Corel Medical Series: Cancer/Corel Medical Series: Cancer.iso/mac/Program/c22.dxr/00066_Field_SRC.c22.A.9.txt

Text File | 1997-01-28 | 2KB | 18 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. Zofran, a new and extremely effective
  anti-nausea medicine, is given by vein just before the chemotherapy. Zofran or other anti-nausea medications
  should also be given for use on an outpatient basis.
• Neupogen (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 Neupogen 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, which can be very expensive.
• If the red blood cell count becomes low because of the chemotherapy, erythropoietin (EPO or Procrit) can be
  given three times a week by injection under the skin, similar to G-CSF. This will increase the bone marrow's
  production of red blood cells and improve or resolve the anemia possibly caused by the chemotherapy.
• Medication to prevent Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) is mandatory during and for at least three
  months after chemotherapy, regardless of the T4 count.