FEC and Taxotere |
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cgraves3rv 
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 Posted: Jan 05 2008 at 9:13pm |
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What is FEC? I am researching treatments and I haven't found this one. It wasn't on the info sheet my doctor gave me. Thanks, Connie
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bronwyn
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Posted: Jan 05 2008 at 9:43pm |
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Has anyone been left with swollen feet after Taxol ?
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Terri
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Posted: Jan 06 2008 at 5:18am |
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FEC is the combination of 5FU, Epirubicin, and Cytoxan. My Med Onc said it is used alot for triple neg bc and is a very good treatment.
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theshalhoubs
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Posted: Jan 06 2008 at 11:55am |
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I had 4 tx of Taxol and 3 tx of Abraxane (sister drug of Taxol), and I personally haven't had trouble with edema in my feet...but my doctor always checks for that side effect.
Belinda
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cgraves3rv
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Posted: Jan 06 2008 at 1:55pm |
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Thanks so much for the info on FEC. The oncologist gave me 3 handouts for possible treatments. One just says Third Generation Regimen but doesn't list the drugs. It has the highest survival rate but is also the most aggressive and toxic. I'll ask on the 10th if FEC is in the regimen. I do have another handout that has CA*F, CMF, or FE(50)C*6. I wonder if this last one is the FEC but I don't know what the numbers represent. This had the lowest survival rate.
I am so glad to have found this discussion board! Thanks Connie
P.S. Is anyone on the discussion board in the Memphis, TN. area?
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Terri
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Posted: Jan 06 2008 at 2:21pm |
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You are welcome Connie.
Please post when you find out what your handouts mean. I would like to know what is in the aggressive tx and what is in the tx that has the lowest survival rate and what percentage that rate is. Thanks! Terri
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Nikol
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Posted: Jan 07 2008 at 10:45am |
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Hi everybody,
I am very glad that theshalhoub has good response to chemo and decided for radiology. Dear theshalhoub you have written many informations about it and this will help also another new diagnosed women. And also Terri is doing well.
Brownyn has asked about swollen leg. I have read about Taxol on Internet following: as side effect it can cause fluid retention and it is possible to reduce it by pretreatment with steroids. When I was in treatment my oncologist prescribed me also steroids against this side effect which I should take before chemo. Your oncologist can help you with medicine.
It would be interesting to know about the newest research in the field of chemo which work for TNBC. But sometimes to read about survival rates especially when you are in the treatment can be difficult. I think sometimes that all these statistics with numbers are horrible things for cancer patients. Maybe these numbers are not always so important.
Nikol
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theshalhoubs
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Posted: Jan 07 2008 at 11:50am |
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Statistics are numbers that don't tell you whether a pt was compliant with their tx. I believe if you do everything you can to get well, you have the best of the odds. I think stats are depressing too...the chemo RN told me that everyone is a individual...you are NOT a stat...that keeps me more positive
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I'm also on steroids with my Abraxane (and when I was on Taxol)...so perhaps that is another reason that I don't have edema (swelling) in my feet and legs. I was on Decadron (steroid) 10mg IV with chemo each tx; now I am on a decreased dose...Decadron 5 mg IV with chemo, b/c the steroid was causing my abdomen to distend (bloat) and it was causing a rapid weight gain...but not to the point of shortness of breath or decreased appetite/difficulty eating...however, I haven't noticed a difference yet...I just got the 5mg dose this past Thursday.
Love you ALL
Belinda |
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marreb
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Posted: Jan 07 2008 at 1:32pm |
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Hi Nikol,
It's too late for me to ask for the port. I finished chemo in July. The damage is already done. My arm is really painful. Sometimes I have what feels like spasms. Ahhhh......... the awful side effects of chemo. I have also gained a lot of weight. I try to walk as often as possible, 4-5 kilometers 3-4 times a week. It is really slow going though. I guess age has a lot to do with that. I will be 50 next month.
I was also disappointed when my hair came back curly, but it doesn't bother me as much now, at least I have hair, and I'm not cold all the time.Ha-ha.
