Chemotherapy

Calculating how much chemo a patient needs is a little bit like how long is a piece of string rather than a precise calculation. This goes both for the amount a patient is being given during any treatment, and the number of treatments needed. There are formulas and guidelines in use, but it is always adjusted for each individual patient according to their own unique circumstances. This can then change again during the period of treatments, which is what has just happened with you. 

One other thing about chemo is that its effectiveness can drop, but not at the same point for everyone. No point giving more of it if it is doing damage and not contributing. In any case, I think that if the oncology team thought that you were getting off chemo too early for it to be effective they would have done something about it rather than tell you they were happy with it. 

If you are able to come into a Macmillan centre and speak to one of their nurses, they could explain all of this in depth and as it applies to you specifically (where I am, the Macmillan nurses can see hospital records when needed) so that you have all the answers and perhaps put the worry to rest, or if you then still don't like the stopped treatment, can go back to oncology to ask for further action. 

Thank you for ur reply

my consultant said they had had a long talk & weighed up the pros & cons so they must have been happy 

Yes - I had three full cycles then a 4th at 80% of the planned dose. I was struggling with infections and the chemo made me extremely unwell. After a lot of soul searching I asked to seems consultant to discuss not going ahead with the 5th & 6th cycles. He did some research and was very surprised to see how little difference it was likely to make to my survival rate in the long term, so we pulled the plug on further chemo sessions and brought the radiotherapy forwards. This was definitely the right decision for me. Good luck and try not to worry!

Thank u that has made me feel a lot better

i am now 4 weeks post last chemo and still feel sickly at times appetite is hit and miss and dizzy at times is this normal x

I think 4 doses is the standard dose it's what I have just had .  It's hard I'm glad I did it I had a clot which was a bit worrying but I'm ok X