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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Profile picture for pendesk8 @pendesk8

yes,3 to be exact.Last pet scan showed no cancer in lymph nodes.

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pendesk,

Sorry, but I am confused. You say it is pancreatic cancer and has spread to three lymph nodes, but then say the PET scans show no spread into lymph nodes?

Here is a summary of how staging is characterized.
https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/pancreatic-cancer/stages

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Profile picture for pendesk8 @pendesk8

She wanted me to continue on chemo until death,yes really.She didn't know she had a fighter.She said if I had the surgery it would just come back anyway.I told her if I even got two years thats two years more.Thanks for the info.

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Go to Mayo now and stop seeing that doctor - seriously. Yours sounds resectable so curable.

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Mayo clinic takes out the lymph nodes and does the whipple by Laproscopy.

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Profile picture for mayoconnectuser1 @mayoconnectuser1

pendesk,

So, to be clear, the cancer started on your pancreas and has spread to lymph nodes?

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yes,3 to be exact.Last pet scan showed no cancer in lymph nodes.

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Profile picture for pendesk8 @pendesk8

Thats what she said but if I wouldn't gotten on pancreatic .org I would of never known any different.my cancer is in lymphnodes only ,not in any other organ,which means after responsive chemo and maybe radiation that you can have the whipple.She is against the surgery completely.

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pendesk,

So, to be clear, the cancer started on your pancreas and has spread to lymph nodes?

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Profile picture for mayoconnectuser1 @mayoconnectuser1

pendesk,

OK, so it was staged as non-resectable. Sorry, I misunderstood.

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Thats what she said but if I wouldn't gotten on pancreatic .org I would of never known any different.my cancer is in lymphnodes only ,not in any other organ,which means after responsive chemo and maybe radiation that you can have the whipple.She is against the surgery completely.

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pendesk,

OK, so it was staged as non-resectable. Sorry, I misunderstood.

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Profile picture for mayoconnectuser1 @mayoconnectuser1

pendesk8,

Given staging that allows resection, why would a surgeon be against the only course of action that has potential as a cure?

Laparoscopic Whipple procedures are performed at several medical centers in the US, including Mayo.

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She wanted me to continue on chemo until death,yes really.She didn't know she had a fighter.She said if I had the surgery it would just come back anyway.I told her if I even got two years thats two years more.Thanks for the info.

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Profile picture for pendesk8 @pendesk8

I have been on that treatment for 4 months starting on 5th month.My tumor went from 17.9 to 5.My Dr would not recommend surgery because she is against the surgery.So I went for a 2nd opinion and that Dr said theres no reason I cant have the surgery.Now looking for someone that does it by laprascopy.Much less invasive and a easier recovery.

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pendesk8,

Given staging that allows resection, why would a surgeon be against the only course of action that has potential as a cure?

Laparoscopic Whipple procedures are performed at several medical centers in the US, including Mayo.

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Profile picture for pendesk8 @pendesk8

I have been on that treatment for 4 months starting on 5th month.My tumor went from 17.9 to 5.My Dr would not recommend surgery because she is against the surgery.So I went for a 2nd opinion and that Dr said theres no reason I cant have the surgery.Now looking for someone that does it by laprascopy.Much less invasive and a easier recovery.

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Good luck. Glad you got a second opinion.

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