Chemotherapy Drugs and Treatment Details

The drugs Dr. Weber has prescribed for Dad's chemotherapy include the following:

• Alimpta
  
• Carboplatin
• Avastin

The first two are standard chemo drugs and the third attacks the blood vessels of the tumor.

In addition to these drugs (which are all administered intravenously during the actual treatment), Dad is also taking Decadron orally for four days around the chemo (day before, day of, and two days after) to prevent the rash that can occur as a result of the Alimpta. There is one final pre-treatment drug that he is given in the office called Kytril to reduce nausea.

As explained by Dr. Weber, the plan is to complete one round of treatments, which consists of three visits at three week intervals:

1. February 27
2. March 20
3. April 10

They will monitor his blood (first check is scheduled for March 9) to be sure his body is tolerating the drugs; the chief concern is the Carboplatin, which can cause bone marrow toxicity.

After the third treatment on April 10, they will run a CT scan to see how the cancer has responded to the first round of treatments. If spread is either stopped or even countered, this will be considered success and they will continue with the same drugs. If the drugs prove to be be ineffective, Dr. Weber will adjust them in an attempt to find an effective solution.