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Anyone on Gemcitabine with Abraxane? How long? Effective?

Posted by helenar @helenar, Aug 17, 2022

Hi, I'm Helena from South Africa. I have been diagnosed with PC, stage 4, in March. Tumour between body and tail and with one lesion on my liver.
I have been on Folfirinox for 3months, but it had no effect, allthough my markers came down from 3091 to 357, the tumour increased in size and there is another lesion on my liver.
I have started Gemcitabine with Abraxane.
Has anyone been on Gemcitabine/Abraxane?
If so, how long and how effective is this treatment?

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beatpcan | @beatpcan | Nov 7 6:21pm
In reply to @baravelli "I was dx Stage 1 in April 2024. I rec'd 6 gem/abrax infusions every other week..." + (show)
Profile picture for baravelli @baravelli

I was dx Stage 1 in April 2024. I rec'd 6 gem/abrax infusions every other week then had Whipple to remove the small adenocarcinoma on the head of my pancreas. 2 of 18 lymph glands were "involved". Started same chemo schedule post op and was "cleared" by end of Feb 2025. Mid Sept 2026 CA 19-9 jumped from 15 to 264. Over 6 mos! Sept CT showed nodules in both lungs. Largest was 8mm. Repeated CT of lungs only 3.5 weeks later. No change. So the CT in July did not show nodules then 90 days later 8mm nodules appeared??? I was told that we should wait until the largest nodule is 10mm before we can biopsy to see if it's pan-can or lung. Only side effects from gem/abrex was hair loss. & Low grade fever 2nd day post chemo with body aches that were tolerable for 1 - 2 days. I will be 79 this month and I thought early intervention was going to be my golden ticket! I look back and wonder if my chemo was strong enough? The last 18 months have been a large amount of Drs visits, iron infusions , (1 2)CTs, MRIs port maintenance every 90 days, dieticians, nutritionists , PT, therapists, device & drug training instructions and very little time to be social or do any hobbies
. I don't know if I'm making the right decisions re my care. Best of luck to you!!!

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@baravelli

May be get a second opinion on your situation?

As for the chemo, my Mom's oncologist didn't use folfirinox as he said the side effects would be quite harsh given her age and gem/abrax can be just as effective for some patients. She is on it every week for three weeks instead of every other week.

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jerryc131 | @jerryc131 | 6 days ago
In reply to @baravelli "I was dx Stage 1 in April 2024. I rec'd 6 gem/abrax infusions every other week..." + (show)
Profile picture for baravelli @baravelli

I was dx Stage 1 in April 2024. I rec'd 6 gem/abrax infusions every other week then had Whipple to remove the small adenocarcinoma on the head of my pancreas. 2 of 18 lymph glands were "involved". Started same chemo schedule post op and was "cleared" by end of Feb 2025. Mid Sept 2026 CA 19-9 jumped from 15 to 264. Over 6 mos! Sept CT showed nodules in both lungs. Largest was 8mm. Repeated CT of lungs only 3.5 weeks later. No change. So the CT in July did not show nodules then 90 days later 8mm nodules appeared??? I was told that we should wait until the largest nodule is 10mm before we can biopsy to see if it's pan-can or lung. Only side effects from gem/abrex was hair loss. & Low grade fever 2nd day post chemo with body aches that were tolerable for 1 - 2 days. I will be 79 this month and I thought early intervention was going to be my golden ticket! I look back and wonder if my chemo was strong enough? The last 18 months have been a large amount of Drs visits, iron infusions , (1 2)CTs, MRIs port maintenance every 90 days, dieticians, nutritionists , PT, therapists, device & drug training instructions and very little time to be social or do any hobbies
. I don't know if I'm making the right decisions re my care. Best of luck to you!!!

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@baravelli
This sounds just like my husband, except he had the Whipple first. They couldn’t get a clean margin. So next was radiation for 15 days. He was first classified as Stage 2, but after finding 2 affected lymph nodes of the 13 they took , he was “upgraded?” To stage 3. He is currently on the Gem/Abrex cocktail. He has completed 4 of 8 - so your experience really frightens me.
Were you treated at a cancer center? What are the doctors currently saying?
I wish you nothing but good news and cancer-free!

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cliffturner07 | @cliffturner07 | 5 days ago

I was on those two chemos and that was 51 monthss ago with SMARCB1/INI1 Pancreatic and February I will be 5 years post Whipple..

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baravelli | @baravelli | 5 days ago
In reply to @jerryc131 "@baravelli This sounds just like my husband, except he had the Whipple first. They couldn’t get..." + (show)
Profile picture for jerryc131 @jerryc131

@baravelli
This sounds just like my husband, except he had the Whipple first. They couldn’t get a clean margin. So next was radiation for 15 days. He was first classified as Stage 2, but after finding 2 affected lymph nodes of the 13 they took , he was “upgraded?” To stage 3. He is currently on the Gem/Abrex cocktail. He has completed 4 of 8 - so your experience really frightens me.
Were you treated at a cancer center? What are the doctors currently saying?
I wish you nothing but good news and cancer-free!

