Families Epoch

Families Epoch

Can Epoch Chemotherapy Cure Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma?

What do you mean by Chemotherapy and Epoch Chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is a type of a treatment which is used to kill the fast proliferating cancer cells with the help of chemicals in the form of drugs that are injected in the people having cancer in   initial as well as advanced stage.Epoch Chemotherapyis a type of Chemotherapy in which the Epoch chemotherapy regimens having low concentrations of the natural product class like etoposide, vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and prednisone are injected in the patient for a prolonged period.

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment by Epoch Chemotherapy

Epoch Chemotherapy is used as a treatment to cure many types of Cancer. One such treatment is the Non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatment in which the Epoch chemotherapy regimens like etoposide, vincristine, and doxorubicin are injected in the patients along with the drugs like intravenous (IV) bolus cyclophosphamideand oral prednisone for four days.

When the Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma treatment was carried on 74 patients their immune system did not respond to the same injected drugs (regimens). But surprisingly the immune system of the patients with the fatal Non-Hodgkin lymphoma responded nicely to the Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma treatment.

After the Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma treatment medical tests were done and the test results were found. Results showed that the patients who were in the fourth stage of Lymphoma comprised of 77 % of the patients who had responded to the Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma treatment and all the drugs in Epoch regimen were previously administered in 71 % of the patients. Also it was found that 92% of the patients were injected with at least four of the drugs of the Epoch regimen. Our of 21 patients who did not respond to the Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma treatment,15 responded and only one among them was able to  achieve a complete diminution.

Patients with deteriorating CD-20 positive large B-Cells with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma cells were treated with 375 mg rituximab drug on first day. The Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma treatment was then given to the patients from 2-4 days with the drugs being injected with different proportions into the patient's body. Only Cyclophosphamide with 750 mg was given on the day fifth and 60 mg Prednisone was given orally to the patient on the days 1-14 as a part of the Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma treatment. After treating fifty patients between the ages of 23-72 years having with rituximab drug it was found that the primary large B-Cell lymphoma was spread out in 25 patients and large B-Cell lymphoma was converted to other form in 18 of them. Thus the treatment of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma with the help of Epoch Chemotherapy with rituximab drug proved to be fruitful.

Side Effects of the Epoch Chemotherapy Treatment

We all know that the Epoch Chemotherapy is a treatment which is used when there are complicated cancerous tumors.  This treatment is given to the patients by mixing various toxic drugs in proper proportion due to which many harmful side effects are seen. So this treatment should only be given to the patients after studying their family history and then finding that whether those persons are allergenic to the toxic drugs or not.

Sometimes it is found that the patient suffers from nausea, hair loss, depression and appetite loss which are the side effects caused by the toxic drugs that are used during the this treatment. Even some patients become resistant to the drugs which are injected during the epoch chemotherapy treatment while treating the Non- Hodgkin lymphoma which is a dreadful form of cancer.

In one such study done after the treatment of Non- Hodgkin lymphoma it was seen that the toxicity of the drugs had caused large scale neutropenia and gastrointestinal disorders in the patients.

Friends, we have now understood the importance of the Epoch Chemotherapyin treating cancer patients. Every coin has two sides. So has Epoch Chemotherapy. So do consult doctor before going for any kind of Chemotherapy because self-medication and self-analysis about one's health is always dangerous. Always remember that Health is Wealth.

Wish all of you Nice in Health.

About the Author

Dr. Alina, a professor of Medicine and doing research on cancer chemotherapy treatment.

For more detail visit ABVD Chemotherapy

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