I am now 6 months past my last treatment and I am starting to feel like my old self again. I do still get really tired if I over do it and I am always in bed early. Looking forward to going back to work if possible.
Marreb
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cgraves3rv
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Posted: Jan 07 2008 at 3:21pm |
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Terri, I'll be glad to post what I learn about the survival rate charts after the 10th. I think the oncologist mentioned this was a study done in England but I'm not sure. I haven't started chemo, but I feel like I have chemo brain with all this stuff swimming in my head.
I am going to my first support group meeting Tuesday night and hope to learn stuff from the others there. Hopefully there will be others who are triple negative.
Take care, Connie
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theshalhoubs
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Posted: Jan 07 2008 at 6:40pm |
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During my meeting with the Radiology Oncologist (practicing 25yrs), he warned me about relying on research or stats from Europe, b/c their Chemotherapy is different. The only way to compare your chances with someone else is to compare the survival of pts who have the same cancer, same stage, and the same tx (chemo drugs, surgery, and radiation). The journals that I've read say pts who have a pCR (complete pathological response) 100% chemotherapy effect in the NeoAdjuvant setting prior to surgery have an excellent prognosis for being cancer free...Journal excerpt:
Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2007 ASCO Annual Meeting Proceedings (Post-Meeting Edition).
Differential response to primary chemotherapy and long-term survival in patients with triple-negative breast cancerC. Liedtke, C. Mazouni, K. R. Hess, A. Tordai, F. André, W. F. Symmans, A. M. Gonzalez-Angulo, M. Green, G. N. Hortobagyi and L. Pusztai MD 10519 Objective. Triple-negative breast cancer is defined as a subtype of invasive breast cancer which lacks estrogen and progesterone receptor expression as well as HER2/neu expression and is highly similar to the basal-like subtype defined by gene expression profiling. Method. 1,143 patients treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center in neoadjuvant trials were included in a retrospective comparative analysis between triple-negative tumors and non-triple-negative tumors for response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy as well as long- term survival. Results. 827/1,143 (72%) patients had received taxanes, either as a single-agent (n=60) or in combination with anthracycline (n=767), whereas the remainder patients received an anthracycline-only chemotherapy. Overall 258/1,143 (23%) tumors were triple- negative. Complete pathological response (pCR) was achieved in 63/257 (25%) patients with triple-negative tumors compared to 99/888 (11%) in patients with non-triple-negative tumors (odds ratio [OR] 1.14, 95%CI: 1.09–1.20, p=.0082). Triple-negative status correlated significantly with high nuclear grade (p<.0001), whereas no significant correlation with any established clinicopathologic parameter was observed. However, 5-year overall survival (5yrOS) was 66% in the triple-negative group compared to 83% in the non-triple-negative control group (OR 2.1, 95%CI: 1.6–2.8, p<.0001). In multivariate analyses, triple-negative status (hazard ratio 2.0, 95%CI: 1.4–2.8, p<.0001), high nuclear grade, increased tumor size (HR 1.5, 95%CI: 1.3–1.8, p<.0001), positive nodal status (HR 1.4, 95%CI: 1.2–1.7, p=.0002) and high nuclear grade (HR 1.7, 95%CI: 1.1- 2.4, p=.0089) were significantly associated with decreased 5yrOS. When survival was analyzed according to both response rate and triple negative status, achievement of pCR was a stronger predictor of survival compared to triple-negative status. Conclusion. Triple- negative expression status among patients with breast cancer constitutes an independent unfavorable prognostic factor with regards to overall survival unless achieving pCR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. |
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theshalhoubs
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Posted: Jan 07 2008 at 6:40pm |
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During my meeting with the Radiology Oncologist (practicing 25yrs), he warned me about relying on research or stats from Europe, b/c their Chemotherapy is different. The only way to compare your chances with someone else is to compare the survival of pts who have the same cancer, same stage, and the same tx (chemo drugs, surgery, and radiation). The journals that I've read say pts who have a pCR (complete pathological response) 100% chemotherapy effect in the NeoAdjuvant setting prior to surgery have an excellent prognosis for being cancer free...Journal excerpt:
Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2007 ASCO Annual Meeting Proceedings (Post-Meeting Edition).
