1. Cancer/Chemo HENDERSON

2. Cancer FACTS  One in three people will face cancer in their lifetime  People in this room are dealing with cancer right now (parent, grandparent, sibling, aunt, uncle…)  25% of cancer survivors in the United States have school aged children  Cancer is a general name for 100+ diseases  Cancer often moves to other parts of the body where they grow and form new tumors. The process of spreading cancer is METASTASIS.  Many cancers form solid tumors/masses of tissues. However, some like leukemia, generally do not.

3. MORE cancer facts  Chemotherapy:  Medicine used to treat cancer.  Average cost for a 3-4 MONTH treatment is $20,000-$26,000.  Medicines specifically sold in pharmacies for 1 year of treatments averages $100,000.  Treatments can be DAILY, WEEKLY, OR MONTHLY.  Treatments can be INJECTION, IV, OR ORAL.

4. DISCLAIMER…  I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CANCER/CHEMO DRUGS. IN RETAIL PHARMACY, I WAS NEVER REALLY EXPOSED TO THOSE TYPES OF MEDICATIONS…  WE CAN LEARN ABOUT THIS TOGETHER.

5. What is CANCER?  Uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells.  This is particularly difficult to treat because drugs cannot difference between cancer cells and healthy cells…so BOTH types of cells are killed during treatment.

6. Understanding Antimetabolites  The term metabolism refers to the many chemical reactions that take place in our bodies.  Metabolite is a general term for the organic compounds that are synthesized, recycled, or broken down in cells.  Examples include vitamins and amino acids.  Metabolites that are the end products of a process or pathway may be excreted by the body.  An example is urea, the end product of protein metabolism, excreted by the body as a component of urine.

7. Antimetabolites  Used in cancer therapy.  Anti metabolites are structurally similar to metabolites, but they cannot be used by the body in a productive manner.  Many of the antimetabolites used in the treatment of cancer interfere with the production of the nucleic acids, RNA and DNA.  If new DNA cannot be made, cells are unable to divide.

8. Antimetabolites continued… BrandGeneric Efudex/AdrucilFluorouracil 6-MPMercaptopurine MexateMethotrexate XelodaCepacitabine *****With specific cancer medications, extra precaution needs to take place such as wearing GLOVES. Pay close attention to the outside of the stock bottle (it will tell you what precautions you should take) when handling cancer/chemo drugs.

9. Alkylating Agents  Directly damage DNA to keep the cell from reproducing.  Because they damage DNA, they have long term damage on bone marrow.  Used mainly to treat leukemia, testicular/ovarian cancers, and bladder cancer.  AS A TECHNICIAN, IF YOU ACCIDENTALY HAVE SKIN CONTACT, IMMEDIATELY WASH HANDS WITH SOAP AND WATER AND SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION.

10. Alkylating Agents continued… BrandGeneric CYTOXANCYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE PARAPLATINCARBOPLATIN

11. Hormone dependent cancer treatments  Used to treat cancers such as breast cancer  Blocks the effect of estrogen in target tissues such as the breast. BrandGeneric NolvadexTamoxifen Depo-ProveraMedroxyprogesterone ArimidexAnastrozole CasodexBicalutamine Depo-Testosteronetestosterone