FOLFIRINOX - 12 rounds

[Essee11]

Hello

My dad has just had round 6/12 of chemo and had rescan before final 6. We are awaiting the results next week.

I imagine he will manage the full 12 rounds as coping quite well. Can anyone tell me experience of what happened after the 12 rounds and how your loved ones did?

Thank you

[taoofpooh]

Hi.

I completed 12 rounds of Folfirinox, with some bumps along the way (infections etc).

I put some weight back and generally felt ‘better’ a month or so after completing the 12 rounds. Since then there has been a wait and see approach, with CT scans every three months. Whilst the chemo didn't shrink the tumour in my pancreas my can stayed ‘stable’.

I would say I had a ‘good’ 6 months before the benefits of the chemo started to diminish and now, 12 months after completing the chemo can feel the cancer has got a grip again with quite severe fatigue and some other symptoms. I am due another CT next month.

Of course everyone is different and your fathers journey will be unique to him.

Hope this helps.

[Borobi]

My husband had the 12 rounds and the tumour responded well - it shrank quite a bit. After that he had radiotherapy and then Gemcap chemo, with a poor result. He died last October. So he had a good and mainly very healthy 12 months after Folfirinox. But as others have said, everyone is different.

[Vasil]

My father finished his 12th round of Folfirinox two weeks ago. He is going to make a CT scan every three months and in case of progression he will start again chemo with Gemcitabine for a change. But I have a question to Paul. Dear Paul, can you tell me what a stable tumour means? While taking a break from chemo is the tumour still growing or its activity is temporarily suspended? Does it have anything to do with CA 19-9 levels because in my father's case this biomarker is still very high (over 600) despite moderate shrinkage of the tumour itself (say from 4 to 3.5 cm which amounts to almost nothing). I spoke to the oncologist today and he was unable to give me a precise answer. To some extent theirs is a trial and error approach. Dear Paul, the very fact that you have been cancer-free over a year after finishing treatment is a remarkable one and I am glad to hear it.

I have one more question. Has anyone experienced shrinkage of the tumour with chemo treatment and worsening symptoms at the same time? Because my father's condition has deteriorated in spite of the Folfirinox sessions with drastic weight loss and bypass surgery for gastric outlet obstruction. This disease is something of a mystery and honestly I don't get a thing.

[taoofpooh]

Hi Vasil.

'Stable' means that the cancer has not progressed to other organs, such as the lungs.

CA19-9 levels are a marker/indicator but from what I have gathered the CT scan report is much more of an indicator to tumour presence/growth than CA19-9.

I would like to say that I am cancer free but unfortunately the chemo doesn't rid one of the cancer, it can shrink it (this is a good result) or it can slow the growth (my outcome of the 12 rounds) or it can have no effect and the cancer spreads. Ultimately the chemo for most people buys time and can help with symptoms.

Hope this helps.

Kindest regards

Paul.

[Vasil]

Dear Paul, from what you say I gather that "stable" might refer to stage 3 only (locally advanced). Unfortunately my father had peritoneal mets at the time of diagnosis and generally they are hard to treat due to poor vascularity in the area of the abdominal lining. There is a slight shrinkage of the tumour but the mets are left untouched. Thank you, Paul.

[Essee11]

Hello and thank you for your replies.

My dad was diagnosed in sept and I honestly didn’t think he would see Christmas. To me he looks better after each session so I’m living in hope he is going to have as many good months after the 12 rounds in April as possible. He really deserves it