There was frost on the grass this morning when I let the little dog out.  A hard freeze is predicted for the next few nights, a sign that winter and its ice and snow isn’t far off.

Cold is a special problem for people who are getting Eloxatin® (oxaliplatin) for colon and rectal cancer.  Almost all patients on FOLFOX will experience acute neuropathy within a few hours of each oxaliplatin infusion.  This is acute, short-term, and ends within few days.

About a third will go on to a chronic peripheral neuropathy that begins as oxaliplatin doses accumulate.  Most patients will experience some tingling and numbness in their hands and feet.  A very few will have pain and difficulty walking.

Chronic neuropathy usually fades in the months after treatment ends, but may linger as long as a year or 18 months.  It remains a long-term problem for a small percentage of patients.

As cold weather approaches, you need to take care if you are on FOLFOX treatment or have peripheral neuropathy left over from previous treatment. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are diagnosed with stage III colon cancer, you will probably receive about six months of treatment with FOLFOX after surgery. Research shows that this treatment regimen helps prevent recurrence for some – but not all – patients with stage III colon cancer.  A clinical trial has been launched to answer two questions about this current standard of care:

1. Will recurrence rates go down if both FOLFOX and celecoxib (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug similar to aspirin) are used for treatment?

2.  Will recurrence rates stay the same and long term side effects decrease if FOLFOX is used for three months?

Read the rest of this entry »

Colorectal cancer patients getting oxaliplatin quickly learn to avoid cold. Drinks with ice, chilly air, even opening the freezer can produce sudden, sharp pain, burning, or an unpleasant pins and needle feeling in their throat and hands.

A small study has found that venlafaxine (Effexor) can completely eliminate acute neurotoxicity from oxaliplatin in about 1 out of 3 people.  More than half of patients who took it had more than 50 percent relief from symptoms. Read the rest of this entry »

Picoplatin can be as effective as oxaliplatin as an initial treatment for advanced colorectal cancer but has less neuropathy.

Updated information comparing picoplatin in combination with 5-FU and leucovorin (FOLPI) to the standard oxaliplatin treatment (FOLFOX) found similar response rates.  About half of patients on both treatments were alive a year later.  However, there was significantly less neuropathy overall with FOLPI and no severe neuropathy.

FOLPI did have substantially more serious problems with lowered blood counts than FOLFOX.  Read the rest of this entry »

Briefly

Patients with diabetes aren’t any more likely to develop neuropathy in hands and feet when treated with oxaliplatin.

Learn more about  current colorectal cancer prevention and treatment at a Memorial Sloan Kettering CancerSmart workshop on November 12.  NIH has a downloaded booklet on palliative care, and Oncology on Canvas is looking for artwork from cancer patients and their families and caregivers. Read the rest of this entry »