Chemotherapy frequency options? - Chemotherapy Message Board

xpanda · 08-11-2003, 07:03 PM

Hi. My father was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer a few months ago. He has since had a fairly large tumour and 18 inches of his intestine removed. Small traces of cancer were detected by microscope in one of his lymph nodes. He has been told that if he does not enter a chemotherapy program that there is a 40% chance of the cancer returning.
His current chemotherapy regimen includes 5 days straight of treatment, three weeks off, then 5 more days, for a total of six months. However, his side effects are so debilitating that he is considering ceasing his treatment program. Obviously, my family and I are very concerned about what he is considering and are trying to encourage him to have his chemo once a week, every week, for the remaining four months of his program.

Has anyone here changed their regimen from five days to once a week, and if so, did you notice a reduction in the severity of your side effects?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

projapoti · 08-12-2003, 06:54 AM

X-panda!! You're from Canada too I see!

Anyway, there is some experimentation going on where they are giving a lower dose of chemo closer together. The rationale is, the side-effects are lower, and because the dose is lower, and it might be more effective to kill the tumour because you are giving it less chance to repair itself. Now, the problem is, I'm not sure WHICH tumours this exactly works on, or if it works on colon cancer tumours at all, but it is worth asking.

jaydees · 08-12-2003, 11:42 AM

xpanda, I replied to your (this) question in the Colon Cancer forum.

robinlee · 08-31-2003, 09:02 PM

hello i am not sure if this will help but my husband had testicle cancer and we didnt have chemo then it came back 3 years later in his lung the doctor didnt think he would live so we did the chemo the same as your father and it was hard it was alful but we wanted him to live to fight now 3 years later and 4 months of chemo and one surgery its all gone for 3 years now, so there is a purpose of the chemo being set that way... my husband would not have lived if it wasnt set that way... i hope this helps you.