I met with the chemotherapy nurses today. I will have my first treatment on Thursday, May 26 at 1 pm CDT. I am going to be on FOLFOX, which is really a combination of three drugs, and Avastin. FOLFOX is a combination of 3 drugs, Leucovorin (Folinic acid), 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), and Oxaliplatin.
It sounds like there shouldn't be terrible nausea or much more than some hair thinning. The Oxaliplatin can cause sensitivity to cold and tingling in the hands and feet. I should know more once I have the first treatment and see how my body reacts to it.
Beyond the side effects, it's actually pretty interesting to read about how the drugs attack the cancer. Avastin actually goes after antigens on the cancer cells and targets them directly. Then, it stops to production of blood vessels to the tumors. The others attack different parts of the tumors as well. I've read some articles that have talked about the dramatic increase in the five-year survival rate for metastatic colorectal cancer over the last decade or so.
Unfortunately, there appears to be a shortage of Leucovorin that has been preventing a lot of people from getting the drug. Apparently, a similar drug was approved for importation from Italy to make up for the shortage, but it is a lot more expensive, and it's not entirely clear that it's any easier to get.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
You are such an academic! Yes, I agree that the science behind this all is fascinating. I'm glad it intrigues you as well - you'll stay out of trouble with all your research! :-)
ReplyDeleteJenni