resting period following the 12-month maintenance cycle?  In my wife’s case, side effects from the taxol are minimal and would not preclude her from resuming taxol.

While I can find no studies to support additional maintenance cycles, it does seem to make sense, at least on an intuitive level.  Would a six-month (or some other period) rest followed by another 12-month taxol maintenance cycle make sense, or would a six-month taxol maintenance cycle perhaps be as appropriate.  In other words, six months off, six months on.

We would greatly appreciate your thoughts before we discuss this idea with our oncologist.  Thank you very much.

[seminole6321]

Did you get an answer to your question about continuing Taxol for maintenance?

[junamgen]

Very sorry to hear your wife's dx,  Extreamly prond of her the way handle the chemo and I'm sure  you are her strongest's back bone.  

The most concen for patient on one chemo for a long time is patient's cancer will develop resistant to that chemo. (cancer cell are very smar too).  Secondly the toxicity of chemo is accumulative, some synptoms may not reveal while doing chemo, expecially neuropathy.

Hope it helps

Peace and Love

jun

[ladyjogger31]

I also am sorry to hear about your wife but we are all in the same boat. We are all hear to help and give support to one another. I too would be concerened about your wife becomming resistant to the chemo. If her numbers are in the teens and her ct scan is clear why not take a break and let her body heal from all the damage the chemo had done so far.
My Thoughts and Prayers are with you.
Love, Terry

[JC145]

Her bone marrow has been bombarded for all these months.  It will never go back to its' original condition, so a break would be good overall.

It is my understanding that chemo only really works on "active" cancer cells.  Those that are dormant now will stay dormant for ?? time and the chemo wouldn't do much.  More chemo with no evidence of disease and a low CA125 would make me think things are quiet and more chemo a waste of drug plus the damage to the other organs/bone marrow.

If, and I hope not, it flares up again .. then I am sure the MD will try taxol with one of the platinums and hit it again.

Until there is a 100% cure, this is how the disease goes.  I'd rather have some time off if all reports are good and enjoy everything I can for as long as I can.

I had a rising CA125 but no signs of diease, and the MD put me on a pill (tamoxifen) taken twice a day.  It works 10% of the time, and I was able to hold off heavy chemo for almost 18 months.  If your wife goes on tamoxifen, be sure to take 10mg twice a day .. much easier on the body.  I have been back in chemo since Jan of this year.

Good luck and God Bless,

Judy