Chemotherapy

There are three main types of chemotherapy used to treat Hodgkins Disease. Among those are MOPP, ABVD, and the Stanford V treatment. I received the Stanford V (5) treatment. Below I will describe the types of drugs associated with Stanford V and their known side effects along with the side effects that I experienced (noted by a *). As long as my counts were high enough, I would receive chemo every week.

Here is the schedule my nurses used to keep track of when I received which drugs.

Here is a picture of me receiving chemo through my port. I strongly recommend getting one. Otherwise they to insert an IV every time you get chemo. This is especially nice when you are getting treatment every week. They can draw blood out of it too. I got what is called a Hohn or a Central Venous Catheter. However they did not let me get one until my 8th week of chemo. If you are admitted to the hospital they change your IVs often. I had 15 sticks after a 5 day hospital say once. The central line is a tube that is surgically inserted through a small operation into a major vein. It can be taken out in your doctors office and it doesn’t hurt at all. However it’s covered in tagaderm tape while it’s in and you cannot get that area wet. My skin was a little discolored since I could not wash that area but it’s fine now.

Doxorubicin hydrochloride (aka Adriamycin)

Action: Doxorubicin disrupts the growth of cancer cells, which are then destroyed.
The drug cannot distinguish between cancer and normal cells, so some normal cells are affected, causing side effects (see side effects).
Known Side Effects:
*Decreased white blood cell count with increased risk of infection
*Decreased platelet count with increased risk of bleeding
*Hair loss
Loss of appetite
Darkening of nail beds and skin creases of hands
Nausea
Vomiting
Less Common Side Effects:
*Sores in mouth or on lips
Radiation recall skin changes
Fetal abnormalities if taken while pregnant or if becoming pregnant while on this drug
Rare Side Effects:
Temporary changes in electrocardiogram (EKG)
Irregular heart beat
Heart damage with congestive heart failure

Bloemycin (aka Blenoxane)

Action: Bleomycin inteferes with cell division, which results in the cells being destroyed. The drug cannot distinguish between cancer and normal cells, so some normal cells are affected, causing side effects (see side effects).
Known Side Effects:
Fever and chills
Nausea
Loss of appetite
*Hair loss
*Sores in mouth or on lips
Skin changes, such as darkened, thickened areas of skin or nails, rash, or dry skin peeling at the fingertips
Less Common Side Effects:
Pain at tumor site
Pain at place of injection
Irritation of vein used for giving the drug
Irritation of lungs
Rare Side Effects:
Fibrosis of lungs
Anaphylactic reaction with decreased blood pressure, confusion, rapid heart rate, wheezing and facial swelling

Nitrogen Mustard (aka Mustardgen, Mechlorethamine hydrochloride)

Action: Nitrogen Mustard disrupts the growth of cancer cells, which are then destroyed. The drug cannot distinguish between cancer and normal cells, so some normal cells are affected, causing side effects.
Known Side Effects:
*Decreased white blood cell count with increased risk of infection
*Decreased platelet count with increased risk of bleeding
Nausea
Vomiting
*Taste changes
Decreased appetite
Hair thinning
Less Common Side Effects:
*Hardening and darkening of veins
Chills
*Fever
Diarrhea
Drowsiness
Headache
Rare Side Effects:
Ringing in the ears, hearing loss
Side Effects/Symptoms of this Drug:
Because of the way this drug acts on the body, there is a chance that it can cause other side effects that may not occur until months or years after the drug is used. These very rarely can induce certain types of cancer such as leukemia. Discuss this with your doctor.

Prednisone (aka Apo-Prednisone, Deltasone, Orasone)

Action: Prednisone decreases inflammation by preventing white blood cells from completing an inflammatory reaction. This drug can cause lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, to break apart and die. Thus, it is an important drug used in combination with other chemotherapy agents to treat many different cancers. The drug cannot distinguish between cancer and normal cells, so some normal cells are affected, causing side effects (see side effects).
Known Side Effects:
Delayed wound healing
Mood changes
Depression
Increased blood sugar
*Increased appetite with weight gain
*Bruising of the skin
Sleep disturbance
Increased risk of infection
Sodium and fluid retention with swelling in ankles, increased blood pressure, and congestive heart failure
Less Common Side Effects:
Decrease inpotassium blood level (symptoms are loss of appetite, muscle twitching, increased thirst, increased urination)
*Weakness
Fracture of weak bones
Fungal infections(white patches in the mouth, vagina)
Sweating
Diarrhea
Nausea
Headache
Increased heart rate
Loss of calcium in bones

Vinblastine (aka Velban)

Action: Vinblastine disrupts cell division, resulting in cell death. The drug cannot distinguish between cancer and normal cells, so some normal cells are affected, causing side effects (see side effects).
Known Side Effects:
*Decreased white blood cell count with increased risk of infection
*Decreased platelet count with increased risk of bleeding
*Hair loss
Less Common Side Effects:
*Constipation
*Numbness and tingling in the hands and/or feet related to peripheral nerve irration and possibly damaged nerves
Rare Side Effects:
Depression
Headache
*Jaw pain
Difficulty emptying the bladder
Increased heart rate
Dizziness when changing position
Changes in vision
Nausea
Vomiting
*Sores in mouth or on lips
Side Effects/Symptoms of this Drug:
Call your doctor right away if you develop difficulty walking, cramping in your legs, or redness and pain of injection.

Vincristine (aka Oncovin)

Action: Vincristine disrupts cell division, resulting in cell death. The drug cannot distinguish between cancer and normal cells, so some normal cells are affected, causing side effects (see side effects).
Known Side Effects:
*Constipation
*Hair loss
*Numbness and tingling in hands and/or feet due to peripheral nerve irritation or damage
Less Common Side Effects:
*Weakness
Muscle aches
Cramping
Stomach pain
Rare Side Effects:
Double vision
Depression
*Taste changes
*Decreased white blood cell count with increased risk of infection
*Decreased platelet count with increased risk of bleeding
*Jaw pain
Headache
Impotence

Etoposide (aka VePesid, Etophophos, VP-16 )

Action: Etoposide disrupts cell division, resulting in cell death. The drug cannot distinguish between cancer and normal cells, so some normal cells are affected, causing side effects (see side effects).
Known Side Effects:
*Decreased white blood cell count with increased risk of infection
*Decreased platelet count with increased risk of bleeding
Mild nausea
Mild vomiting
Loss of appetite
*Changes in taste including metallic taste of foods
*Hair loss
Fetal damage if pregnancy occurs while taking this drug
Less Common Side Effects:
*Constipation
Diarrhea
Pain in stomach
Radiation recall skin changes
Rare Side Effects:
Decrease in blood pressure
Difficulty breathing during drug infusion
Rash
Itching
Heart changes
*Numbness and tingling in hands and/or feet related to nerve irritation or damage
Fever
Chills
Allergic reactions