While we wait and see what may happen today, let's talk chemo.
Alicia will be taking what they call A&C. These initials will be familiar to most people who have battled breast cancer. They stand for Adriamycin and Cytoxan.
Here is an oversimplified explanation of cancer and chemotherapy. Cancer cells are cells that grow too fast and have bad intentions. They divide rapidly. (Remember high school biology-that is called mitosis, or for those who are picky about it miotic phase) So chemotherapy interferes with the cells ability to grow or to divide. The Adriamycin works to interfere with DNA replication (or specifically DNA intercalcation) and if a cells DNA can't be replicated, it can't grow. Another "fun fact" about Adriamycin, it is red in color. Cytoxan, to me, is more complicated. It undergoes changes in the liver which allow it to attach to a specific protein the DNA, and also to kill some T Cells (which presumably is beneficial because those T cells weren't being good helpers and need to get out of the way so the cancer can be killed). "Fun fact" about cytoxan, it is a part of a group of chemotherapies that was derived from mustard gas, and was stumbled upon during WWI.
So, the plan is for Alicia to get A&C once every three weeks for 4-6 doses (or 12-18 weeks). It will take about 2 hours each time she goes in for treatment.
Side effects are: fatigue, nausea, hair loss. There can also be damage to the heart (but that will be closely monitored) and it can be hard on the kidneys (also will be watched and minimized by taking in a lot of water).
If you have questions, let me know. Or if I explained something incorrectly, correct me please!
~Sarah
Alicia will be taking what they call A&C. These initials will be familiar to most people who have battled breast cancer. They stand for Adriamycin and Cytoxan.
Here is an oversimplified explanation of cancer and chemotherapy. Cancer cells are cells that grow too fast and have bad intentions. They divide rapidly. (Remember high school biology-that is called mitosis, or for those who are picky about it miotic phase) So chemotherapy interferes with the cells ability to grow or to divide. The Adriamycin works to interfere with DNA replication (or specifically DNA intercalcation) and if a cells DNA can't be replicated, it can't grow. Another "fun fact" about Adriamycin, it is red in color. Cytoxan, to me, is more complicated. It undergoes changes in the liver which allow it to attach to a specific protein the DNA, and also to kill some T Cells (which presumably is beneficial because those T cells weren't being good helpers and need to get out of the way so the cancer can be killed). "Fun fact" about cytoxan, it is a part of a group of chemotherapies that was derived from mustard gas, and was stumbled upon during WWI.
So, the plan is for Alicia to get A&C once every three weeks for 4-6 doses (or 12-18 weeks). It will take about 2 hours each time she goes in for treatment.
Side effects are: fatigue, nausea, hair loss. There can also be damage to the heart (but that will be closely monitored) and it can be hard on the kidneys (also will be watched and minimized by taking in a lot of water).
If you have questions, let me know. Or if I explained something incorrectly, correct me please!
~Sarah