I went to see my oncologist mid November 2007 to discuss possible chemtherapy regimes. He also showed me the report for chemosensitivity testing which I had arranged to have through Cancer Options www.canceroptions.co.uk .  Chemosensitivity testing is a laboratory test that determines how effctive specific chemotherapy agents are against an individual patient’s cancer cells.  It isn’t generally available on the NHS and is still under development, though the results of clininal trials are supportive of it’s findings.  I arranged to have mine through Cancer Options who originally sent me information about the test and liaised with the hospital performing it.  I then approached my surgeons who agreed to send off part of the tumours removed during my operation on 22nd October.  These tumour samples were then grown in test tubes and tested with various drugs.  It showed that only two chemotherapy regimes had probable sensitivity over my cancer: GCF and Treosulfan + Gemcitabine.  If anyone wants to have this test done, they will need to contact Cancer Options well in advance of their operation to arrange it.

My oncologist suggested a revised chemotherapy regime as he is unable to give the full regime identified by the chemosensitivity test as one of them, Troesulfan, would be much too toxic in the amounts he would need to give it.  He would be able to give me the  Gemcitabine which was identified on the test but would substitute Carboplatin for the Treosulfan.These chemotherapy agents cause the usual side effects,  as well as others more particular to these drugs:  fatigue, feeling/being sick, drop in white  and red cells,  temporary effect on the bone marrow, temporary anaemia, bruising or bleeding more easily, increased risk of getting infections, tiredness and breathlessness, change in kidney and liver function, hair loss, loss of appetite,  itchy skin rash, fluid retention, flu like illness, sore mouth and diarrhoea.  In addition, Carboplatin can cause permanent kidney damage.

He still couldn’t give any indication of whether these drugs could help to put me in remission, so I told him I would need to think about it before I decide.

 After a lot of soulsearching and weighing up possible pros and cons, I have decided to start on the suggested chemotherapy regime.  My oncologist also agreed to me having certain complementarty treatments offered by Dr Hembry and Dr Trezfer (High Tree Medical) alongside it, as long as I didn’t have Ukrain (which is  non-toxic form of chemotherapy).  I will start having the chemotherapies on 21st December 2007 (what a great Christmas I’ll have eh?) and then wait 3 weeks in order for my white and red blood cells to recover before starting the next cycle.  The whole course consists of 6 cycles and will end in April 2008.

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