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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?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Pancreatic Cancer Support Group.

scalettasandy | @scalettasandy | Oct 30, 2023

I’m glad you’re doing so well! I can’t imagine going through 40 chemo treatments!! I’ve only had 4 but something bad seems to happen like a clot or fluid around lung, etc after each one and we have to push chemo back and back. I’m just going in for my 4th treatment today. I sure hope nothing happens after this one.
I just can’t get over how positive you are! I sure wish I could get that mindset

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hbtb2356 | @hbtb2356 | Oct 30, 2023

My husband has been diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic pancreatic cancer. Has spread to the liver. Went to ER Oct 4 for severe constipation after a family vacation to Munich for Octoberfest. CT scan in ER Showed mass on pancreas and liver. Shocking news!, PET scan and MRI showed spots of omental carcinomatosis. He had his first round of chemo today. Abraxane and Gemcitabiene. He has slept most of the day. Had a little nausea but took meds for that and it went away. He just feels lousy. Hopefully he feels a little better tomorrow. His treatment plan is day 1, 8, and 15 then a week off.
We are praying for progress. He is 68. We are staying positive!! There has to be something out there to stop this cancer. I am so grateful I found this group.

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3 replies
hbtb2356 | @hbtb2356 | Oct 30, 2023
In reply to @gamaryanne "@scalettasandy We have all been where you are. When I was diagnosed stage IV I had..." + (show)
@gamaryanne

@scalettasandy
We have all been where you are. When I was diagnosed stage IV I had a busy real estate group, lots of volunteer activities, and tons of travel and fun times planned. It shook me to the core.
Then I knew I had a choice. I could choose joy in every day things or I could drown in “self”.
I chose joy but also to know and learn everything possible I could about my situation.
I looked at the survivor rate, which is a broad term as all cases are not the same. 12% was not encouraging-until I did the numbers! 12% is thousands of people! Why couldn’t I be one of them? Maybe I will or maybe I won’t, but I am 23 months into this and thriving. We are all different, but I still work and find joy in helping others. There is always someone among us that has a worse situation. Often I feel helpless to make a difference, but sometimes just being there for someone or writing a note does. It certainly helps me!
Sleep is healing! Focus with your doctor on some good sleep and ways to get protein. You can be a better you. If they aren’t helping go elsewhere!!
Xoxo

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Your positivity is so joyful! Thankyou for sharing!! My husband started his chemo journey today. We’re staying positive!!

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jk77 | @jk77 | Oct 31, 2023
In reply to @annsant "You are blessed. My husband has not had good results with accupuncture." + (show)
@annsant

You are blessed. My husband has not had good results with accupuncture.

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@annsant: Has he tried more than one acupuncturist? I've tried three over time -- one was great but moved to another state; two was (to my min) mediocre; and three was very good/great.

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1 reply
jk77 | @jk77 | Oct 31, 2023
In reply to @scalettasandy "Thank you for taking the time to respond. It seems every time at try to investigate..." + (show)
@scalettasandy

Thank you for taking the time to respond. It seems every time at try to investigate things that I hear that happens to pancreatic cancer patients the more panicked I become! I can’t sleep because it all is so darn scary and painful and I’m all alone here. I’m looking like a walking bald skeleton and to be honest can’t figure out how go on knowing some of the horrendous things coming! I was diagnosed in March and have done nothing but cry, panic , not sleep, can’t eat anything anymore unless I want to spend a couple hours in the bathroom. I just don’t know what to do. I’m sorry, I’m just at the end of my rope how scary this is

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@scalettasandy : Hi. I live alone, I have no family nearby, and my closest friends are 200+ mi. away, so I empathize.

Until recently, I had a longtime therapist, and she was a great support. (She retired, which had been in the works for two years; not a surprise, therefore, but bad timing for me.)

My hospital's cancer center has a social worker who has been a great support in various ways; she's an LCSW, so she could provide a few sessions of therapy, and she has put me in touch with the Behavioral Health unit at the hospital, with the goal of my having short-term psychotherapy support (3 mos. is their limit) if I want it. I'm not sure whether I do, but I'm glad it's a possibility.

This is a lousy time to be without support, and I feel for you. Might your hospital be able to help in these, or other, ways?

ETA: If any of your relatives live near a bigger / better hospital, might you be able to move in with them for a few months?