Differential response to primary chemotherapy and long-term survival in patients with triple-negative breast cancerC. Liedtke, C. Mazouni, K. R. Hess, A. Tordai, F. André, W. F. Symmans, A. M. Gonzalez-Angulo, M. Green, G. N. Hortobagyi and L. Pusztai MD 10519 Objective. Triple-negative breast cancer is defined as a subtype of invasive breast cancer which lacks estrogen and progesterone receptor expression as well as HER2/neu expression and is highly similar to the basal-like subtype defined by gene expression profiling. Method. 1,143 patients treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center in neoadjuvant trials were included in a retrospective comparative analysis between triple-negative tumors and non-triple-negative tumors for response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy as well as long- term survival. Results. 827/1,143 (72%) patients had received taxanes, either as a single-agent (n=60) or in combination with anthracycline (n=767), whereas the remainder patients received an anthracycline-only chemotherapy. Overall 258/1,143 (23%) tumors were triple- negative. Complete pathological response (pCR) was achieved in 63/257 (25%) patients with triple-negative tumors compared to 99/888 (11%) in patients with non-triple-negative tumors (odds ratio [OR] 1.14, 95%CI: 1.09–1.20, p=.0082). Triple-negative status correlated significantly with high nuclear grade (p<.0001), whereas no significant correlation with any established clinicopathologic parameter was observed. However, 5-year overall survival (5yrOS) was 66% in the triple-negative group compared to 83% in the non-triple-negative control group (OR 2.1, 95%CI: 1.6–2.8, p<.0001). In multivariate analyses, triple-negative status (hazard ratio 2.0, 95%CI: 1.4–2.8, p<.0001), high nuclear grade, increased tumor size (HR 1.5, 95%CI: 1.3–1.8, p<.0001), positive nodal status (HR 1.4, 95%CI: 1.2–1.7, p=.0002) and high nuclear grade (HR 1.7, 95%CI: 1.1- 2.4, p=.0089) were significantly associated with decreased 5yrOS. When survival was analyzed according to both response rate and triple negative status, achievement of pCR was a stronger predictor of survival compared to triple-negative status. Conclusion. Triple- negative expression status among patients with breast cancer constitutes an independent unfavorable prognostic factor with regards to overall survival unless achieving pCR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. |
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trip2
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Posted: Jan 08 2008 at 3:41am |
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Hi Connie, Please do let us know and good luck at your support group tonight.
I would be interested in how you felt about the group and the experience.
Are they bc survivors or c survivors?
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Stage 2 2003
Stage 1 2007 BRCA 1+ |
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cgraves3rv
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Posted: Jan 08 2008 at 4:30pm |
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Hi Pam,
Well I didn't go to the support group because we had severe thunderstorms come through the Memphis area today and I would have been in the middle of the storm. So, I'll try Feb. It is for breast cancer. So far, the other support groups I have found are for any type of cancer and there is one for lung cancer. I'm going to keep looking to see if there is something I have missed. Take care, Connie
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trip2
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Posted: Jan 09 2008 at 4:31am |
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Morning Connie, sorry to hear about the bad storms, I wouldn't have gone out either.
I had considered a support group, the closest one, earlier last year when diagnosed again but didn't make it up there, too sick most of the time. I'm sure it was a mixed group.
Well good luck next time and keep us posted,
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Stage 2 2003
Stage 1 2007 BRCA 1+ |
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Nikol
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Posted: Jan 09 2008 at 8:52am |
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Hi girls, I would like to post reply for these members:
Theshalhoub: Dear Belinda I have seen this article related to radiology and reconstruction, maybe you will find there some informations for you:
Impact of Postoperative Radiation Therapy on Postmastectomy Breast Reconstruction http://www.oncolink.com/conferences/article.cfm?c=3&s=47&ss=267&id=1722 Marreb: I am verry sorry that you couldn´t use a port for FEC, for me it was also to late to start using it and know what does it mean. But to loose weight is always possible even at your age. I have experience that it is possible but in my case was it slowlier. I think that after cancer treatment the body is more tired and its reaction is also different. You will need a lot of patience with it, walks are very good idea.
