Hello. I am new to LCSC and looking to find support for my mom who is starting chemo on Wednesday. She was first diagnosed with Stage 1 NSCLC in August of 2007. She had 1 localized tumor approx. 3cm. Underwent an upper lobectomy on the left side. All went well. No chemo or radiation recommended. 18 months passed she was doing well. In Jan. 2009, found reoccurence on left side in lower lobe. 1 single tumor again/approx. 1/2 inch in size. Underwent wedge resection to remove on 1/29/09. Met with cancer doctor last week and was recommended to begin chemo on Wednesday with a carboplatin/taxol combo 1x/3 weeks for 4 sessions. My mom is a very strong and positive person and feels she wouldn't be fighting hard enough if she didn't at least give this a try but we are all terrified of what the next couple of months may bring. No family history of chemo so we are all leaving our faith in the doctors hands that this is a preventative measure to hope that if there are any remaining cells lingering that the chemo prevent another reoccurence. Can anyone shed some light on their experience with carbo/taxol chemo ????

Hi, welcome to the group. Taxol/Carboplatin is a very common first-line treatment for NSCLC, and many of us here have had that combination. Practically everyone experiences hair loss and some degree of fatigue, but the other side effects vary considerably from one person to another. Some people develop peripheral neuropathy (numbness and tingling and shooting pains in the hands and feet) after being on Taxol for a while — it's a cumulative effect and may not reversible if it goes too far — and it needs to be reported to the oncologist immediately. I encountered neuropathy during my 6th cycle, but I had been advised to be on the lookout for it, and a quick call to my onc got me on medication which resolved the problem.

Nausea and allergic reactions are relatively uncommon these days because of the "pre-meds" given by IV at the beginning of each chemo session. If you follow the second link in my profile/signature block below, you'll find a fairly detailed account of my experience with Taxol/Carbo. I seem to be a bit more susceptible to skin problems than most patients, so those parts of my writeup may not be relevant to your mom. Though my months on Taxol/Carbo were not a lot of fun, there was never a day when I was debilitated to the point of being unproductive, and I never had any side effects serious enough to interfere with my treatment schedule. Best wishes and Aloha to you and your mom,

Ned

_________________
Ned is just my nickname, though it would be nice to merge it with the other meaning eventually...

Aloha means "Hello, goodbye, love, compassion, welcome, good wishes." It means belonging to others with a common humanity. It's defined better as a feeling in the heart than by words.

Dx NSCLC adenocarcinoma IIIb Sep 2006, now stage IV. Taxol+Carboplatin+Avastin 4 mo., Avastin 8 mo., Tarceva 16 mo., Alimta 12 mo. (sometimes combined with Cisplatin or Carboplatin), Navelbine since Feb 2010, 10 sessions of WBR in March 2011. See My Cancer Journey: viewtopic.php?p=351369#p351369 — UPDATED 03/05/2011.

Above left: Our golden retriever Rosie, who joined the family on 3/5/08 at the playful age of 2.

Below: Hannah, our golden companion 1994-2007.

Welcome to the forum!! Sorry you had the need to find us but glad you did.

I was on Carbo/Taxol and Avastin for 6 cycles. I did lose all my hair and the only other side effects I had was some fatigue (but not enough to put me in bed) and that awful metallic taste it gives you. The chemo nurses told me, and at first I laughed, to use plastic silverware if you get that. Believe it or not, it does help!!

I am now on my 5th line of chemo and have NEVER had any nausea or diarrhea from any chemo I have been on!! Maybe I am just lucky or maybe I am not smart enough to know when to get sick, but please let your mom know that long gone are the days when chemo patients looked like zombies. I think thats why so many people are so afraid of chemos. Ned is right, the pre-meds they give you really do help.

Oh, and they will probably want her to get a Neulasta shot, usually the day following chemo. Neulasta helps the bone marrow produce red bllod cells. Now - the day after the Neulasta shot she may have some pretty bad joint pain. Mine lasted for three days the first shot and then after subsequent shots, I had nothing. But I wish I had been warned because the day after the sbot, I woke up, and nothing moved on me!! At least if she knows to expect this, it won't be quite the shock to her.

Wishing your mom luck with her treatments. Please keep us posted on how both her, and you, are doing!!

Hugs - Patti B.

_________________
My personal war against cancer:
Stage IV at diagnosis 9/29/06- told 12 months tops.......yeah, right!!!
5 rounds of radiation R hip
15 Whole brain radiation txs 7/20 - 8/7/09
8 weeks on oral Tarceva
To date, 80 IV chemo sessions and still counting
Chemos have consisted of:
Carbo/Taxol/Avastin
Avastin alone
Alimta
weekly Navalbine
weekly Gemzar, now on Gemzar every other week due to blood counts
All my veins have become inaccessible - port installed 12/30/09
Put on Alimta/Avastin as a combo
Currently on Taxotere, on 3 weeks off one

I did not have that combination but had Cisplatin/Vinerolbine. I had my upper left lobe removed in Sept. 2007 also stage 1. I pushed to have adjuvant chemo even though it was not recommended for stage 1. i was concerned about stray cells as well. I had 4 rounds and didn't lose my hair just some thinning. So far all my test have been clear.

