English Community

Hi,

I received two series of Carboplatin & Paclitaxel from 2023-24. With quick recurrence after the second series, I was changed to a combination of Avastin and Caelyx, but that's stopped working after a few months.

Now I have started weekly Paclitaxel only treatment. But it's been recently mentioned to me that combining Gemcitabine with Paclitaxel might be a more effective option, but that wasn't offered to me. Does anyone have any experience with this combination?

Thank you ..

@DeniseBR

Hi. It sounds like we are on a similar path. Are you HGSOC?

First, it sounds like you are on the standard of care path. In Ontario, standard of care drugs are funded for specific use. If they are not funded…you do not receive them unless you want to pay out of pocket  

When I was on weekly Paclitaxel, I asked about getting a combo treatment. I received a hard no to my request. I have done a lot of research and have seen many reports indicating combo treatments are usually more effective than monotherapy. So frustrating to be denied treatment options due to funding!!

I noticed in your contributions that you may be interested in clinical trials as well. Have you had an opportunity to speak to someone at PMH about that yet? Are you familiar with the clinicaltrials.gov site? 

FYI…I have been involved in 3 clinical trials - 1 in London, 2 at Princess Margaret. The last one did decrease my CA125 significantly and has decreased my tumours by more than 30% overall. The trial is now complete for me and I am in limbo waiting to see what's next. Either another trial or back to standard of care - depends on what my last CT shows. My next standard of care will be Gemcitibine. I have an appointment with my PMH care team next week.

Note: The trial is active but no longer recruiting.

FYI: I was diagnosed in 2019 and am on my 8th line of treatment. 

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Hi,

I received two series of Carboplatin & Paclitaxel from 2023-24. With quick recurrence after the second series, I was changed to a combination of Avastin and Caelyx, but that's stopped working after a few months.

Now I have started weekly Paclitaxel only treatment. But it's been recently mentioned to me that combining Gemcitabine with Paclitaxel might be a more effective option, but that wasn't offered to me. Does anyone have any experience with this combination?

Thank you ..

Sorry you're going through this. Did you have an early recurrence? Are you platinum resistant? I had an early recurrence within 3 months. I'm starting Paclitaxel and Avastin next week. I feel so overwhelmed. I only had a 3 month break from first line treatment of Paclitaxel and Carbo plus debulking surgery. 

@DeniseBR

Hi. It sounds like we are on a similar path. Are you HGSOC?

First, it sounds like you are on the standard of care path. In Ontario, standard of care drugs are funded for specific use. If they are not funded…you do not receive them unless you want to pay out of pocket  

When I was on weekly Paclitaxel, I asked about getting a combo treatment. I received a hard no to my request. I have done a lot of research and have seen many reports indicating combo treatments are usually more effective than monotherapy. So frustrating to be denied treatment options due to funding!!

I noticed in your contributions that you may be interested in clinical trials as well. Have you had an opportunity to speak to someone at PMH about that yet? Are you familiar with the clinicaltrials.gov site? 

FYI…I have been involved in 3 clinical trials - 1 in London, 2 at Princess Margaret. The last one did decrease my CA125 significantly and has decreased my tumours by more than 30% overall. The trial is now complete for me and I am in limbo waiting to see what's next. Either another trial or back to standard of care - depends on what my last CT shows. My next standard of care will be Gemcitibine. I have an appointment with my PMH care team next week.

Note: The trial is active but no longer recruiting.

FYI: I was diagnosed in 2019 and am on my 8th line of treatment. 

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Hi,

I received two series of Carboplatin & Paclitaxel from 2023-24. With quick recurrence after the second series, I was changed to a combination of Avastin and Caelyx, but that's stopped working after a few months.

Now I have started weekly Paclitaxel only treatment. But it's been recently mentioned to me that combining Gemcitabine with Paclitaxel might be a more effective option, but that wasn't offered to me. Does anyone have any experience with this combination?

Thank you ..

@DeniseBR

Hi. It sounds like we are on a similar path. Are you HGSOC?

First, it sounds like you are on the standard of care path. In Ontario, standard of care drugs are funded for specific use. If they are not funded…you do not receive them unless you want to pay out of pocket  

When I was on weekly Paclitaxel, I asked about getting a combo treatment. I received a hard no to my request. I have done a lot of research and have seen many reports indicating combo treatments are usually more effective than monotherapy. So frustrating to be denied treatment options due to funding!!

I noticed in your contributions that you may be interested in clinical trials as well. Have you had an opportunity to speak to someone at PMH about that yet? Are you familiar with the clinicaltrials.gov site? 

FYI…I have been involved in 3 clinical trials - 1 in London, 2 at Princess Margaret. The last one did decrease my CA125 significantly and has decreased my tumours by more than 30% overall. The trial is now complete for me and I am in limbo waiting to see what's next. Either another trial or back to standard of care - depends on what my last CT shows. My next standard of care will be Gemcitibine. I have an appointment with my PMH care team next week.

Note: The trial is active but no longer recruiting.

FYI: I was diagnosed in 2019 and am on my 8th line of treatment. 

