Treatment Plan

Phase 1:  Induction

Basically they throw everything they’ve got at the cancer. At the end of this phase, he will be in remission (less than 5% leukemic blasts… remember we started at 70% on March 22)

 He takes:

• ·         Dexamethasone – the bastard steroid that we all HATE.  HATE!  He gets it twice daily. It’s a little white pill.
• ·         Vincristine – this one is the little baggie with the Jolly Roger on it that he gets IV-style through his port.  He gets it every Tuesday.
• ·         Asparaginase – this one he gets pushed through a syringe into his port every Tuesday.  It’s yellow.  This is also the one with the  high chance for an allergic reaction.  “Allergic to Asparagus” is how I remember it…  Whatever works, right?
• ·         Methotrexate straight into his spine.
• ·         He also gets Pepcid for his tummy
• ·         Mouthwash to prevent/treat mouth sores
• ·         Zofran for Nausea (as needed)

Phase 2: Intensification

Leukemia cells hide.  They find little cracks and crevices in his little body and hide like the cowardly little bastards they are.  This phase hunts them down, drags them out, and kills them.  Think “The Searchers”.  The John Wayne version.

I’m not sure yet, but I THINK he will get:

• ·         Vincristine – BTW, this stuff is derived from the vinca plant.
• o   Side effects: Constipation and hair loss
• ·         Endoxan/Cytoxan – Thi s stuff attaches itself to his DNA and turns him into a superhero, Spiderman style.  Ironically, this stuff is a carcinogen.
• o   Side effects: Nasea and vomiting; diarrhea, hair loss, lethargy
• ·         Cytarabine-Some sort of inhibitor.
• o   Side effects: Low blood pressure, metallic food taste, mouth sores, and hair loss
• o   Ironically, it also causes AML (the sister disease of ALL [what Ben has])
• ·         Methotrexate straight into his spine.
• ·         He also gets Pepcid for his tummy
• ·         Mouthwash to prevent/treat mouth sores
• ·         Zofran for Nausea (as needed)

I’ve decided this phase is aptly named.

Phase 3: Maintenance Therapy

Kill off any residual cells not dead yet.  They are few. But doing this prevents relapse.  We’ll do this for 3 years.

He’ll get:

• ·         Oral mercaptopurine daily
• ·         Oral methotrexate weekly
• ·         Once a month we’ll go in for a 5-day course of IV vincristine and those evil steroids
• ·         A whole bunch of other stuff I don’t know about yet.

So yeah, that’s the plan.  Lots and lots of details that aren’t figured out yet. 

But we are sure we will be fine.

And I’ll need the help of lots of red wine.