Chemotherapies are not all the same. They can be as individual as the cancer they are treating.
I have my PICC 2.0 and just started a chemotherapy called Folfox4. Cool name.
Get foxy
Chemotherapy is often a combinations of drugs. There is the specific cytotoxin that attacks cancer cells and then other drugs and substances added to support this. Folfox4 is specifically for Stage III coloretcal cancer. It has friends treating other colorectal cancers that go by the names Folfiri, Folfoxiri, Folfox6, Folfox7, Fuox, Fufox, Xelox, and Flox.
Folfox4 involves three main drugs:
- Flurouricil - cytotoxin (toxic to cells)
- Folonic acid - added to support Flurouracil
- Oxaliplatin - cytotoxin (toxic to cells)
Fol + F + Ox + ?
The actual infusion that takes place in the hospital involves even more drugs. These are to control side effects (mainly caused by oxaliplatin) such as nausea, and nerve damage in my fingers and toes. These 'helpers' are given just before the cytotoxins are added to your body:
- Glucose - yummy
- Dexamethasone - anti-nusea
- Kytril - anti-nausea
- Magnesium suplhate - minimises nerve damage
- Calcium gluconate - minimises nerve damage
- Saline - refreshing
