It’s difficult to believe, but there is a shortage of Nitrogen Mustard. This is one of the, ever so lovely, components in my chemotherapy. When I arrived Thursday, the beginning of my last cycle/round of treatment, I was informed that there was a little problem.
I’ll back track a little to explain. My presentation of Lymphoma is unique. Marla, my mediastinal tumor for those of you now joining us, went all out and had to be large & bulky. As such, my Oncologist felt it was best to treat me with the Stanford V regimen. This includes Nitrogen Mustard, Adriamycin, Bleomycin, Vinblastine, Vincristine, Etoposide, and Prednisone. Once a week, I get a specific combination of drugs injected in my PICC line. It takes one cycle (4 weeks) to go through the different drug combinations, and then repeat. This treatment is completed after 3 cycles. Most Lymphoma patients are now treated with the ABVD regimen, which includes Adriamycin, Bleomycin, Vinblastine, and Darcarbazine and 4 cycles long. So what’s the big difference? Stanford V has lower amounts of Adriamycin and Bleomycin. This lowers my risk for a secondary disease such as Leukemia or breast cancer.
There is just not enough demand (I guess that’s a good thing) for Nitrogen Mustard, as it is no longer being produced fast enough, if it is being produced at all. My Oncologist was unable to locate any after calling all over the country. My response to treatment has been so successful, that maybe skipping this one won’t make much of a difference. That’s what I hoping for. I still marvel at medical advances. I try not to think too much about how chemotherapy was really developed. I like to imagine a group of bored scientists going out to Utah’s west desert, digging up some dirt, extracting some chemicals from it and deciding to inject them into cancer patients to cure them. Fight poison with poison.
I’ll back track a little to explain. My presentation of Lymphoma is unique. Marla, my mediastinal tumor for those of you now joining us, went all out and had to be large & bulky. As such, my Oncologist felt it was best to treat me with the Stanford V regimen. This includes Nitrogen Mustard, Adriamycin, Bleomycin, Vinblastine, Vincristine, Etoposide, and Prednisone. Once a week, I get a specific combination of drugs injected in my PICC line. It takes one cycle (4 weeks) to go through the different drug combinations, and then repeat. This treatment is completed after 3 cycles. Most Lymphoma patients are now treated with the ABVD regimen, which includes Adriamycin, Bleomycin, Vinblastine, and Darcarbazine and 4 cycles long. So what’s the big difference? Stanford V has lower amounts of Adriamycin and Bleomycin. This lowers my risk for a secondary disease such as Leukemia or breast cancer.
There is just not enough demand (I guess that’s a good thing) for Nitrogen Mustard, as it is no longer being produced fast enough, if it is being produced at all. My Oncologist was unable to locate any after calling all over the country. My response to treatment has been so successful, that maybe skipping this one won’t make much of a difference. That’s what I hoping for. I still marvel at medical advances. I try not to think too much about how chemotherapy was really developed. I like to imagine a group of bored scientists going out to Utah’s west desert, digging up some dirt, extracting some chemicals from it and deciding to inject them into cancer patients to cure them. Fight poison with poison.
Actually this is the perfect title--in my mind, your Dr. has a very proper accent as he searches out your medicine. Don't tell me if he doesn't. :) Here's hoping it all works out, and all that Utah dirt does the trick.
ReplyDeleteWhy after reading your post, all I can think about is sitting in a SWAT briefing & hearing the Sgt say "Mustard,mustard,mustard"
ReplyDeleteChelsey - funny you should say that. My Dr. has an accent, it's Portuguese.
ReplyDeleteNat - I do miss SWAT raids, but not a whole lot else.