: Re: Getting less than full treatment may raise risk of recurrences

[Guest guest]

, I printed the whole article and read it and thank you for

thinking of me. My point exactly. Under normal circumstances, Bert

would be finishing his chemo regime with next weeks treatment

however, things did not go along as normal. He missed two in cycle

number two, and the dose was reduced in cycle number three. Even if

the onc changed his mind about adding of four cycle of another six

weeks to the original three cycles of six weeks, at the very least,

two extra rounds should be given for the two Bert missed.

I have e-mailed Dr. Lenz at USC/Norris, who is supposed to be taking

over Bert in January anyway. This is the onc who was going to add

oxaliplatin to another round of six treatments, commencing January.

He's supposed to get back to me with his thoughts of this latest move

by Bert's current onc no later than Tuesday a.m. I am waiting with

baited breath and will post results of that outcome once and outcome

is obtained.

As always , thank you.

Be well and take care.

Monika

> Hi All,

>

> Saw this article in the morning paper...and thought of Monika's

> recent update (post #7885) when I read it.

>

> Although technically about breast cancer, the same considerations

> apply for ALL cancer types.

>

> If you are talking about potentially CURATIVE chemo (which is the

> case for stage III colon cancer), it seems to me once you have

> decided the chemo is worth doing at all, then it is worth doing

RIGHT.

>

> I would suggest to those stage III's who feel the oncologist may be

> giving " less than full treatment " , to print this article out and

take

> it in for discussion!

>

> Anyway, link to full article is below - a brief exerpt follows...

>

> Best Wishes,

>

>

>

>

*********************************************************************

>

> Study: Breast cancer chemo often cut short

> Getting less than full treatment may raise risk of recurrences,

> worsening of disease

>

> By Grady The New York Times December 13, 2003

>

> http://www.indystar.com/articles/8/101901-3148-010.html

>

> [snip]

> A new study of 20,000 women with early breast cancer has found that

> more than half did not receive the recommended schedule of

> chemotherapy. That deviation may have put them at risk for

worsening

> of the disease or recurrences that could have been avoided.

>

> Doctors often delayed therapy or cut back the dosage out of concern

> about side effects.

>

> " I think the intention here is good, to not make patients sick, "

said

> Dr. H. Lyman, an author of the study and an oncologist at the

> University of Rochester (N.Y.). He said doctors were tempted to cut

> back or postpone chemotherapy in many types of cancer when they saw

> people having side effects. But, he warned, " patients need to be

> aware that, if their treatment is compromised too much, they may

lose

> in the long run, with the disease coming back. "