Starting 2 dose carboplatin next week

[DougC]

I posted on the forum a while back and was unsure which option to take for preventative treatment with Stage 1 Seminoma after I/O. I have decided on Carboplatin - 2 doses.

Can anyone tell me how I should expect to feel after the first treatment which I get next week. The second one will be 3 weeks later.

Do you think I will be able to work OK. How long after treatment will I feel sick or tired? Can I drive home from the hospital OK after treatment?

What follow-up monitoring regime should I expect to be on after this treatment?

Anyone's experiences would be appreciated.

Regards
Doug

[Scott]

The NCCN guidelines recommend the same follow-up as if you had chosen surveillance: tumor markers every 3-4 months for years 1-3, every 6 months for years 4-7, then annually; abdominal/pelvic CT at each visit and chest x-ray at alternative visits up to year 10.

[dadmo]

Why have you choosen to ignore surveillance.? The long term survival with close follow-ups is the same as if you get treated now or put it off until you're sure it's needed.

[Krokar]

Do you think I will be able to work OK. How long after treatment will I feel sick or tired? Can I drive home from the hospital OK after treatment?
What follow-up monitoring regime should I expect to be on after this treatment?
Regards
Doug

Hello Doug,

I received 3 courses of Carboplatin and till today it's OK. I can tell you from my experiances, that after first course you will have no problem, don't forget to drink A LOT of water. One cycle will take around one hour, then you can drive home but I suggest somebody else will take you home, because you can feel somehow dizzy.
After first treatement I had no problems but you can expect some bad feeling in your stomach after second cycle after 3 weeks. Like Scott already expained to you monitoring regime is the same like for surveilance.
If you have any more question you can contact me anytime.

[DougC]

Hi Dadmo,

I didn't ignore surveillance but found it difficult to accept doing nothing but 'watching and waiting'. I guess some people would be able to cope with it better than others but I felt I wouldn't. Like another poster on this forum a few weeks back, I had an issue with RT so decided on the carboplatin option. I'm comfortable with my decision and if the surveillance is the same as for no treatment well I'm happy to follows that regime.

Krokar - I may get in touch with you after my first treatment if I have any questions - thanks for the offer.

Doug

[dadmo]

I may have chosen surveillance but you reasoning is sound. It can be very hard to not take action. Good luck and certainly keep in touch.

[Fed]

The decision to undergo adjuvant chemo vs. RT or surveillance for stage I seminoma really depends on what works best for you, and you really don't have any bad choices. The important thing is that you have settled on a course of treatment that will make you comfortable.

I am very curious to know how this works out for you. Adjuvant carboplatin is a treatment option that is not as widely accepted as adjuvant radiation or surveillance. If anything, you can contribute to the body of knowledge in that respect. I don't know how this would work, but have they offered to track your progress for statistical purposes? Any data of this sort can help validate this treatment option further.

Best of luck, and stay in touch!

[DougC]

They have'nt said anything specific about tracking me for statistical purposes but my oncologist has told me he keeps records related to all patients he treats so I guess he will have my data which can be added to any studies currently going on. I assume studies conducted on the success of a particular treatment request data from all hospitals where cancer treatment is carried out.

[TimsWife]

My husband chose the 2x Carboplatin. He received his treatment a year ago. He was able to work, but did take the day of and two days after off of work. He is a chef- so he is on his feet a lot. I woudl be happy to answer any questions.

[DougC]

Hi Timswife,

Glad to hear from you. I was feeling a bit lonely on my carboplatin mission with very few people able to respond with any direct experience of the treatment.

I'd really like to hear as much detail as you have time to give me about how Tim felt on the treatment. I'm also going for the 2 dose option - first on on Wednesday next, 18 April at 2.00 pm and the second one 21 days later (on 9 May I guess). 10 days after the first I have to visit the hospital to have my white blood cell count checked. I have read that 10 days after treatment the white cell count is at its lowest and that the patient can be most vunerable to infections. Did Tim have any issues related to this? Ten days after my first treatment I am scheduled to give a training course to a bunch of people over a two day period and it is away from home. Maybe not a good idea? What do you think?

I had planned to work right through all this but do you think that will be possible? I have an office job so I will not be on my feet much except for the training I talked about above. However, I'm studying for a Masters degree at night and have to complete a thesis by end of May when I also have exams!! Bad timing with this TC thing!!

Some questions:
1. While Tim took time off from work, does he think he would have been possible to work in an office job or was he just too tired?
2. Was he tired mentally or physically or both? (I'm trying to get a feeling for how well my brain with function and if I'll be able to work on my masters for my studies.)
3. How long after the first treatement before Tim felt completely normal again? e.g. able to run, cycle etc.
4. How long after the second treatement did he take to feel normal?

