Re: questions regarding oxaliplatin

[Guest guest]

Monika's husband used it with stage 3 and currently is No evidence of disease

(NED). It is more commonly used for Stage 4 but there has been some use with

stage 3. I would definitely ask your oncologist.

Narice

" As long as I know the WHO

I can bear any HOW

even though I don't know WHY "

(Commentary on Job from Dialogue in Despair)

[Guest guest]

Many stage III patients, before recent FDA approval, were and are

receiving oxaliplatin combined with the standard adjuvant 5fu/leuc

treatment. One of the reasons we switched oncologists was because in

many trials, this three way combo has shown significant improvement

in the treatment of stage III colon cancer, both for keeping

recurrence at bay and ultimately for complete cure. Bert's first

oncologist did not use this protocol...just the regular 5fu/leuc as

was dictated by the insurance plan that Bert was insured with. My

plan however covered this treatment so I added Bert to it and off we

went to get it with a much more aggressive oncologist and we have

never looked back.

Narice is right...Bert is NED...has been that way now for 1 1/2

years. God willing, and I pray real hard that he his, Bert will stay

that way.

Monika

> Thank you for everyones reply to my questions and introduction

>

> I have a question regarding oxaliplatin. I have been researching

the

> drug since Joe suggested it and from what I can find it's

suggested

> use is in palliative stage colorectal cancer. Is this true or are

> there advantages to using it in stage III?

>

> I live in Canada and the rules here are different. I called about

the

> drug and it is hard to get here. You have to go to special boards

and

> get special " permission " to use it. I am not saying it is right

just

> the way it is. Sometimes publicly funded health care has it's

> drawbacks.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

It has been formally approved in the US for adjuvant

(translation = prevent recurrance) treatment of stage iii disease

only since early november of this year. The following link points

towards the most recent fda approved label:

http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2004/021492s004lbl.pdf

It has been approved for a couple of years for the palliative

treatment of stage IV disease. In fact, I was on it at one point.

Don't be fooled into thinking it is a free ride - if you get

treatment with it and you are like most people, there will be a side

effect premium that you will pay - but at the same time you will

also only do it once for six months and in vast majority of people

they go away for good after a couple of months of being off. The

paragraph below states the effect that study data showed it has in

cases like yours.

Perusing the applicable study in the document above indicates

about a 7.5% improvement in disease free survival after a set number

of months. In other words, 7.5% fewer people had recurrance than

was the case with 5FU/Leucovorin. In the world of cancer, that is

fairly significant. Or, out of 1000 people, 75 fewer had recurrance.

In Canada, I think you are right in that a Special Access

Request would have to be completed by your doctor in order for

him/her to buy it to use in your situation - it doesn't even appear

to be an " emerging " treatment at this point. If you feel strongly

about it, I would recommend that you get your doc to at least try,

and use the label study data and fda approval as justification; if

you look hard enough, you'll be able to dig up studies that

supported EU approval (it is also approved for the same use in the

EU) as well.

I don't know if it would apply in a place where there is

socialized medical care, but the page at

http://www.eloxatin.com/hcp/reimbursement.asp has a telephone number

and generally explains how one can apply to get access to the drug

for free.

Hope this helps - Joe

> Thank you for everyones reply to my questions and introduction

>

> I have a question regarding oxaliplatin. I have been researching

the

> drug since Joe suggested it and from what I can find it's

suggested

> use is in palliative stage colorectal cancer. Is this true or are

> there advantages to using it in stage III?

>

> I live in Canada and the rules here are different. I called about

the

> drug and it is hard to get here. You have to go to special boards

and

> get special " permission " to use it. I am not saying it is right

just

> the way it is. Sometimes publicly funded health care has it's

> drawbacks.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Oxaliplatin was approved for use in the adjuvant setting for Stage III

about a month ago in the U.S., as it has a demonstrable increased

efficacy over 5fu/leuk alone.

A lot of forward-thinking docs have been using it as adjuvant therapy

in the U.S. for some time. I actually had it 1 1/2 years ago for high

risk stage II.

Good luck.

> Thank you for everyones reply to my questions and introduction

>

> I have a question regarding oxaliplatin. I have been researching the

> drug since Joe suggested it and from what I can find it's suggested

> use is in palliative stage colorectal cancer. Is this true or are

> there advantages to using it in stage III?

>

> I live in Canada and the rules here are different. I called about the

> drug and it is hard to get here. You have to go to special boards and

> get special " permission " to use it. I am not saying it is right just

> the way it is. Sometimes publicly funded health care has it's

> drawbacks.

>

>

>