Effing cancer is an effing effer, frankly
Discussion
My 8hr chemo session was cancelled yesterday as they weren't happy with my toxicology results from my bloods the previous day and didn't want to press ahead with chemo when I was already very ill. I had a blood transfusion of 2 units a fortnight ago as my haemoglobin level was 79, when it should be 150-ish.
I was fighting for breath and generally feeling ill and called the cancer helpline, who sent an ambulance round. Had an overnight stay.
I have a meeting with the oncology doctor on Friday and I suspect they will try again to get me to come off my current chemo drug of Cetuximab and on to another drug.
I suspect this is all down to funding or lack of. I have mused in the past that each new patient is allocated X amount of funding from that years budget and when the pot runs dry, it's in the department's best interest to move you onto another drug, preferably one which is cheaper, so they can balance the books.
If I voluntarily move off Cetuximab and onto another drug, I can't get back onto Cetuximab as the funding is a once-only deal.
It's my arguement that Cetuximab was the first choice by the oncology doctors because it was the most effective treatment going forward and it's mad to come off it and onto something else that isn't as effective or less effective.
Sorry I'm rambling a bit. It's frustrating that a patient has to even consider the NHS funding of their treatment.
I was fighting for breath and generally feeling ill and called the cancer helpline, who sent an ambulance round. Had an overnight stay.
I have a meeting with the oncology doctor on Friday and I suspect they will try again to get me to come off my current chemo drug of Cetuximab and on to another drug.
I suspect this is all down to funding or lack of. I have mused in the past that each new patient is allocated X amount of funding from that years budget and when the pot runs dry, it's in the department's best interest to move you onto another drug, preferably one which is cheaper, so they can balance the books.
If I voluntarily move off Cetuximab and onto another drug, I can't get back onto Cetuximab as the funding is a once-only deal.
It's my arguement that Cetuximab was the first choice by the oncology doctors because it was the most effective treatment going forward and it's mad to come off it and onto something else that isn't as effective or less effective.
Sorry I'm rambling a bit. It's frustrating that a patient has to even consider the NHS funding of their treatment.
Edited by mp3manager on Thursday 8th November 12:05
Sorry to hear about your travails. I'm sure you'll cover these points with the oncologist and, as you say it is frustrating, to have a clear clinical reason for any change in medication. I wouldn't conclude either that Cetuximab is the one drug that works the best; we're all different and it may be that a cheaper drug actually works better. Nil desperandum.
A family member of mine is on Herceptin (trastuzumab) for breast cancer and has been asked to consider a biosimilar alternative. These biosimilars are a sort of clone of the very expensive original and one that clinical trials show is equally effective. My view is that if they are indeed equivalent although subtly different for patent reasons (I assume) then the patient is less likely to have treatment withdrawn totally. Cost reasons are often dressed up as medical reasons and if the drug is as good but much cheaper, that is less likely to happen. My son is a consultant surgeon (ok not an oncologist but he keeps a close eye on oncology as the family member is also his family member, obviously) and he hasn't heard any negative reports attached to biosimilars.
My next door neighbor of 38 years has been battling liver C (I refuse to say the word) for about 5 months & has always been so upbeat & determined that he will be around for a very long time. He was going in & out of hospital post treatment because the pain was too much but he still remained so upbeat...
Yesterday he was taken into a Hospice & I feel terrible for him. His son is flying over from the other side of the world tomorrow, so I guess his battle has been lost.
Yesterday he was taken into a Hospice & I feel terrible for him. His son is flying over from the other side of the world tomorrow, so I guess his battle has been lost.
boobles said:
My next door neighbor of 38 years has been battling liver C (I refuse to say the word) for about 5 months & has always been so upbeat & determined that he will be around for a very long time. He was going in & out of hospital post treatment because the pain was too much but he still remained so upbeat...
Yesterday he was taken into a Hospice & I feel terrible for him. His son is flying over from the other side of the world tomorrow, so I guess his battle has been lost.
Really sorry to hear this. So sad he had such a positive outlook on the whole thing and yet it looks to have beaten him.Yesterday he was taken into a Hospice & I feel terrible for him. His son is flying over from the other side of the world tomorrow, so I guess his battle has been lost.
Life is indeed too short
FocusRS3 said:
boobles said:
My next door neighbor of 38 years has been battling liver C (I refuse to say the word) for about 5 months & has always been so upbeat & determined that he will be around for a very long time. He was going in & out of hospital post treatment because the pain was too much but he still remained so upbeat...
Yesterday he was taken into a Hospice & I feel terrible for him. His son is flying over from the other side of the world tomorrow, so I guess his battle has been lost.
Really sorry to hear this. So sad he had such a positive outlook on the whole thing and yet it looks to have beaten him.Yesterday he was taken into a Hospice & I feel terrible for him. His son is flying over from the other side of the world tomorrow, so I guess his battle has been lost.
Life is indeed too short
popeyewhite said:
FocusRS3 said:
boobles said:
My next door neighbor of 38 years has been battling liver C (I refuse to say the word) for about 5 months & has always been so upbeat & determined that he will be around for a very long time. He was going in & out of hospital post treatment because the pain was too much but he still remained so upbeat...
Yesterday he was taken into a Hospice & I feel terrible for him. His son is flying over from the other side of the world tomorrow, so I guess his battle has been lost.
Really sorry to hear this. So sad he had such a positive outlook on the whole thing and yet it looks to have beaten him.Yesterday he was taken into a Hospice & I feel terrible for him. His son is flying over from the other side of the world tomorrow, so I guess his battle has been lost.
Life is indeed too short
Hoped to never contribute to this thread, but after 75 years of generally good health my Mum has been diagnosed with lung cancer, which we have been told has spread elsewhere. Awaiting results of the latest scan and bronchoscopy and biopsy before we know what happens next. Maintaining some positivity, but expecting bad news. The worst of it is seeing how this illness has eaten away at her. No other way of describing it. She's a shell of her former self. No prior symptoms either 😥
Mrs just started Chemo on Tuesday. Start low level but some spreading to lungs to they're kicking it up a notch on Monday.
Very high success rate so not too worried about the outcome but just worried how she'll handle the treatment. She's proven she is much stronger than I gave her credit for.
So much respect for the people who have to go through this kind of stuff.
Very high success rate so not too worried about the outcome but just worried how she'll handle the treatment. She's proven she is much stronger than I gave her credit for.
So much respect for the people who have to go through this kind of stuff.
NewNameNeeded said:
Hoped to never contribute to this thread, but after 75 years of generally good health my Mum has been diagnosed with lung cancer, which we have been told has spread elsewhere. Awaiting results of the latest scan and bronchoscopy and biopsy before we know what happens next. Maintaining some positivity, but expecting bad news. The worst of it is seeing how this illness has eaten away at her. No other way of describing it. She's a shell of her former self. No prior symptoms either ??
Very sorry to hear this and I hope there is a favourable outcome to be found from all the tests.Sorry to bring this thread up again, but what a start to 2019. Friend fought a long fight, but lost in the end.
Dibble said:
And as usual, as the OP of this ghastly thread, once more from the top, with feeling:
"f
k off cancer, you hoofwking bungle of an insidious little disease. Go on, fk off, all the way over there. And when you've got there, keep fking off until you're out of sight. And once you are, go and fk yourself, you utter ttspangle."
"f
k off cancer, you hoofwking bungle of an insidious little disease. Go on, fk off, all the way over there. And when you've got there, keep fking off until you're out of sight. And once you are, go and fk yourself, you utter ttspangle."Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff