Christine is right, check with your oncologist. I try to get copies of everything to have for my records, although I slacked off a bit on the dr notes from my office visits, but at one time I did. Once i needed to fax over 400 pages of records for a consult at a major cancer center, which was a pain to gather in a few days as time was of essence.

I posted this response a few weeks ago to a members question about Induction Chemo:


Yes, there is a difference between induction chemo and other chemo therapies. It's a combination of three types in "High Doses", sometimes two, which is the original, PF, Cisplatin & 5-FU, and the most popular type of induction chemo being TPF; Taxotere, Cisplatin and 5-FU. There are different variations to this type including different taxanes, platinum based chemo's, and addition of Erbitux or its substitution for another chemo, and their acronyms.

I had neoadjunct induction chemo back in 2009, and there was even less info than there is now. I didn't even know the chemo's that I was going to be getting. It didn't work out quite well for me toxicity wise, and only had 5 days of it, but it killed all my cancer; primary and two lymph’s, almost me too, and have read extensively about it since 2010 after not getting many answers as to what happened, and why. I've posted many times after joining in 2012. It's concept is not new, probably about 40 years old, and originally used in studies for organ preservation for the larynx by the the department of veterans affairs.

It's controversial, and still is, has high toxicities, and probably around 50% of the patients never finish the full treatment, some not being able to continue to have curative treatment that usually follows or surgery, but it works well in reducing tumor size, distant metastases, and in some cases, completely, which was my case, but it doesn't last. Usually in a year or less the tumor returns, although my tonsil tumor never did return, but I did have radiation over a year later after my treatment was stopped, which is the time it took me to partially recover, for a recurrence 8 months later.

When I had mine, you were hospitalized for the week. They gave you 75mg Cisplatin, 75mg Taxotere on day one, and a continuous infusion of 1,600mg 5-FU for 4 days, sometimes it’s 1,000mg a day, and other medications to help reduce side effects. Now they may do it as an outpatient, and have the 5-FU infused via a fanny pack. Regular chemo with Cisplatin weekly is 40mg or the big bag every three weeks is 80mg, so there is a difference right there in the amount of chemo in one week.

Many people have had different experiences than mine, although I can’t completely knock it as I'm here. I think it's best in select patients. My ENT said it was rough treatment, and thought it may not be suited for it, but laughed it off at the time, and MO said like General Patton, I was a strong young man, so I said, "bring it on”, but wouldn’t say that now!

I understand there is a 5-FU antidote now in cases of overexposure, adverse events called, VISTAGARD.

Here is an older article that offers more information, I have dozens, many posted if you search here under "Induction Chemo". Another doctor that used it extensively in trials is Dr. Marshall Posner from Mt Sinai Hospital, and where I had mine, if you look up his articles too.

http://theoncologist.alphamedpress.org/content/15/suppl_3/3.full.pdf

Here is another article:

http://ascopubs.org/doi/pdfdirect/10.1200/JCO.2014.56.7685

Toxicities will depend on the type of chemo’s used, in addiction too type of combinations, the dosage amount, frequency rate, infusion rate, age, patients condition, co-morbidities.