1. < Pancreatic Cancer

Gemcitabine and high blood pressure

Posted by gracect @gracect, Jun 23 9:05pm

My husband has stage 4 metastatic pancreatic cancer in the tail. He has been on Gemcitabine and Abraxane since May of 2022. He has just developed high blood pressure- 180/80. - 10 days so far. They doubled his luminosity to 20. He does have moderately severe mitral valve regurgitation but it has been under control for years. Just found out today at our oncology visit that rarely the high blood pressure is a Gemcitabine side effect. Has anyone had experience with this?

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marienewland | @mnewland99 | Jun 23 10:50pm

Sounds like a good question for a dr. The bottom number is normal, but the top one is a little high. Usually, it's the high bottom (diastolic) one of concern. My underlying blood pressure goes high after a new chemo regimen. Last year I had gem-abraxane-cisplstin. The three chemo drugs were hard on my heart . Kudos to you for being on that chemo for 3 years - must be a record.

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gracect | @gracect | Jun 24 6:49am

Spellcheck turned Lisinopril to luminosity above. Hate spellcheck. It’s actually the 180 they are worried about - Stage 2 hypertension out of nowhere with an existing heart condition.
But he feels good - plays golf and walks 10000 plus steps a day all except 2 days a cycle.
The nurse yesterday had another patient earlier in the day on the same drugs - also Stage 4- in year 10 !

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marienewland | @mnewland99 | Jun 24 9:56am

I'm assuming not pancreatic cancer for the other patient?
I love these success stories! I did walk 10,000 steps yesterday also; but I got off abraxane last December due to neuropathy in my foot (it was getting difficult to even walk) and because my antigen went down to normal following nt targeted radiation treatment. Does your husband do anything to avoid neuropathy? Kudos to him and you!!

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gracect | @gracect | Jun 24 12:15pm

The other patient is also stage 4 pancreatic. My husband has not had neuropathy yet. Mostly rashes and some fatigue and bloating.

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marienewland | @mnewland99 | Jun 24 1:13pm

That's wonderful news. I should think his case should be a case study - no neuropathy for so many years with abraxane is not typical; he's very lucky.

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gracect | @gracect | Jun 25 8:17am

We thank God every day. This was obviously not his prognosis and no one expected this length of success with his first standard of care.

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1 reply
gamaryanne | @gamaryanne | Jun 26 8:53am
In reply to @gracect "We thank God every day. This was obviously not his prognosis and no one expected this..." + (show)
@gracect

We thank God every day. This was obviously not his prognosis and no one expected this length of success with his first standard of care.

Jump to this post

Would you share which mutations(if any) your husband has?
I think it would be interesting to know which standard of care therapies work best with which mutations. I have KRAS G12D and Gemzar seemed to work only for a short period of time. Folfurinox and 5FU seemed a better match, although much more side effects. When I did Gen I had virtually none.

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1 reply
gracect | @gracect | Jun 26 11:38am
In reply to @gamaryanne "Would you share which mutations(if any) your husband has? I think it would be interesting to..." + (show)
@gamaryanne

Would you share which mutations(if any) your husband has?
I think it would be interesting to know which standard of care therapies work best with which mutations. I have KRAS G12D and Gemzar seemed to work only for a short period of time. Folfurinox and 5FU seemed a better match, although much more side effects. When I did Gen I had virtually none.

Jump to this post

He has the KRAS G12V.

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