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Chemotherapy: Arsphenamine, History of cancer chemotherapy, Acute myeloid leukemia, Alkylating antineoplastic agent, Anthracycline, Monoclonal antibodies, Paclitaxel, Docetaxel, Doxorubicin

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:48:25 +0000

Product Description
Chemotherapy – Arsphenamine, History of cancer chemotherapy, Acute myeloid leukemia, Alkylating antineoplastic agent, Anthracycline, Monoclonal antibodies, Paclitaxel, Docetaxel, Doxorubicin, Bleomycin, Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, Port (medical), Granisetron, Ondansetron, Post-chemotherapy cognitive impairment, Mucositis, Vinorelbine… More >>

Chemotherapy – Drugs Used For Treatment

admin — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:10:07 +0000

The method of killing the cancer cells present the whole body or in particular part by passing anti-cancer drugs into the blood stream is called chemotherapy. It is also employed to prevent the spreading of cancer from part to another. It proves to be more efficient when it is used in the metastasis condition. In this condition the cancer spreads to all parts from where it has originated.

Each every chemotherapy agent has specific role depending upon the treatment and characteristics of the drug used. Most of them intervene with the DNA synthesis. Based on their features and treatment they are classified as alkylating agents, anti-metabolits, anthracyclines, antitumor antibiotics, monoclonal antibodies, platinums, or plant alkaloids.

Alkylating agents are the widely used drugs in the chemotherapy treatment. These drugs are effective through all phases of cell cycle. The alkylate agent acts directly on the DNA strands, breaks the strands and forms abnormal pairing, thus prevents the cell division taking place, and cells die off as a result of it.

Anti-metabolits are found to be useful in treating chronic problems and some cases of leukemia and for various tumors.

Anthracyclines drugs are obtained from natural resources. They work by producing free oxygen radicals which acts with the DNA strands and prevents the cell division.

Antitumor antibiotics are obtained from soil fungus streptomyces. It employs the free oxygen radicals for breaking the DNA strands and preventing cell division. Bleomycin is a commonly used antitumor antibiotic

Monoclonal antibodies, they are attach themselves with the tumor specific antigens and thus block the growth of the cell.

Platinums, they are also used to provide the DNA impairing and to stop the cell growth. But the setback is they can injure the kidneys as they are toxic.

Plant alkaloids, according to the name they are derived from plants. And they are used in cell specific cycles.

Strategies to Counter Acute Leukemia

admin — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 00:45:41 +0000

There are several common treatments for leukemia patients.

Essentially, leukemia begins in the bone marrow where blood cells are made. Because of that, this cancer can spread quickly throughout the body, eventually affecting other organs like lymph nodes, the spinal cord, the brain or spleen. When leukemia is diagnosed as acute, that means the disease is spreading rapidly.

To learn more about the different types of treatments used to treat acute leukemia, read on.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is used for two purposes. The first is to actively treat and kill leukemia cancer cells in the spinal fluid and the brain. The second way in which radiation therapy is used is as a prevention method – essentially to prevent the cancer from returning to different parts of the body after chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy

The main treatments for leukemia are chemotherapies. Phases of chemotherapy include induction – where the treatment is directed at killing most of the leukemia cells; consolidation – the stage when a different type of chemotherapy is given to kill off any remaining leukemia cells; and maintenance -the phase where low doses are administered to acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients to prevent recurrence.

Remission Induction

Patients who are diagnosed with AML (acute myelogenous leukemia) will typically undergo remission induction treatments which involve cytrabine and an anthracycline. Because remission induction is so intensive, it’s often undergone on an in-patient basis.

Typically, a course of remission induction will only last between 5 and 7 days. However, because most of the body’s healthy bone marrow cells have been destroyed over the course of the treatment, the patient must endure a lengthy hospital stay following treatment.

For acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the treatment involves a combination of anthracycline and vincristine and prednisone. This combination reduces the amount of bone marrow damage, and patients can generally expect shorter hospital stays.

Consolidation Therapy

After the initial remission induction, the patient will undergo what is called consolidation therapy. This is designed to destroy any remaining cancer cells and therefore prevent a recurrence.

Maintenance Chemotherapy

Maintenance therapy is only used on patients with ALL. The therapy is a combination of oral methotrexate and mercaptopurine along with any other necessary drugs.

Central Nervous System Treatment

Because ALL can come back in the spinal fluid or brain, some patients are treated with methotrexate, which is administered through a spinal tap or, in some cases, radiation therapy to the brain.

Transplantation of Stem Cells

Stem cell transplantation is a serious procedure, but one that is often used in younger patients with a poor prognosis. Adult patients, under the age of 50, typically undergo stem cell transplantation treatments for leukemia if their leukemia relapses.