Gemzar Cisplatin working

[sapphire44]

My mom's treatment with gemzar cisplatin really seems to be working. She started in November and at first didn't seem to be responding and was getting really sick. At the time her CA 125 was up to 900. But after a few more treatments, at times getting really sick and even having to go to the  hospital for a blood transfusion and neupogen injections things started to turn around. Her CA 125 dropped first 100 points, then down to 500, and then down to 92. And today her nurse called to say it is now at 12! She has been feeling really good the past few weeks and all we can hope for is that the good effects last a while. She is scheduled for one more round in March and then I guess they do PET and CT scans and assess where she's at. My mom is 75 and extremely active - were it not for the cancer she'd still be playing tennis once a week. as it is she is always keeping busy.

[sapphire44]

Thanks Helen! Mom is seeing her doc on Thursday and talk more about next steps. But for now we'll try to enjoy the good news.

[Helmar]

Hi Andrea.... That's really great news re your Mum and the Gemzar/Cisplatin. I know she would be 'over the moon'. I hope that the scans show a clean bill of health for her.. and a nice long remission. Wish I lived close by... I think Annette and I would celebrate big time. :-)... Hugs to you both...Helen... :-)

[crecco]

  My guess would be that it is the Gemzar that is making your mom so sick. I was on Gemzar alone for about 4 months and it was a very rough chemo. I went once a week for 3 weeks then had a week off. For the first couple of months, it kicked me in the butt. My treatments were on Mon and if i was lucky by about Fri I was begining  to feel a little better. Then it was time to go again. Thankfully the side effects started to ease up and the last couple of months were not near as bad. I also hd to miss a few treatments due to low white counts, and had to take neupogen shots. I am glad to hear it is working so well for her. It worked real well for me to until that last month, and then my Ca was on the rise again and it was on to something else. She is probably feeling so much better now because her body has finally adjusted to it. I hope that al continues going well.

[msjazz]

i get about everything they make. I take decadron 8 mg. the nite before, emend for nausea 1 hr before. and benadryl and decadron drip before the chemo. Then I have 1 emend a day for next 2 days, and (3) .75 dexamethazone dor 3 days, with phenergan until nausea stops. Then I am so weak from low blood I can barely get the energy to go back. Its been 2 wks this coming thurs., and I hope they can do pt 2 of rd 3 which is gemzar, but 1 time i had to skip 3 weeks so who knows. At least ca125 went from 265 to 36 before last round. I know,  bless her heart, how she feels.   D

[sapphire44]

She felt very sick from the Gemzar or possibly the Cisplatic or both for a while. there were days she couldn't get out of bed or come to the phone. She had to give herself neupogen shots for the white blood cells. I'm not sure if she's had to take treatment for the red blood as well - probably has. They even delayed this last treatment a week because of her blood counts. but she is feeling good now - more energy and less discomfort than she's had for a long time. I would say that she's been feeling good for about a month or more now. All we can hope for is that it lasts a while. after her next treatment in March we'll see if the doctor wants to do scans and see what's next for her. The difference in the past few treatments was that they gave her more steroids during and after treatment and it really seemed to make a difference - I think they also gave her something for the nausea - not sure what.

[msjazz]

That is great news. I am on carbo/gemzar for recurrence, and it keeps me feeling terrible. The gemzar is really bad on your red blood and platelets, n is and cisplatin is tougher than the carbo. I hope she has a long remission.Have they never given her procrit or aranesp for the red blood. So far I have just had to get the shot, no transfusion. Donna