Recovery from a ‘hilly’ week.
Like I wrote in my last post, this week has been a metaphorical hill workout. Beth started a new treatment yesterday called BCNU or Carmustine. BCNU is in the same group of alkylating agents that some of the other therapies that she has done already. This one however has a slightly different mechanism of disrupting cell division. It’s goal being one of putting mutated cells into a “programed death” faster than other cells, as well as disrupting their ability to replicate.
A little cancerous cell 101…
Cancerous cells are different than normal cells due to several factors including unchecked or controled cell division. Cancerous cells lose the ability known as inhibition (“Normal” cells stop dividing when in contact with like cells), a normal process in the cell lifecycle. The cell cycle goes from the resting phase, through active growing phases, and then to mitosis (division).
The ability of chemotherapy to kill cancer cells depends on its ability to halt cell division. BCNU works by damaging the DNA that tells the cell how to copy itself in division. By disrupting this process the cells are unable to divide, and they die. The faster the cells are dividing, and often times cancer cells divide at higher rates than normal tissue, the more likely it is that chemotherapy will kill the cells, causing the tumor to shrink. They also induce cell suicide (or apoptosis).
Chemotherapy is most effective at killing cells that are rapidly dividing. Unfortunately, chemotherapy does not know the difference between the cancerous cells and the normal cells. With BCNU some of the side effects are from this lack of targeting, so keeping an eye on Beth’s blood counts (white cells and platelet counts) is important.
Each month we expect to see a “dip” in her blood counts, but as long as we see a recovery, and the counts don’t go so low that she would risk a serious infection things should be fine. After 6 weeks Beth will go back in for an MRI scan to see how the therapy is working and we will re-evaluate the next round of treatment.
While what any of us would go through for recovery from a big ride, or a short “hilly” training ride is no where near what Beth’s body has to go through after her treatments. I am reminded by both that taking a little time is important to our recovery. One step in front of the other, or one peddle stroke at a time…
Go Beth, you are my hero (or heroine). You are always on my mind.