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1 reply
jk77 | @jk77 | Oct 31, 2023
In reply to @hbtb2356 "My husband has been diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic pancreatic cancer. Has spread to the liver...." + (show)
@hbtb2356

My husband has been diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic pancreatic cancer. Has spread to the liver. Went to ER Oct 4 for severe constipation after a family vacation to Munich for Octoberfest. CT scan in ER Showed mass on pancreas and liver. Shocking news!, PET scan and MRI showed spots of omental carcinomatosis. He had his first round of chemo today. Abraxane and Gemcitabiene. He has slept most of the day. Had a little nausea but took meds for that and it went away. He just feels lousy. Hopefully he feels a little better tomorrow. His treatment plan is day 1, 8, and 15 then a week off.
We are praying for progress. He is 68. We are staying positive!! There has to be something out there to stop this cancer. I am so grateful I found this group.

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Hello. This is a terrible shock, and I'm sure that everyone is wishing you well.

1. Is he being seen at a pancreatic cancer center of excellence?
https://pancreasfoundation.org/patient-resources/npf-centers-of-excellence/
2. Do you live close enough to one of the superb pancan centers -- Hopkins, MSK, Mayo, Anderson, among others -- to be seen there? Many people on this site would urge you to move temporarily if you must, in order to get the best care possible. This is a sneaky disease, as another commenter often notes, so it's crucial to have *the* best care possible.

3. If you haven't yet read posts by @stageivsurvivor, please go to his profile page and click on Comments. He was diagnosed in 2012, is in good shape now, and has an enormous amount of useful info.

4. @markymarkfl, @mayoconnectuser1, @ncteacher, @gamaryanne, and @gardenlady1116 also share a great deal of useful info.

Wishing you both well.

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jk77 | @jk77 | Oct 31, 2023
In reply to @robee "The post you read about the stage IV survivor doing well. Can you share her blog..." + (show)
@robee

The post you read about the stage IV survivor doing well. Can you share her blog name?

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I don't know what the commenter was referring to, but here are several stories of survivors:
https://letswinpc.org/category/survivor-stories/

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annsant | @annsant | Nov 1, 2023
In reply to @jk77 "@annsant: Has he tried more than one acupuncturist? I've tried three over time -- one was..." + (show)
@jk77

@annsant: Has he tried more than one acupuncturist? I've tried three over time -- one was great but moved to another state; two was (to my min) mediocre; and three was very good/great.

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This is his second. This one has been recommended by our doctor and many people who have gone to him. He has had some relief from the back pain, but not any progress with the hand and foot/leg neuropathy. Thank you for touching base. Be well.

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scalettasandy | @scalettasandy | Nov 1, 2023
In reply to @jk77 "@scalettasandy : Hi. I live alone, I have no family nearby, and my closest friends are..." + (show)
@jk77

@scalettasandy : Hi. I live alone, I have no family nearby, and my closest friends are 200+ mi. away, so I empathize.

Until recently, I had a longtime therapist, and she was a great support. (She retired, which had been in the works for two years; not a surprise, therefore, but bad timing for me.)

My hospital's cancer center has a social worker who has been a great support in various ways; she's an LCSW, so she could provide a few sessions of therapy, and she has put me in touch with the Behavioral Health unit at the hospital, with the goal of my having short-term psychotherapy support (3 mos. is their limit) if I want it. I'm not sure whether I do, but I'm glad it's a possibility.

This is a lousy time to be without support, and I feel for you. Might your hospital be able to help in these, or other, ways?

ETA: If any of your relatives live near a bigger / better hospital, might you be able to move in with them for a few months?

Jump to this post

Thank you for responding. I have an appointment tomorrow in Minneapolis at M Health Fairview so I’ll ask when I’m there if there’s a social worker available to talk to

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Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Nov 3, 2023
In reply to @hbtb2356 "My husband has been diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic pancreatic cancer. Has spread to the liver...." + (show)
@hbtb2356

My husband has been diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic pancreatic cancer. Has spread to the liver. Went to ER Oct 4 for severe constipation after a family vacation to Munich for Octoberfest. CT scan in ER Showed mass on pancreas and liver. Shocking news!, PET scan and MRI showed spots of omental carcinomatosis. He had his first round of chemo today. Abraxane and Gemcitabiene. He has slept most of the day. Had a little nausea but took meds for that and it went away. He just feels lousy. Hopefully he feels a little better tomorrow. His treatment plan is day 1, 8, and 15 then a week off.
We are praying for progress. He is 68. We are staying positive!! There has to be something out there to stop this cancer. I am so grateful I found this group.

Jump to this post

@hbtb2356, how are you and your husband doing today, and few days post treatment?

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