New Study on Ovarian Cancer from Japan

[PinkTissue]

My mum's doctor shared with us the latest findings from the Japanese which was released this Monday. They have completed their studies on the use of carboplatin/taxol. Apparently, in the study, the patients were given 18 weekly dosage of carboplatin/taxol rather than once every 3 weeks. Patients who went through the 18 weekly dosage have on average, managed to get at least 1 year of remission - which according to my mum's doctor, is pretty significant.

We are still thinking whether to adopt the chemo pattern - but the thought of having chemo for 18 weeks continuously is really scary.

[melenzbee83]

so let me clarify . . .you mean one treatment, each week for 18 weeks as opposed to one every 3 weeks? Well i must of been part of the trial in Japan (my oncologist recently returned from there with news of new treatments) except my oncologist has advised his results show a 18 month- 24months period in remission
and that he has another girl my age 5 years clear and another woman 8 years out! Mine involved 3 treatments in a 3 week cycle so that averages out to one a week. To make mine even more toxic two of my 3 were IP , one which was cisplatin. So i would go IV day one, IP day two and IV day 7 then two weeks off. so i guess i really had 3 in 2 weeks but then got a week off. mine also lasted for 18 weeks.

I meet with another oncologist tomorrow he is head of oncology as well but at a different hospital as i would like a second opinion. Apparently his doctorine and studies have always been on ovarian cancer and comes from England and is constantly going overseas to share findings- i will ask him about recent studies and what mine was apart of.

[Pat4444]

I think the weekly IV is tolerable,,I get it, 40 mgs a week x body area or weight. It is for maintenance, after initial Rx. I have met those who get 80 mgs a weekx body area and it isin't bad. With the lower dose I get 24 treatments, with the higher 12 treatments.

I was NED after intial treatment and we don't know but onc believes it extends disease free.

All I can say is it is a piece of cake, had it today. You have to drink alot of water but hair is growing, no nausea, a small dose of steroid and claritin and pepcid and they zap it in in an hour.

If I could do it all over, I would go with weekly IV/IP if it was available. THat monthly regimin was hard and I went once every 4 weeks, not every 3 weeks.

[dian07]

I have to wonder at the dosage......if I got that massive dose weekly I would have been totally wiped out.....don't you think?
It is a rainy fall day here in NW Iowa....sort of dreary.....I guess it suits the kind of news we are hearing today.....Chris and Deandra.....Becky isn't doing the best either.....that missing little seven year old girl down in Florida.....sigh.
At least you threw something hopeful into the day!  Thanks.
Have a good one.
Peace.
dian

[hopeshell]

I meant 18 weekly

[hopeshell]

Yes, 18 months of solid chem does sound overwhelming but the remission part is great!  Thanks for sharing the info.

[bohan54]

Interesting.  It's all a trade off.  How long are you willing to be miserable to get some time when you're not even tho you know you will be again?  What a quandry!