_________________
02/07 spot showed on chest x-ray
04/07 ct scan confirmed spot
07/07 pet scan could not confirm cancerous
09/07 had lobectomy of upper lobe on left lung.tumour was 2.1cm
10/07 lymph node samples were negative. classified as stage 1b.
12/07 Begin 4 rounds of adjuvant chemotherapy. Cisplatin and Vinerolbine on a 21 day cycle.
01/08 First 3 month chest x-ray was all clear.
03/08 After 3 rounds, cisplatin wil be replaced by carbo for the last round. Ringing in the ears is a side effect of cisplatn.
03/08/08 Had treatment yesterday of Carboplatin/Vinerolbine. So far feeling alot better than when I received the Cisplatin. Treatment lasted 2 hours compared to 5 hours for Cisplatin.
04/08 Chest x-ray. All clear.
06/08 chest CT Scan. All clear
09/08 Chest x-ray. All clear
11/08 Chest x-ray. All clear
02/09 Chest and abdomen CT Scan. All clear
04/09 Chest x-ray. All clear
06/09 Chest x-ray and abdominal ultrasound All clear
01/10 Chest x-ray. All clear

I had different chemo. I am glad she is getting chemo now, you sure wouldnt want another stray cell to set up housekeeping again! This will be sure to kill those little buggers! Keep us posted.

Donna G

_________________
NSCLC, 4 cm Pancoast tumor, diag. 12/3/97 Cisplatin and VP 16, Radiation, R upper lobectomy, more Cisplatin and VP 16. Celebrating 16 yrs of survival ! Click here and read MY STORY

http://lungevity.org/l_community/viewtopic.php?f47&t=9092

Hi there. As you have heard from others, this chemo mix can be quite tolerable, as most are these days. Everybody's experience is different though. I will send prayers that it does the job for your mom. It is good to hear she is in such fighting spirits. Take care and keep us posted on how you and your mom are doing.

Sandra

_________________
See my survival story at http://lungevity.org/l_community/viewtopic.php?t=39390

43 years old at diagnosis, wife and mother of 2 wonderful children (1 of each, 12 and 13).

March 2007-cough that wouldn't clear, gets progressively worse, can't sleep on left side by July 2007
August 2007-cloudy x-ray
Aug 27-finally a CT scan, and hospitalized, 3 litres of fluid on lung. Fluid drained, hospital stay, bronchs, mediastinoscopy, thorascopy. Had been told cancer earlier, not in fluid though. Tests done to confirm staging. Staging confirmed as Stage III A, later changed to III B.
Oct 4-PET scan for radiation planning.
Oct 17-Nov 28-30 radiation treatments
Oct 17 to Jan 11-4 rounds of chemo, cisplatin and etoposide
Jan 28-Ct scan/chest x-ray
Feb 12-doc said re CT scan "results are excellent, could possibly be a complete positive response!" Don't think it gets much better than that. I won't say NED yet....
Mar 18/08-NED!!!!! based on updated CT scan. Small pleural effusion left,difficult to tell, but rest is NED. And also cleared for START, liposome vaccine clinical trial.
April 3-1st day of vaccine, every week for 8 weeks, less frequently after that
-May 8-PET scan results, bone mets!!! Lungs still clear. Begin radiation/chemo planning. Off of clinical trial after 5 treatments.
-May 27 and 30, 2 radiation treatments, 14 greys total
-June 10-July 21-first 3 alimta infusion, also receiving zometa infusions separately
-CT scan results July 21-lungs still clear, back a mess, referred to a neurosurgeon for possible surgery
-Aug 13-1st gemzar infusion (stopped alimta, was intolerant and gemzar thought to be more effective)
Aug 16-MRI as reported pain in right leg, results were probable nerve damage from spine mets
-Aug20-end of first cycle of gemzar. Treatments stopped as was intolerant, too many side effects.
Sept 25-bone scan ordered by pain doc
Oct 3-started Tarceva, 150 mg
Oct 23 PET scan results-progression in spine and left lung with lymph node involvement-CRAP!!!!!
Nov 5-Tarceva down to 125 mg
Jan 20-failed bone cement procedure, pain worse
Jan 23-admitted to hospital for 10 days: full kidney failure, later discovered infection in chest which was lanced, identified dropped foot, off of Tarceva since Jan 20
Mar 31-1st of 10 radiation treatments to the spine
May 12-started navalbine

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will". -Mahatma Gandhi

"When the going gets tough, the tough get waterproof mascara" (assuming you have eyelashes left after chemo!)