Chemo and radiation combined

Nikki · New User Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 9

How soon after starting Chemo and radiation do you lose your hair? My mom is going to have to have chemo and radiation and the hardest part for her is losing her hair. She will be getting the treatments every 21 days.

freeio

Depending upon which chemo agent is used, and where is being irradiated, this can vary widely. In my case, since I have been dealing with pancreatic cancer, they irradiated my midsection, and the only hair loss was there. The chemo agent I was taking at the time was Xeloda, and it does not normally cause hair loss (it causes skin to peel instead!). Furthermore, during six months of infusions of gemcitabine, there was no hair loss.

So without knowing a bit more about what your mother is taking, there is no realy way to make a prediction.
_________________
-------------------------------------------------
whipple procedure, Oct. 21, 2004
28 days of radiation
56 days of Chemo using Xeloda
diagnosed as progressive recurrent pancreatic adenocarcinoma (Stage IV) Jun. 20, 2006
was treated with gemcitabine, oxaliplatin, and tarceva, which all failed.
Cancer blog: http://diehlmartin.com/cancer.html

Nikki · New User Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 9

She'll be taking Carbo something and Taxol. I'm pretty sure that was the names of the medications that the doctor mentioned.

Boldelly · Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 1:38 am Post subject: Re: Chemo and radiation combined

My daughter had her chemo every 21 days too, different drugs: Bleomycin, Cyclophospomide, etoposde, doxorubisin, and prednisone. She started loosing her hair after first chemo, but also heard some people do not loose their hair. My daughter was heart broken about loosing her long red hair. Everywhere I read and even the doctors said that all girls/women have the same issue with their hair. They told us that as long as she was not having radiation to her head her hair should start to grow about two weeks after her last chemo. We are a week or so out, so we will see.

Your mom will come to terms with it, my daughter is not happy about it but she is adjusted to it alot better than at first.

Happy Pill · New User Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 7 Location: UK

My daughter lost her hair 3 weeks after her 1st chemo course

Boldelly · Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 4:08 pm Post subject: Re: Chemo and radiation combined

That sounds about like my daughter. I have a question to ask you or anyone else on this forum, does your daughter or any one else take the Neupogen shots or also known as G-CSF or Filgastrum shots? These make my daughters bones ache soo bad, she says her legs, hands, knees, hips, feet and even her toes hurt during these series of shots (usually 10 days, but sometimes if her white counts are low they make her go 14 days on the shots). She has been taking a lot of pain medication because of this and some problems in other places that have caused her pain. She has been taking 2 tablets of Norco 5mg/325mg. One of the oncologists is really starting to give me a hard time about giving her this medication because she will go through 30 tabs in about 5 to 6 days taking them approx every 4 hours and sometimes askes if she can have them sooner. She is deathly afraid of the moriphine and will not take it. Does anyone have any alternative advice for me or experience in this type of thing?

Happy Pill · New User Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 7 Location: UK

Yes my daughter has the GCSF injections at the end of every chemo course just before we go home, she does complain of achy legs for the next few days after but then seems to be ok

Zenos · Regular Joined: 08 Feb 2007 Posts: 14 Location: PNW

A 21 day chemo cycle suggests standard dosing. Generally people will experience hair loss around day 17 after chemo. Depending on the agent it can be total or partial. RT does not cause hair loss on the head...unless the RT is focused on the brain. However Radiation induced hairloss is permanent, chemo hair loss is temporary

Nikki · New User Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 9

Thank you for the replies.

She had her first chemo last Thursday.

I've decided that when she starts to lose her hair, I'm shaving off my long, blonde hair! Very Happy

I'm actually going to sign up to raise money for St. Baldrick's Foundation. They raise money for childhood cancer research.

cjago · Regular Joined: 14 Jan 2006 Posts: 42

I'm doing Taxol at the moment. It's one of the worst drugs for hair loss, but (for me at least) has been a LOT better than many other chemo drugs in other respects, especially in that it doesn't make me sick. I can do without hair if I'm feeling generally OK!

As far as I recall I lost most of it rather suddenly a bit over 2 weeks after the first dose. But it grows back! In fact, I had a break over Christmas because of a holiday and mine grew back and now started coming out again during the end bit of my chemo.

Can I recommend these

http://www.buffwear.com/

I have absolutely no connection with them, but I now own a dozen - doesn't slip like a scarf, no difficult tying, easy-care so you can have a clean one every day, lots of cheerful colours and patterns.