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@jerryc131 I had my treatment at a cancer center in New Orleans. I had worked for the same health system for 30yrs before I retired so all of my doctors & medical records since 1980 are there.
My next labs & CT are on 11.16.26 & I'll see my results that evening on the clinic portal which I will send thru Chat gbt for translation if I don't understand any portion of the results. My consult is on the 18th. So I will have a list of questions prepared from the Chat gbt report. My oncologist says once we confirm the lung nodules to be pan can we can start Rasonque. If it's lung cancer, I had the genetic testing done so they have a treatment plan for whatever type it turns out to be. I feel silly now that I've seen the CA19-9 results of other pts on here. I was so alarmed when mine went from 9 to 264 in 7 months and yet my Dr didn't seem concerned about that at all. I currently have no issues re lungs.
I'm on Rx for depression & anxiety but feel fatigued 24/7 I'm really blessed so far. I just pray that the next year brings hope to all of us. I lost my daughter, my only child, 3 weeks before my dx in 2024 was confirmed. So that is a big part of my depression. We lived together after her divorce, & she never had children so I have no grandkids but I'm still not ready to give up!! Praying for your husband

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baravelli | @baravelli | 5 days ago
In reply to @cliffturner07 "I was on those two chemos and that was 51 monthss ago with SMARCB1/INI1 Pancreatic and..." + (show)
Profile picture for cliffturner07 @cliffturner07

I was on those two chemos and that was 51 monthss ago with SMARCB1/INI1 Pancreatic and February I will be 5 years post Whipple..

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@cliffturner07 may I ask at what stage you were ? first diagnosed ? That is wonderful to be post whipple that long! Any. Issues over that time? Best wishes! Sounds like you are doing well ❤️‍🩹

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cliffturner07 | @cliffturner07 | 5 days ago
In reply to @baravelli "@cliffturner07 may I ask at what stage you were ? first diagnosed ? That is wonderful..." + (show)
Profile picture for baravelli @baravelli

@cliffturner07 may I ask at what stage you were ? first diagnosed ? That is wonderful to be post whipple that long! Any. Issues over that time? Best wishes! Sounds like you are doing well ❤️‍🩹

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@baravelli they only told me I had 4 months to live. No problems whatsoever, eating whatever I want and going out and doing things. My cancer was back bigger than before 6 weeks after the Whipple but 100% strength chemo for 20 weeks till a blood clot stopped everything. But chemo and CBD oil has shrunk it from 6.5cm down to a 2cm dormant growth. Hopefully my CT Scan with contrast in February/March is unchanged. The Oncologist told me I was the longest living patient with this form of cancer.

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cliffturner07 | @cliffturner07 | 5 days ago
In reply to @baravelli "@cliffturner07 may I ask at what stage you were ? first diagnosed ? That is wonderful..." + (show)
Profile picture for baravelli @baravelli

@cliffturner07 may I ask at what stage you were ? first diagnosed ? That is wonderful to be post whipple that long! Any. Issues over that time? Best wishes! Sounds like you are doing well ❤️‍🩹

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@baravelli there is a case study on me about a 69yo man presenting with stomach pain,and itching at the Princess Alexandra Hospital Cancer Ward in Brisbane Queensland Australia, I am now 74yo and loving life,Cancer Sucks.

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beatpcan | @beatpcan | 5 days ago
In reply to @cliffturner07 "@baravelli they only told me I had 4 months to live. No problems whatsoever, eating whatever..." + (show)
Profile picture for cliffturner07 @cliffturner07

@baravelli they only told me I had 4 months to live. No problems whatsoever, eating whatever I want and going out and doing things. My cancer was back bigger than before 6 weeks after the Whipple but 100% strength chemo for 20 weeks till a blood clot stopped everything. But chemo and CBD oil has shrunk it from 6.5cm down to a 2cm dormant growth. Hopefully my CT Scan with contrast in February/March is unchanged. The Oncologist told me I was the longest living patient with this form of cancer.

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@cliffturner07

Which area did the cancer return?

I wish you the best of health. Really F cancer!

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Turkey, Volunteer Mentor | @tomrennie | 5 days ago
In reply to @cliffturner07 "@baravelli there is a case study on me about a 69yo man presenting with stomach pain,and..." + (show)
Profile picture for cliffturner07 @cliffturner07

@baravelli there is a case study on me about a 69yo man presenting with stomach pain,and itching at the Princess Alexandra Hospital Cancer Ward in Brisbane Queensland Australia, I am now 74yo and loving life,Cancer Sucks.

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@cliffturner07 Do you have a link for the case study on you? I can't find it online. Thanks.

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baravelli | @baravelli | 5 days ago
In reply to @cliffturner07 "@baravelli there is a case study on me about a 69yo man presenting with stomach pain,and..." + (show)
Profile picture for cliffturner07 @cliffturner07

@baravelli there is a case study on me about a 69yo man presenting with stomach pain,and itching at the Princess Alexandra Hospital Cancer Ward in Brisbane Queensland Australia, I am now 74yo and loving life,Cancer Sucks.

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@cliffturner07 the clinic that I received my chemo & surgery from in New Orleans, La. USA has some connection to a hospital in Queensland but I can't remember the name. When they started sending doctors here to our teaching hospital I remember how excited the surgery department was about the joint program. I'll see if I can find the name of the hospital. Wouldn't it be a coincidence if it's where you were treated!!!

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