: Re: Bert's Visit To USC/Norris Cancer Center

[Guest guest]

, your input has helped tremendously. I know Bert feels he

should go for it and in my heart, I feel the same way. The doctor

did not mean that oxil will not be an option in the future, should

the need arise. He was aiming more towards decisions that we might

make now will possibly have consequences later and could close a

couple of doors. The doc basically feels that do everything you can

now to prevent recurrence and deal as best as you can with it should

it even happen. I hope that explains it a little better.

Thanks again so much . I have thought about it a great deal

today and I believe to go with the oxil now is the better choice.

Hugs to you and stay well.

Monika

> Monika,

>

> I don't understand what this doctor is talking about when he

says " if

> it comes back, Oxaliplatin is not an option " after taking it for 1

> cycle as a stage III. I have known stage IV's that started out on

> Camptosar, it stopped working, they went on to other drugs which

> stopped working, and a year later went back to Camptosar which

> apparently worked again for a couple months. There are NO hard and

> fast " rules " when it comes to giving chemo drugs...if the drug is

on

> the market, any oncologist can prescribe it. Not like SURGERY,

where

> you are inoperable should a met or two fall in the " wrong "

location.

> So I really don't see the door as " being forever closed " , even

> assuming recurrence. You have to remember that every one of these

> oncologists is going to have a different opinion. I PROMISE you

that

> you can find another one who will give Bert Oxal later should he

> experience recurrence!

>

> So if you/he BELIEVE that the Oxaliplatin would help, my view is to

> go ahead and try it now. Whether or not it can help I do not know.

> The stage II/III clinical trial results to date have not

> been " spectacular " even for a full course (6 months) of

Oxaliplatin/5-

> FU/LV, so it is impossible to say what a single cycle of it could

do.

> I would assume you are looking at something potentially in the

range

> of adding a couple percentage points to " cure " rate (e.g. going

from

> 60% chance of " cure " without Oxal, to 63% chance of cure with 6

> months of Oxal). That guess is based on what I read regarding Oxal

> trials for pre-stage IV colon cancer. On the other hand, if Bert is

> able to tolerate the drug well, and you've got insurance to pay for

> it, what does it hurt for him to do it?

>

> What I always tell people when it comes to making treatment

decisions

> is this: Bert must make the decision based on " regret assuming

> recurrence " . What I mean by that is, if he experiences recurrence,

> and he DOESN'T do the Oxal now, how much would he regret not having

> done the extra cycle? If he says " yeah, I would regret that a

lot! " ,

> then he should NOT WAIT, GO FOR IT NOW and get the Oxal cycle.

> Believe me, you are FAR better off preventing a recurrence than you

> are trying to deal with it after recurrence has happened (!)

>

> Just my opinion...and I'm no doctor! I will, however, note that

Dr.

> Marshall expressed a very similar opinion to what I've said

here

> at the CCA conference last Spring. He basically stated that any

> patient who DELAYS taking a chemo drug as a stage III because of

FEAR

> that " there will be nothing left if I experience recurrence later "

is

> making a BIG mistake!

>

> Hope this helps!

>

> Best Wishes,

>

>