My doc says i will have FEC after 12 weeks on Taxol. I dont want this. I would prefer to have surgery and the 6 weeks of raidation and by-pass the FEC. Why is this horribly harsh and potentially dangerous regimen necessary? Does anybody question this protocol?
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Q: why must I have have FEC chemo after taking 12 weeks of Taxol? do I have to have it? what options?
Answers (3)
12/28/09 5:29am
PLEASE ask your doctor about this before jumping in. You need to be fully convinced that this is the way to go. None of us here can provide you with information about why it might be necessary; only your doctor can do that. You can certainly refuse treatment (or choose a different regimen), but it would be good to know exactly what the consequences might be if you do.
FYI, I did FEC and didn't find it horribly harsh... but that was my experience, and you don't know what yours would be. You might consider getting a second medical opinion to help you with this decision. Good luck - PJH
1/ 7/10 7:07am
Lisa, I wouldn't begin to know the answer to this question - although I do know, from my own oncologist, that developing treatment with chemo is part science, part data, intuitiion, and part art - there's no "one best answer." My "wild" guess would be that they're starting with the "big gun" - Taxol - then "mopping up" with FEC.
Thankfully, you're at one of the very top cancer institutions in the country, and I'm sure when you ask they'll give you a good answer. I'm glad they're recommending FEC in place of AC, as it's always good to be able to avoid the "red devil" (Adriamycin). Best of luck to you - and thanks so much for your kind words. PJH
12/28/09 8:34am
The reason that many women receive both a taxane like Taxol and a chemo like FEC is that the two types of chemos work in different ways to attack cancer cells. With higher stage and/or more aggressive cancers, most oncologists like to attack the cancer cells from as many fronts as possible. Deciding whether this is the way you should go involves getting as many facts as possible about what usually happens to people with your type of cancer and assessing your own feelings about balancing possible side effects with preventing a recurrence. Before declining your oncologist's recommendation, you might want to get a second opinion, so that you have a better sense of whether he is being more aggressive than necessary.
12/28/09 8:59pm
I had a comparable regime, but the other way around: FEC, then Taxol. It was explained to me that the different drugs prevent cells from reproducing in different ways, hence the need for varying/combining them. The purpose of radiation is to zap dodgy cells in the local area of your cancer; chemo is for zapping cells that may be elsewhere in your body.
Stemaxx, I went kicking and screaming to each stage of my treatment. I questioned absolutely everything. My care team was extremely supportive and did not push me to have anything I didn't want, just explained everything thoroughly and helped me access more in-depth information. In the end I chose to have the full whack - mastectomy, chemo, radiation, and I'm now taking Tamoxifen. I've never regretted it.
There is one thing you might want to investigate: if you are node-negative, there is a gene test that indicates how much you are likely to benefit from chemo. It's called Oncotype DX.
All the best.
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By stemaxx— Last Modified: 12/27/10, First Published: 12/28/09
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PJH_ i have read MANY of your posts and you are SO knowledgeable and helpful to people like me, who are kind of....welll....."lost"...speaking for myself of course!
Since you had FEC you may know the answer to this. I had one doc suggest DD AC x 4 then DD T x 4. I am now at MD Anderson for a second opinon and they are suggesting: Taxol x 12 (weekly) followed by FEC (every 3 weeks) x 4. Do you know why they would suggest STARTING with Taxol...and not FEC?? Very curious.
I know that all institutions have their certain protocols. UCLA would have something different from UCSF which would be different from Stanford, etc. I understand that FEC is similar to AC , but less cardiotoxic, and I've seen good studies on Taxol vs Taxotere...but just VERY curious as to why MDA would start with Tx12 . I'm here another few days and will ask, but thought I would post in case others had similar questions. Thanks Ladies!!!!
Lisa