GTX protocol

skychief · New User Joined: 17 Oct 2007 Posts: 5

I have an identical twin, age 61, who was diagnosed in April with stage iv matastatic to the liver. Initial scan showed about a 4cm mass at the pancreatic head and 4-6 cm mass in the right lobe of the liver. He just completed 5 months of Gemzar/Tarceva and the cancer has grown to 9cm and 8cm. He is going to start a GTX (Gemzar/Taxotere/Xeloda) protocal tomorrow. His doctor said he is not optimistic since he did not respond to the Gemzar combo of the past 5 months. My question is: How much difference can be expected using Gemzar with the new combo? Does anyone have experience with this GTX protocol?

freeio · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 3:46 pm Post subject: GTX protocol

Well, I have been on the Gemzar and the Xeloda, but not the Taxotere. It would seem that there are a variety of mixes they can try, but unfortunately, pancreatic cancer does not routinely respond well to any of them. The Gemzar had few side effects to deal with, the Xeloda caused my hands and feet to peel, and caused a rough tongue. They slowed the cancer growth for a while, so that three years later I am still alive, but by now they have given up on treating the cancer at all, and I am under hospice care. That having been said, I am alive three years after being diagnosed with what they told me was a three month cancer, and so I consider myself well-blessed throughout this entire event.

My cancer log where I give all of the details is listed below.
_________________
-------------------------------------------------
whipple procedure, Oct. 21, 2004
28 days of radiation
56 days of Chemo using Xeloda
diagnosed as progressive recurrent pancreatic adenocarcinoma (Stage IV) Jun. 20, 2006
was treated with gemcitabine, oxaliplatin, and tarceva, which all failed.
Cancer blog: http://diehlmartin.com/cancer.html

audib · Regular Joined: 29 Jun 2007 Posts: 15

My father in law has been on Gemzar and Taxotere since the beginning of Sept. He just had his first CAT scan and the oncologist said that the tumor did not grow in size at all but has not shrunk either. My father in law is still a candidate for the Whipple and so their hope is to shrink the tumor so that they may be able to operate. Apparently the tumor is too near an important liver vein and they cannot operate until they get the tumor smaller and away from this vein. They have decided to add radiation treatment now in addition to the chemo for 6 weeks and then take another CAT scan. We have read about some good results with the GTX so it well may be a good protocol. Good luck to you.

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