Michele starts Chemotherapy on November 15th – Clinical Research Trials

What’s the latest with me?  Well, I am slowly but surely progressing, still having a good day and then an exhausting day.  It will be 6 weeks on Nov. 14^th since my surgery.  I never dreamed I would still be in such a fragile condition.  I have since talked to people that say it took them 6 months to feel totally back to normal after a hysterectomy.  Then add all the extra stuff they took out of me and that complicates the matter.  I really don’t feel well enough to start chemo, but the type of cancer I have is aggressive and they want to start as soon as possible to keep it at bay.

My Oncologist is Dr. Wallentine with Central Utah Clinic in Provo, Utah.  I feel very comfortable with him and my advocate named Kathy.  There is an experimental drug called AVASTIN, which has been used in previous clinical trials and has shown great promise, but the insurance companies have refused to pay for it.  It costs over $80 thousand dollars.  Dr. W. has used it quite often and is very pleased with its results.  Studies showed that those who used Avastin had an 8 month increase until the cancer returned compared to others.  My doctor really wanted me to be able to use it and the only way I could afford it was to qualify for a clinical trial that used it.  The normal standard of care for chemotherapy patients with Ovarian Cancer are 2 drugs (Taxotere and Carboplatin) that are given IV, 6 different times with three weeks in between.  This clinical study is comparing 2 arms of chemotherapy with the new drug, Avastin.  A computer will randomize me to one of the following arms:

Regimen 1:   Taxotere + Carboplatin + Avastin (starting cycle 2) every 3 weeks for a total of 6 cycles (treatments).  This is standard of care – but adding Avastin.

Regimen 2:  Taxotere  + Carboplatin + Avastin (starting cycle 2), on day 1 of each cycle.  Taxotere only, given on Day 8 and 15 of the 21 day cycle for 6 cycles. This is called Dose Dense, which is a lower dosage of these drugs given every week, instead of every 3 weeks.

On both Regimens, if there is no disease progression (cancer returning) during chemotherapy, I will be able to continue on Avastin until and if my cancer progresses (gets worse)

I just received word that after having a bunch of tests run on me, I qualified for this Clinical Trial!  Am I excited?  Yes and No.  Chemotherapy is the LAST thing I want to do right now.  But it’s like the $10.00 bill and the candy bar.  If I don’t have chemo now, it’s like taking the candy bar and enjoying it until the cancer comes back.  If I take it now, it’s like having the $10 bill which will not only buy me more candy bars but hopefully more time cancer free.