Capox

Hi EricNHL. Yes it’s a decision that a lot of people have struggled with but the final choice has to be yours and 1 that you’re happy with.

Capox does have a lot of side effects but you’d be very unlucky to get all of them and there are pills and potions to deal with them. I’ve attached a link to a post that we started about Capox - sometimes it helps to be aware of what’s normal

 Chemo care ! Top Tips:- 

So here’s my personal thoughts on it. I was advised by a friend to take everything I was offered and do everything within my power to prevent a recurrence. Chemo is tough but doable and, if you’re struggling with the side effects, then the dosage can be reduced. If you start and feel that you really can’t cope with it then you can choose to stop but you know you’ve given it a go.

If you decide not to go with the chemo then that’s totally fine as long as you don’t have any regrets in the future and ‘if only’……..

If you type Capox in the search box at the top of the screen then it will bring up previous posts and hopefully some of the others will be along shortly with their thoughts

Take care

Karen x

• Hi Karen Thank you for you time and support, it was so helpful and reassuring. I felt very isolated in reaching any decision as the consultant seemed to be highlighting that only 5% get a positive outcome. Anyway your support has made me feel less isolated and for that alone I thank you. I hope you have a great new year 
• best wishes Eric 

To say it only has a 5% chance of success is rather misleading. What it does do is improve your (5 year) survival by a certain amount (play around with https://qcancer.org/colorectal-survival/index.php for a better picture). 

I was told by my Oncologist that I was having it, he didn't give me a choice - he's worked with me for decades so I trust him. If the surgery is clear then it's use is in killing off any cancer cells that may have spread and for that reason alone it's well worth having. 

Capox is not a terrible regime, but it's no walk in the park either, I managed it with a bit of a struggle and I returned back to work one month after completing it. 

Hi Eric, 

I had a high anterior resection in July 2022 and my final staging was T3N1M0, when i met with my oncologist he did advise chemo, 4 rounds of CAPOX which i took and managed well, My outlook was that I would do almost anything to reduce the chances of anything coming back .I wanted to make sure i had no regrets and had done all I could to prevent any reoccurrence. I know only time will tell. Also was the 5% on top of the 5 year survival rate for your staging? 

I was told in depth of the possible side effects but only suffered mild neuropathy and nausea which i resolved by sucking fruit sherbet boiled sweets. My appetite was great and I have managed to put on weight during my chemo regime. I know it is a personal choice but an extra 5% sounds worth the chemo.

It is a hard decision, was it an oncologist who you met with? Do you have a colectoral nurse who you can talk to, I rely on mine for advice when needed.

I wish you good health and that you are able to make an informed decision which is in your best interests,

Happy new year

Melanie

Hi Eric!

My husband was on CAPOX he completed 4 cycles before they had to stop it. He sailed through the first 3 but midway through the 4th he became quite ill. His kidneys were causing concern and they had to stop it because of that. It was thought a stent may have had to be fitted but they didn't in the end. He was off chemo for a couple of weeks and then we went back for his next oncology appointment and bloods etc had shown his kidney and liver function was back to normal so they managed to get him started on a new chemo regime of Irinotecan and Folfouri aka 5FU. Unfortunately, he was due his 2nd cycle of this yesterday but had to postpone it again because he took a chest infection last week and had to be admitted to hospital for that reason that he is going through chemotherapy. They ran tests for various issues, but all came up negative and he was sent home with antibiotics as they were satisfied it was a chest infection only.  Now this week he is back in hospital again because the district nurse came out this week to check his picc line and change the dressing and also to take bloods for prep for his next chemo session. A phone consultation on Thursday this week told us that his bloods were showing signs of dehydration so he he has been admitted back into the Beatson cancer unit in Glasgow to get infusions of fluid his kidneys were showing as being a bit `dry` also so this is why they wanted him in plus his stoma was a bit `overactive` as well and they weren't too happy with that either. He's doing ok tho and they are keeping an eye on him and think they are managing to resolve what the issues have been. Don't know if it's been the chemo or not but hopefully, they're getting him sorted and he'll be home soon. It' really up to the individual what they want to do in regard to chemo. To me- although I'm not going through it it's the `go to` to at least get something done in trying to hopefully get rid of some cancer cells. I was absolutely distraught when they said my husband may not be able to get this again which means he would have been left with nothing. I just hope he is still in the position to resume his chemo programme in a week's time. Good Luck to you.

Vicky 

Hi Vicky thank you so much for your help