We have booked 2 weeks vacation in Corsica (an island of the South of France) starting on 15 June. If my last treatment is 9th May should I be OK fully recoverd by then? (It is my 50th birthday and our 25th wedding anniversary - that's the reason for the trip to Corsica - a kind of dream holiday (I hope)!!

I hope you don't mind all the questions but I always feel better whn I know what to expect than just not knowing what lies ahead.

I hope you and Tim are feeling good.

Krokar
I know you also had carbolatin and maybe you could answer the same questions from your point of view. I know you had 3 doses so maybe you felt a little different.

Bye for now

[Krokar]

Some questions:
1. While Tim took time off from work, does he think he would have been possible to work in an office job or was he just too tired?
2. Was he tired mentally or physically or both? (I'm trying to get a feeling for how well my brain with function and if I'll be able to work on my masters for my studies.)
3. How long after the first treatement before Tim felt completely normal again? e.g. able to run, cycle etc.
4. How long after the second treatement did he take to feel normal?

We have booked 2 weeks vacation in Corsica (an island of the South of France) starting on 15 June. If my last treatment is 9th May should I be OK fully recoverd by then? (It is my 50th birthday and our 25th wedding anniversary - that's the reason for the trip to Corsica - a kind of dream holiday (I hope)!!

Hello Doug,
I know you fell litlle lonely but I have met A LOT of friebds who has been trough Carboplatin from many countries and they are all great. To answer your questions :

1. = You can work in office without a problem, but not first day after treatement., second day will be OK.
2 = You will be tired. I spent a lot in my bed sleeping most of the time, you must now that also your body will recover in this way in the best way.
3 = I had much, much more problems because my scar after surgery. Comparing to this when you can cycle
4 = It will not be some big difference between first or second cycly. After each you will need day or two to get back, but still be carefull for some infection...

And for you vacation..., don't worry at all. At that time you will be like a new man,and I wish you a lot of great time at Corsica.

[Englishgal]

Carboplatin experiences

My other half had a single dose of carboplatin in October, he only took 3 days off work, he did sleep alot but I think he would have done anyway (lazy so and so!)
He felt slightly sick for about 3 hours on the morning after the chemo.

He likened it to a hangover.

This is the favoured treatment for stage 1 seminoma in the UK especially in Bristol, where they have been using this treatment for 10 years.

If you want any further info please ask

[TimsWife]

HI-
I am so happy to answer your questions:

Some questions:
1. While Tim took time off from work, does he think he would have been possible to work in an office job or was he just too tired?
2. Was he tired mentally or physically or both? (I'm trying to get a feeling for how well my brain with function and if I'll be able to work on my masters for my studies.)
3. How long after the first treatement before Tim felt completely normal again? e.g. able to run, cycle etc.
4. How long after the second treatement did he take to feel normal?


1. The first 2 days he was really nausus and tired, especially after the 2nd round. He would have done better in an office than in a resturant. He was really tired.
2. More physically than mentally. I think you will be okay.
3. Normal after 2 weeks. He still tired easily, but other than that back to normal.
4. Same as first, the second round was definately tougher than the first, but the recovery time was about the same.

I think my best advice with the two doses of Carboplatin:
1) Drink a lot of water!!!!
2) Sleep a lot.
3) Eat even if you are not hungry- Tim felt better when he ate.
4) Tim really did well with Gatorade.
5) Talk to your Oncologist about taking a combo of Claritan & Alieve.
6) My anxiety was worst than his- he took Krytil & Compazine for nausa.

I hope this helps. We are happy to answer any questions. Please let me know if there are any more questions that you have.

Best of luck to you!
Kelly, Tim's Wife

[DougC]

Thanks for that response Kelly,

Just a couple more questions:

1. Claritan & Alievesure - are these drugs for nausea ?

2. Did Tim have any issues with low white blood cell count and infections? Like I said - I'm due to be away 10 days after my first treatment when I've read that white blood cells are at their lowest and your body is most vunerable to infection? I'm sure my oncologist will advise me on this but its always to hear other people's actual experiences.

Doug

[Sans rt1]

I will be interested in hearing how it goes for you.

A year ago when I was going through my decision process, my oncologist had offered the one-dose, but when I asked about the two dose he said that was not done and he could not recommend it because of lack of experience and because it would increase the the long term effects and risks to greater than the RT in his opinion. So, I chose RT as I did not think at the time one dose was enough.

But now I hear that the two dose is more common than what I read or was told at the time. Oh well. Good luck to you and keep us informed as to how it goes.