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Hi,

I received two series of Carboplatin & Paclitaxel from 2023-24. With quick recurrence after the second series, I was changed to a combination of Avastin and Caelyx, but that's stopped working after a few months.

Now I have started weekly Paclitaxel only treatment. But it's been recently mentioned to me that combining Gemcitabine with Paclitaxel might be a more effective option, but that wasn't offered to me. Does anyone have any experience with this combination?

Thank you ..

@DeniseBR

Hi. It sounds like we are on a similar path. Are you HGSOC?

First, it sounds like you are on the standard of care path. In Ontario, standard of care drugs are funded for specific use. If they are not funded…you do not receive them unless you want to pay out of pocket  

When I was on weekly Paclitaxel, I asked about getting a combo treatment. I received a hard no to my request. I have done a lot of research and have seen many reports indicating combo treatments are usually more effective than monotherapy. So frustrating to be denied treatment options due to funding!!

I noticed in your contributions that you may be interested in clinical trials as well. Have you had an opportunity to speak to someone at PMH about that yet? Are you familiar with the clinicaltrials.gov site? 

FYI…I have been involved in 3 clinical trials - 1 in London, 2 at Princess Margaret. The last one did decrease my CA125 significantly and has decreased my tumours by more than 30% overall. The trial is now complete for me and I am in limbo waiting to see what's next. Either another trial or back to standard of care - depends on what my last CT shows. My next standard of care will be Gemcitibine. I have an appointment with my PMH care team next week.

Note: The trial is active but no longer recruiting.

FYI: I was diagnosed in 2019 and am on my 8th line of treatment. 

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Hi,

I received two series of Carboplatin & Paclitaxel from 2023-24. With quick recurrence after the second series, I was changed to a combination of Avastin and Caelyx, but that's stopped working after a few months.

Now I have started weekly Paclitaxel only treatment. But it's been recently mentioned to me that combining Gemcitabine with Paclitaxel might be a more effective option, but that wasn't offered to me. Does anyone have any experience with this combination?

Thank you ..

Hi,

I received two series of Carboplatin & Paclitaxel from 2023-24. With quick recurrence after the second series, I was changed to a combination of Avastin and Caelyx, but that's stopped working after a few months.

Now I have started weekly Paclitaxel only treatment. But it's been recently mentioned to me that combining Gemcitabine with Paclitaxel might be a more effective option, but that wasn't offered to me. Does anyone have any experience with this combination?

Thank you ..

@DeniseBR out of curiosity who mentioned the combination treatment option? I'm always curious if the information is coming from patients vs. medical providers. Thanks.

Hi,

I received two series of Carboplatin & Paclitaxel from 2023-24. With quick recurrence after the second series, I was changed to a combination of Avastin and Caelyx, but that's stopped working after a few months.

Now I have started weekly Paclitaxel only treatment. But it's been recently mentioned to me that combining Gemcitabine with Paclitaxel might be a more effective option, but that wasn't offered to me. Does anyone have any experience with this combination?

Thank you ..

@DeniseBR 

It looks like we are at about the same point in our journeys. Sending hugs 🥰. 

@Alwayslearning

I'm just going to do a quick weigh in here. Over the course of my research throughout the years, I have seen research reports supporting many different doublet treatments with standard of care drugs, including GEM + PAC. Unfortunately, the drug formulary for OC standard of care treatments either does not include these regimens or they are restricted to certain points in your care. You can sometimes find trials that are exploring different combinations but standard of care treatment options have not been changed/updated by Health Canada.

My next standard of care option is Gemcitibine and the Gem+Pac combo is actually a treatment option that I will be asking about again!! You never know, there may be a work-around 😁 .

With two standard of care drugs like Gem+Pac, and the positive research results I've seen supporting this doublet, you would think that this option would be available already. Maybe they need more data? Who knows. It just takes so long for new treatment options to become available in Canada.

If you're wondering about the drug formulary…it's a list of single and regimens of drugs approved in Canada for use with specific cancers. The drug monograph provides the specific use for each drug or combo (second line, resistant, no more than x prior treatments, etc.)…very restricting and disheartening.

I use the Cancer Care drug formulary…I just find it easier to navigate.

Drug Formulary

If you are going to take a peek, use the filter option to get the list for OC drugs, then you can look at single or regimens. If you click on the drug monograph, most spell out at which stage of a journey the drugs can be used. 

I have used this resource often. I got tired of the Drs always saying "no" (usually with the qualifier that it's not funded$ for me at this stage of my journey) and wanted to see what they were basing their responses/decisions on 😁.

If anyone has any questions…let me know. 

@DeniseBR out of curiosity who mentioned the combination treatment option? I'm always curious if the information is coming from patients vs. medical providers. Thanks.

Hi,

I received two series of Carboplatin & Paclitaxel from 2023-24. With quick recurrence after the second series, I was changed to a combination of Avastin and Caelyx, but that's stopped working after a few months.

Now I have started weekly Paclitaxel only treatment. But it's been recently mentioned to me that combining Gemcitabine with Paclitaxel might be a more effective option, but that wasn't offered to me. Does anyone have any experience with this combination?

Thank you ..