Trip2 Dear Pam, nice to meet you here. How are you and your daughter? I have read your story at websites of our forum. You deal with a reaccurance and also with the cancer of your daughter. You take much care of this forum. Are you still in treatment? I am interested in it.
What is your experience with support group which you visit and also experience of Conny?
I wish all participants a nice day.
Nikol
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trip2
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Posted: Jan 09 2008 at 12:26pm |
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Hi Nikol, you are always so helpful to others, how are you doing?
My daughter and I are doing pretty good. She is in the middle of reconstruction and I'm 4 months out from chemo. Soon I'll be having
my first check-up and this friday having another CAT scan.
Take care Nikol
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Stage 2 2003
Stage 1 2007 BRCA 1+ |
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theshalhoubs
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Posted: Jan 09 2008 at 1:05pm |
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Thank you so much NIKOL...I read both articles and I am going to take it with me to see the Plastic Surgeon...b/c he is so conservative on helping reconstruct women who need Radiation...I can't thank you enough.
Belinda
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cgraves3rv
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Posted: Jan 10 2008 at 6:46pm |
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Terri, here is the info I learned from my oncology visit today regarding the charts he gave me several weeks ago. He entered my statistics into a computer program and it gave 3 options. The only issue is that he had to compromise a little because it didn't allow him to put in exact info for some reason. My status is: ER negative, Grade 3, tumor size 2.1-3.0 (actual size was 2.3cm) Nodes involved: he put 0 because the node was behind the tumor and tiny. He said this would balance the fact that the tumor range in the program was larger than my tumor. Today I asked him if he changed the node to 1 what would happen. He said it would change to the numbers only slightly.
The printout was called Shared Decision Making. There are 4 bars that are divided into 4 colors, each representing the number of people alive or dead out of 100. I don't know why the number is 100. Something to ask next time.
Printout #1
Chemo regimen: CA*4, CMF, or FE(50)C*6
With this regimen if the decision was no Additional Therapy:
62 women out of 100 are alive in 10 years, 30 die because of Cancer and 8 die of other causes
With Hormonal Therapy:
Less than 1 out of 100 women are alive because of therapy
With Chemotherapy : 5 out of 100 are alive because of therapy
With Combined Therapy: 5 out of 100 women are alive because of therapy
Printout #2
Chemo regimen: Anthracycline;>4 cycles>2 Agents
With No Additional Therapy and the Hormanal Therapy, the numbers are the same as in example #1
With Chemo: 10 out of 100 women are alive because of therapy
Combined Therapy:10 out of 100 are alive because of therapy
Printout#3
Chemo Regimen: Third Generation Regimen: There are 3 options:
FECx3, then TaxoteseX3 ( I think he meant Taxotere when he wrote it up)
OR TACx6 OR ACX4, Taxol x4 every 2 weeks (dose dense)
With these options an additional 13 out of 100 are alive because of therapy.
The way this was explained is that you combine the 62 women alive with no additional therapy with the numbers alive because of therapy. So in the last example 75 women are alive but 13 were helped by these treatments. So 75% is something I'll go for.
I have decided on the FECx3 with Taxoterex3. I don't need radiation and will have reconstruction finished sometime during treatment I hope.
I hope I haven't completely confused you or anyone with the handout info.
Hugs to all, Connie
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Terri
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Posted: Jan 11 2008 at 4:53am |
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Hi Connie,
Thanks for posting the info, although it is a little confusing . I don`t understand why they would mention hormone tx when we are triple negative and don`t benefit from hormone therapy. I just had my 4th FEC of 6 treatments then have to do 7 1/2 weeks of radiation. My oncologst said the FEC with the lumpectomy would give me about 80% chance of survival for 5 years. Well no matter what the odds are on paper we must believe we will be in the survivor category and be strong and positive
 I hope your choice of chemo is the best for you and we are all here to get you through it. When will you start? Terri
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