Also, clipper it really short when it starts to go, and then the rest going isn't so messy and dispiriting.
_________________
adenocarcinoma of the breast, now widely metastatic (stomach, liver, pelvis, pancreas, bones, skin)
survived 11 years so far

rose8 · Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:50 pm Post subject: Re: Chemo and radiation combined

hi nikki sorry to hear about your mum i have breast cancer and have lost my hair not all treatments make you lose your hair but there is a thing called the cold cap that you can use to try and save it its not 100 per cent but at least you could keep most of it I have lost mine but have some fantastic wigs really trendy i am 51 and had long blonde hair it was hard to start with but now make lots of jokes over the wigs there is a website called wigbank.com worth a look and a read if she loses her hair agnes is a inspiration and a very nice person also headcovers.com has nice toweling turbans for wearing around the house any more info please e mail i will be happy to help If the treatment she is to have will make her lose her hair she will be told and she will get a nhs wig make sure you go with her and make sure it fits and is nice before you leave the shop

Shay · Last edited by Shay on Wed Apr 25, 2007 11:04 pm; edited 4 times in total

Hi my name is Shay...44yrs of age
I just completed 15 months of Chemo treatment for breast cancer.

My hair was very long...very blonde it had been that way all my life (and probably one of my trademarks I was told)
People would say to me...
"Shay u're going to lose that long beautiful hair"
Quickly I learned how to reply...
"The hair can grow back...the boob can't" Rolling Eyes

HOW TRUE

My dear readers...we take these drugs by choice....it's all about choices.
We know they can cause some damge or changes....but for the most of it we HOPE they will save our lives. Soon we realize after being brushed in the face with death that so many things are secondary.

For children...this is not an easy understanding...it is many reasons we choose to cut our hair and do things in a way of support for them...anything we can do to help make them feel this is not a big deal. Children to other children don't always understand either about why and will tease another child....but the wigs today that are available...they help children feel back to normal.
(I used to throw my wig in the salad spinner after washing...felt great on the head after with that wet look I so missed having) Laughing

I have many inspirational video's I have posted on a website...
please if anyone wishes to watch them...I'd love that.

By the way I also cut my hair the moment it started falling out (before the second chemo.It was interesting to see my hair with a short cut...I knew it would be gone quickly so I'm glad I haad the chance to see another style...before I went bald. Oh and BALD...I LOVED IT...summer was HOT last year...for me I just dropped the wig and all was good.Another nice thing...one full splash across the face and head in the morning...and it's all good!
My hair has returned...really dark...and curly (tight curls)
Identity theft....LOL
OK...I joke alot...but I try to help others understand that no matter where are future takes us...wether it be short or long...I'm going to live it to iit's fullest.
I'm sorry to hear about your mother...
share my link...
There are photo's as well.

Here I express how good it is to be alive and how sad it is to lose the ones we love.I also express some dancing to start and finish with.
http://www.livevideo.com/video/TouShay/C7C5164423804BA1B25D604E287FAAB9/expressing-about-cancer-danc.aspx

Here was my last chemo treatment - I was hooked up to an IV in my chest walking around handing out jellybeans to others in the circle of love March /07
http://www.livevideo.com/video/TouShay/89697AD3FACA43A7868BF3DC660E8867/thank-you-comment.aspx

Chemo and breast cancer won't take the smile out of this girl
http://www.livevideo.com/video/TouShay/0B32785DD6BC48168DFC70BD397DD02B/many-smiles-and-thanks.aspx

OUR RECENT RELEASE(created by Zack Bicknell and myself Shay Moyer)
JOSEPH'S LULLABY CANCER AWARENESS VIDEOJust completed April 9th 2007
Zack singer/songwriter lost his mother to cancer...we met on you tube and together we created this legit video for cancer awareness (I am in the final music part of the video with my ShayR Bear...then again at the very ending I say a few words)
http://www.livevideo.com/video/TouShay/696DE78FE10D4A64ACD292CFC5599860/joseph-s-lullaby-cancer-video.aspx

www.josephslullaby.com
you can read more there ...
Bless you all....Shay
_________________
Live, Love and be HEALTHY
Never give up on HOPE,
I'm Living Proof....Shay

Nikki · New User Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 9

Thank you all for the replies and I have posted an update here:

http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=5148

***I still can't figure out why my original form name (NicInNC) got banned***

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