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FLOT chemotherapy? How many rounds?
Esophageal Cancer | Last Active: 17 hours ago | Replies (33)Comment receiving replies
We just went to the oncologist and talked with the chemo lady. Most people I’ve spoken with about FLOT have said they were given an estimated number of rounds (anywhere from 6 to 8, maybe separated by the surgery and breaks). So this is what I was expecting. They didn’t give us even an estimate. She just said they do scans and when it’s done what it needs to do that’s when they stop. I’m pretty upset right now. I know it’s going to be very hard and having an estimated end point makes it a little easier. Is this usual? I expected they’d do a scan at some point and, if they needed to do more they would, but to not have a guesstimate is torture.
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@emersonmoon, I can understand your being upset and upended with no fixed end in sight. It can sometimes help to get through the side effects knowing when and where the end is.
Often a patient gets a total of 8 cycles of FLOT . Four cycles before surgery, then surgery, followed by cycle 5-8 about 6 to 12 weeks after the operation. But as you've seen from others posts, this can vary.
It sounds like your team will monitor the effectiveness of the chemotherapy closely to determine how many cycles will benefit your husband. They will monitor shrinkage to see when surgery may be possible. While you may not have a clear timeline and no goal post to shoot for, I think your team is tailoring the protocol around your husband's health status and the responsiveness of the tumor to the treatment.
I think these are some questions that you can ask the oncologist to make sure. Let them know that you find it hard to deal with the unknown and that an estimate would help.