Doxiln and my mom

[etaxitpo]

Can anyone give me the pros and cons about Doxil.  My mother has to take it and is really very very afraid because of what she has read with regards to side effects.  My mom was previously on Carbo and Taxol for 6 treatments.  My mom's CA-125 counts went down to 14 and then when went on maintenance with 3 treatments of Taxol only CA-125 went from 14 to 24 to 38.  The onc is not defining this a recurrence.

I am very concerned because the counts are rising.  CT scan does not show anything.  PET scheduled for later in the month.

If anyone can help me I would be grateful.

[Curious Daughter]

Well, I guess we are in the same boat, aren't we?  I think they want to give her treatment on the 27th too.  My Mom was diagnosed in July and they determined that the first line standard treatment is not going to work.  The mass did not grow, but it did not shrink either.  She looks like she is 9 months pregnant and ready to pop.  They removed some of the mass, but it was wrapped around some artery, so they wanted to shrink the tumor before doing anything else.  The carbo/taxol did not shrink the tumor at all.

My Mom had a bad reaction to her carbo/taxol treatment and her blood levels went really low.  I heard Doxil does the same - if not, more extreme.  I guess we will know more once they do the blood work and muga scan.

I will let you know how my Mom does on Doxil.  I am glad to know that waiting the extra weeks is not uncommon.  That makes me feel a little better now.

[rmarie]

Doxil is doxorubicin (Adriamycin) same drug your mom was on 7 years ago with some changes to make it better.

From the doxil website "How is DOXIL Different?
DOXIL is a reformulated version of doxorubicin. DOXIL takes the active agent doxorubicin and places it into a fat bubble called a liposome and another layer of hair-like strands made from methoxypolyethylene glycol—a type of rubber. This coating allows DOXIL to evade detection and destruction by the immune system, which increases the time the drug is in the body. The majority of the drug stays inside the liposome while in the blood (at least 90%). Therefore, DOXIL has more time to reach the tumor tissue, where the medication slowly leaks out. However, DOXIL may also leak out and affect normal tissue."

Good luck to both your moms.  

[etaxitpo]

Dear Curious-

My mom had to skip her last Taxol maintenance treatment (11/28) becuase her onc wanted to give the Taxol some time to get out of her system.  My mom is scheduled to receive her first Doxil treatment on 12/27.  It would appear that you and I are in the same boat - loving daughters deeply concerned about our mothers.

My mom had breast cancer in 2000 and took the chemo drugs Adriamicine and Taxol.  From what I understand Adriamicine is Doxil.  I am trying to figure out how my mana with react and how is it different than what she took 7 years ago.  She seemed to have tolerated it fairly ok 7 years ago.

Can anyone comment :-)

[Curious Daughter]

My Mom was given Carbo/Taxol for only two treatments before the gyn/oncol decided to change her protocol.  She has stage III and they were unable to remove a majority of the mass after her surgery.  So, the Carbo/Taxol was supposed to shrink the mass....it did not.

She's scheduled for one of those MUGA Scans during the next week.  They did not give her her third treatment of Carbo/Taxol last Friday.  Instead, the doc is opting for Doxil to see if her  mass responds to this treatment.  He insists that she enjoy the holiday so that she can start Doxil after Christmas.  This would be almost 7 weeks after her last treatment.

Does anyone know if holding off 7 weeks is the best way to go?  The doc said that he would rather have her enjoy the holiday because Doxil is very toxic and she may not have the energy to get around.  My thinking is...do it while you can and we'll deal with how she is feeling later.  

I'm just nervous they are not telling us everything.  I am scared because the Carbo/Taxol did not work for her.  Will Doxil help to reduce the mass and give her some time to enjoy life again?

[rmarie]

I was on Doxil for 6 rounds, got mild mouth sores, used hydrogen peroxide 14 to 3/4th water to gargle and they went away.  I followed the directions of avoiding clothing that rubs for a day before and 3 days after, wore cotton scrub pants.  Used lots of hand cream for dry, peeling hands, however no sores.  I wore my bra, every day - I am not built for bra less.  I did not ice my hands and feet during treatment.  The problem comes with burning or repetitive use of hands and feet in the time period.  It was great not doing dishes for 6 months,  I guess I was fortunate.  Drink lots of water to wash the stuff out.  Good luck to your mom.  

[etaxitpo]

Thanks to eveyone. I don't know what I would do without your advice.  

My mom's onc is scheduling a MUGA scan.

My mom has very  large breasts (naturally) and she basically would not be able to go out in public without a bra.  My mom still works part time and I don't know how she would function without a bra.

Other than the brown marks will it do anything else to my mama.  My mama is already brown :-)

There seems to be a lot more involved with Doxil.

[Helmar]

Hi Ruth... I ditched the bra for the entire time I was on the Caelyx. I'm not a big person, so got away with it o.k. :-) My Oncol. knew, and thought it was a good idea, as he told me that some of his other patients who were also on Caelyx ended up with big brown marks across their bodies from the bra. He said he was going to suggest this idea to any other women who were going through the Caelyx. I guess it's a personal thing, but apart from the brown marks, I couldn't stand anything tightish around me. Just wore loose fitting clothes too. I hope it works really good for you Ruth. Hugs..Helen..

[EchoUK]

Hello Helen,

Do you mean you didn't wear a bra during the actual treatment on the day or all the X months you were taking it?  

Love,

Ruthxx  

[EchoUK]

Hello,

If you look further down this page you will see quite a few discussions on Doxil.  It is also known as Caelyx. I will be starting it next week so will be armed with icepacks when I go.

Best wishes,

Ruth in the UK

[Jan214]

I am sorry but I don't know anything about doxil except what I have heard here.  I hope I don't have to take it but that will be my next protocol if I don't get one heck of a remission this time.  I think about you guys a lot as I know that sometimes it seems like you caregivers have it tougher than us.  We get to sit around and be weak and moody, while you guys carry all of the worry, fear and helplessness.  I think I told you that my mom died from this when I was 7 and I know how much you must worry for her.  Stay strong kiddo and keep up the good advocate work on your mom's behalf.
Love,
Jan

[Helmar]

Hello... I've had Doxil and the only side affect I had was large and sore mouth ulcers. Some ladies get the hands/feet syndrome, where the skin peals, so it's best to use ice-packs for those, and tell your Mum to suck ice-cubes or an icypole while the infusion is going in, as that should help prevent the mouth sores. I wasn't told until after the second treatment, so it was too late for me. Wear loose clothing, as anything tight-fitting will leave brown marks on your body. I didn't wear a bra while doing this chemo. :-)  Also keep the showers just warm to cool... no hot drinks or hot food, as Doxil doesn't like heat. Not everyone gets all of the side affects, so tell your Mum not to worry too much about it. Doxil worked really well for me, and was still working for 3 months after my last treatment.Has your Mum's Oncol. suggested a MUGA scan... just to ensure her heart is o.k. as this drug is harsh on the heart. My Oncol. sent me for a test before we started just to make sure I was fine.
I hope this works well for your Mum, and she soon has those numbers down again. Hugs...Helen..

[Brownie3321]

Marty will be by to tell you the effects of Doxil. From what I know, ice packs for feet and hands. Everyone reacts different to the effects of chemo. I will be thinking about your mom! With love, Deandra