Corel Medical Series: Cancer/Corel Medical Series: Cancer.iso/mac/Program/c22.dxr/00036_Field_SRC.c22.C.9.txt

Text File | 1997-01-28 | 1KB | 14 lines

Many forms of supportive therapy can be given to someone with AIDS-related lymphoma undergoing chemotherapy .
• Medicines to prevent nausea and vomiting should be given routinely. Ondansetron, a new and extremely
  effective antinausea medicine, is given by vein just before the chemotherapy. Ondansetron or other antinausea
  medications should also be given for use on an outpatient basis.
• G-CSF is an important new medicine that can limit the decrease of normal white blood cells caused by
  chemotherapy. When the level of these normal white blood cells (granulocytes or polys) is lowered by
  chemotherapy, patients are at an increased risk for developing serious, even life-threatening infection. Patients
  can inject themselves with G-CSF under the skin, similar to an insulin injection.
      The G-CSF is begun on the day following chemotherapy and is continued until the white blood cells have
  fully recovered (about 10 days). G-CSF can prevent serious infection, decrease the number of days spent in
  the hospital for infections and decrease the need for antibiotics. G-CSF may be helpful in some, but not all,
  situations in HIV lymphoma.
• Medication to prevent Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) is mandatory during and for at least three
  months after chemotherapy, regardless of the T4 count.