Hello everyone,
I have stage 4 colon cancer, diagnosed and operated 2 years ago, followed by about 12-14 cycles of FOLFIRI chemo. I initially responded well to this chemo, and tolerated it reasonably well too. (I am 59 with no underlying conditions, so the main problems so far have been extreme fatigue and appetite changes).
But I was very unlucky with picc line infections, and then blood clots because of that. So the treatment was constantly interrupted with long breaks, and my mets have grown. And now I have been told that this chemo has stopped working.
I have been offered FOLFOX (oxaliplatin + 5FU) as second-line treatment. They gave me a couple of weeks break to think about it. I have done quite a bit of reading, and it sounds quite scary, especially the peripheral neuropathy.
The leaflets do not sound too bad, but the scientific research studies I looked at, seem to suggest that it is much more widespread, with more long-term problems, and not much relief medication. I am so worried about neuropathy that I am seriously wondering about giving up on chemo altogether.
Is there anyone here who has been through FOLFOX and can share their experiences? or maybe with a personal knowledge of someone else undergoing this chemo? I know it is all different for different people, but still would be good to know how it went for others.
Thank you very much in advance.
Kari