Connect
← Return to How long does a Chemo appointment last?
Discussion
How long does a Chemo appointment last?
Head & Neck Cancer | Last Active: Nov 16, 2023 | Replies (9)Comment receiving replies
lilyann here. i have just been informed that i will be getting the "pill" form of chemo: tramtinib 0.5mg and dabrafenib 50mg. can someone enlighten me on exactly how they felt because when you read the side effects, its awfully scary and i love to try and stay as active as i can. which at my age and all, i think i do pretty good for a few hours work outside and of course the cooking is a: never seem to be able to get out of the kitchen. ha ha, got to eat even if its a hard job to swallow. of course i tire out and have to do the "nap" thing. time flys by so fast. i can't hardly believe the prices on these medicines. i do not have any supplement insurance. i have the aggressive for of pappillary carcinoma, with tall cell and it is still within my neck after the removal of my thyroid and i am on levothyroxine. my thyroglobulin is remaining high. so here i am, looking for wisdom for an octogenarian here. take care all, i do a lot of praying for those out there in the cancer world.
Replies to "lilyann here. i have just been informed that i will be getting the "pill" form of..."
lilyann, please keep in mind that some people experience very few side effects / experience relatively minor side effects. I was lucky enough to have a relatively good experience with a kinda nasty chemo (FOLFIRINOX, for pancreatic cancer), and I hope you do too.
(Fwiw, pls do be prepared -- with food in the freezer, and with friends+relatives alerted to your chemo day so you can call them if you need them -- because some side effects, even if mild, are likely.
. . . . . . . I felt awful for two days out of every 14-day cycle and felt not-great for at least another five. As chemo progressed, the number of not-great days increased, bc chemo tends to be cumulative -- I don't know whether it always is or just tends to be. And by the final two of my eight cycles, I had no good days. But I was back to normal within three weeks of the final chemo.)
If you find that your side effects are intense, please tell your onc. immediately. S/he might adjust your future dose, or offer other meds to mitigate the side effects (I experienced the latter).
I hope you're doing well.
Connect
@lilyann, you're so right. When you read that list of side effects, it can be intimdating to say the least. Keep in mind that the drug makers are obliged to list all common and rare side effects. It doesn't mean you'll experience all or any of them.
Targeted drug combination dabrafenib (Tafinlar) and trametinib (Mekinist) is used for the treatment of people with nearly any type of advanced solid tumor that has a specific mutation in a gene called BRAF. So you may be interested in joining Tom in this related discussion:
- Any experience with targeted therapy for BRAF V600E mutated tumor(s)?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/anyone-getting-targeted-therapy-for-braf-v600e-mutated-tumors/
Have you been told that you have the BRAF mutation?