• From: Maine
  • Registered: Sat, 03 Mar 2012
  • Posts: 34

Topic: Abraxane working so far

My husband has distal bile duct cancer with lymph node involvement and abdominal mets. He is a one year survivor. We have never gotten 100% assurance that it isnt pancreatic so his doctor likes to try treatments for either disease. On Folfox, his markers went up. After one round of gemzar-Abraxane, they were down by more than half. Just wanted to share the good news. Celgene had good results with a trial of Abraxane and gemzar. He is having a CT scan this week and will hopefully have shrinking lymph nodes. We could use good news. Abraxane makes you lose your hair!

  • Lainy
  • Lainy
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  • From: Phoenix AZ
  • Registered: Fri, 13 Jan 2006
  • Posts: 8,215

Re: Abraxane working so far

Dear SweetGreen, thank you so much for the great update. Wishing your husband a ton of good luck on this week's Scan and please do let us know the results! We LOVE that shrinkage word.

Teddy ~In our hearts forever~ATTITUDE is EVERYTHING
Any suggestion I offer is intended as friendly advice based solely on my own experience. Please consult your doctor for professional guidance.
  • Registered: Fri, 12 May 2006
  • Posts: 8,165

Re: Abraxane working so far

Sweetgreen...congratulations on the significant shrinkage and thank you for sharing this great news with us.  Fingers are crossed for an excellent CT scan result and please, keep us posted.
Hugs,
Marion

THIS INFORMATION IS NOT INTENDED NOR IMPLIED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN OR OTHER QUALIFIED HEALTH CARE PROVIDER
  • From: California
  • Registered: Mon, 20 Aug 2012
  • Posts: 274

Re: Abraxane working so far

That's great to hear that your husband is responding well to this combo!

Willow
  • From: Willow Grove, PA
  • Registered: Wed, 06 Apr 2011
  • Posts: 773

Re: Abraxane working so far

We love that word: shrinkage! Prayers going out for a good scan.

Kris

Don't just have minutes in the day; have moments in time.
  • Registered: Fri, 15 Oct 2010
  • Posts: 1,735

Re: Abraxane working so far

Hi,
This combo provide about two more month in survival for pancreatic cancer patients.
It is again very expensive for such a short period of addition of life. Who knows Medicare will agree to cover the cost when Celgene applies for the FDA  approval  later this year for pancreatic cancer.
God bless.

Please know that my personal opinion is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. If  provided, information are for educational purposes.Consult doctor is a MUST for changing of treatment plans.
  • Registered: Fri, 12 May 2006
  • Posts: 8,165

Re: Abraxane working so far

We will find out more at ASCO 2013.  Here is a link:
http://www.azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=26397

Hugs,
Marion

THIS INFORMATION IS NOT INTENDED NOR IMPLIED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN OR OTHER QUALIFIED HEALTH CARE PROVIDER
  • From: Maine
  • Registered: Sat, 03 Mar 2012
  • Posts: 34

Re: Abraxane working so far

Hi Everyone -- Well my husband's CT scan is basically stable. Some of his lymph nodes were smaller, one is a bit larger. His CA 19-9 continues to go down. It's now at 427. We are going to stay on this course because we are on a compassionate care grant from Celgene and receive the treatment for free (Aetna wouldn't cover it, and it's $2,000 per treatment). Plus, he looks and feels great.

But, we are desperately looking for what to do next. We wanted to get into the immunology clinical trial in MD, but because he has a metal stent he is excluded. Apparently there have been a lot of infections with patients with stents. His stent is in a silicone sleeve, so if we really wanted to push it we could find a doctor who would remove it. But, his onc thinks his duct would close right up again. Let me know if you can think of anything -- especially anything to put us into a remission for awhile or kill the beast.

Thanks for being hopeful with me!

  • Registered: Fri, 15 Oct 2010
  • Posts: 1,735

Re: Abraxane working so far

Hi,
How about that TIL trial at NIH .

http://www.cholangiocarcinoma.org/punbb … 856#p68856

God bless.

Please know that my personal opinion is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. If  provided, information are for educational purposes.Consult doctor is a MUST for changing of treatment plans.
  • Registered: Fri, 12 May 2006
  • Posts: 8,165

Re: Abraxane working so far

This is the study:
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT0 … amp;rank=1
Hugs,
Marion

THIS INFORMATION IS NOT INTENDED NOR IMPLIED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN OR OTHER QUALIFIED HEALTH CARE PROVIDER
  • From: Maine
  • Registered: Sat, 03 Mar 2012
  • Posts: 34

Re: Abraxane working so far

That is the trial that excluded him bc of stent and risk of inflection sad

  • Registered: Fri, 12 May 2006
  • Posts: 8,165

Re: Abraxane working so far

Bridget....our site provides a direct feed to clinicaltrials.gov

http://www.cholangiocarcinoma.org/clinicaltrials.htm

It is geared to Cholangiocarcinoma trials, but as you know there are crossovers to pancreatic chemo regimens and that of other cancers.

There also is Molecular Testing which, may in turn lead to a targeted therapy.

Hoping for others to chime in also. 


Hugs,
Marion

THIS INFORMATION IS NOT INTENDED NOR IMPLIED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN OR OTHER QUALIFIED HEALTH CARE PROVIDER