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platinum resistant question

Probably a dumb question but it is something I don't quite understand.  I did the carbo/taxol chemo - finished the end of October.  Ca125 was down to 5.  Ca125 is now up in the 700s and I started topotecan/thalidomide 2 weeks ago.  I believe if you have a recurrance within 6 months you are concidered platinum resistant- Right?  Why?  It must have been working to get my numbers down to 5. Is it because it did not get everything?
Does it mean that carbo can not ever be used again for me?
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Avatar universal
dont' always go by ca-125 levels...they are used primarily to monitor your response to treatment, but they are not accurate for everyone.  Different things can trigger a rise in ca-125 or a drop.  CT-scans are important as well.

Also virtually everyone is working on plat-resistant treatment for ovarian cancer right now because that's the only direction to go in mainly.  Most are in trials.  My mom is in one that is a tublin stabalizer (like taxol, but stronger and can work on resistant cells), phenoxodil (my fav), cvac vaccine, etc.  Which ones will work the best?  Time will tell (and trials).  But I don't think there is any 'magic bullet' out there, but there are more options for plat resistant on the horizon to be used in conjunction with other therapies.

For the timeframe, I think it's a standard to say less than 6 months your plat resistant more than 6 you are plat sensitive.  But that is not always true...for example plat resistant women in Denmark I believe were given weekly carboplatnim and had responses even though they were 'plat resistant'.  Also new genetic testing on tumors can reveal if you will become resistant or not because there are markers.  
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Avatar universal
1. Hello. This is a very smart question and would probably need a lot of research and theories. But first things first. It is correct that being platinum- resistant means that one has recurred after using the first line of treatment of Carbo Taxol or its equivalent within six(6) months after finishing treatment. My wife in on the same boat, she recurred after three(3) months.

2. So you go on with second line like Doxil, Topotecan and Gemzar, etc. I said theories because there can be many. So for example my wife was NED after finishing CarboTaxol how come it returned after three(3) months? It is possible that some tumors are resistant to the CarboTaxol. So I have read that they can only give this back to you after like a year since the last time you use it.

3. Another theory is that remaining tumor may be sensitive to other forms of treatment like hormonal, example Tamoxifen (some have been  put in remission with this drug proving the theory correct), Femara, Arimidex, etc or biologic or monoclonal, like Avastin ( also put people on remission), Sorafinib, etc

4. Taxol given on a weekly basis removes the resistance. This is based on a clinical trial which I have posted before. Diane B used this and had her 7 cm tumor disappeared. I have also come accross Thalidomide which you are now using. I think these days since one can't just go back to Carbo Taxol it is very important to use Avastin as a weapon. Of course there are so many other options like 2nd cytoreduction or radiation. Some of them you can find in the archives including the medical side of this forum.


Thanks
Jatoo





Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
1. Hello. This is a very smart question and would probably needs a lot of research and theories. But first things first. It is correct that being platinum- resistant means that one has recurred after using the first line of treatment of Carbo Taxol or its equivalent within six(6) months after finishing treatment. My wife in on the same boat, she recurred after three(3) months.

2. So you go on with second line like Doxil, Topotecan and Gemzar, etc. I said theories because there can be many. So for example my wife was NED after finishing CarboTaxol how come it returned after three(3) months? It is possible that some tumors are resistant to the Carbotaxol. So I have read that they can only give this back to you after like a year since the last time you use it.

3. Another theory is that your tumor may be sensitive to other forms of treatment like hormonal, example Tamoxifen (some have been  put in remission with this drug proving the theory correct), Femara, Arimidex, etc or biologic or monoclonal, like Avastin ( also put people on remission), Sorafinib, etc

continued ...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
1. Hello. This is a very smart question and would probably needs a lot of research and theories. But first things first. It is correct that being platinum- resistant means that one has recurred after using the first line of treatment of Carbo Taxol or its equivalent within six(6) months after finishing treatment. My wife in on the same boat, she recurred after three(3) months.

2. So you go on with second line like Doxil, Topotecan and Gemzar, etc. I said theories because there can be many. So for example my wife was NED after finishing CarboTaxol how come it returned after three(3) months? It is possible that some tumors are resistant to the Carbotaxol. So I have read that they can only give this back to you after like a year since the last time you use it.

3. Another theory is that your tumor may be sensitive to other forms of treatment like hormonal, example Tamoxifen (some have been  put in remission with this drug proving the theory correct), Femara, Arimidex, etc or biologic or monoclonal, like Avastin ( also put people on remission), Sorafinib, etc

continued ...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
1. Hello. This is a very smart question and would probably needs a lot of research and theories. But first things first. It is correct that being platinum- resistant means that one has recurred after using the first line of treatment of Carbo Taxol or its equivalent within six(6) months after finishing treatment. My wife in on the same boat, she recurred after three(3) months.

2. So you go on with second line like Doxil, Topotecan and Gemzar, etc. I said theories because there can be many. So for example my wife was NED after finishing CarboTaxol how come it returned after three(3) months? It is possible that some tumors are resistant to the Carbotaxol. So I have read that they can only give this back to you after like a year since the last time you use it.

3. Another theory is that your tumor may be sensitive to other forms of treatment like hormonal, example Tamoxifen (some have been  put in remission with this drug proving the theory correct), Femara, Arimidex, etc or biologic or monoclonal, like Avastin ( also put people on remission), Sorafinib, etc

continued ...
Helpful - 0
114870 tn?1210298346
You will have more knowledgable people on here soon to answer your question.  But from I've learned that yes you are plat. resistant if recurred within 6 month period.  They recommend to try other chemo drugs  because obviously if one has a recurrence that soon that means their body is resistant to that particular combination that you had.  Weather its an option for you in the future?  Im not sure thats something you have to ask your doctor.  But there are other good drugs and combinations out there that work well for plat resistant people.
Good Luck
Helpful - 0
135691 tn?1271097123
I don't quite understand it all either, but here's what my Dr's have told me. I am platinum resistant because my cancer recurred around 6 months after finishing chemo. I did 4 more rounds of taxol/carbo anyways (don't ask...not happy about it) and my tumors have actually grown. I'm switching drugs now, but my Dr said obviously I responded somewhat in the first place, so we could, potentially, return to Taxol/carbo again in the future. Don't know what else to tell you...Good luck.
Becky
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