Taxol.101

I'll have my second of twelve Taxol treatments on Wednesday. This week the only symptoms I have had are a 'rumbly tummy', joint aches and fatigue, none of it unbearable. All of it, in fact, pretty mild considering what I have read about other patient's experiences with Taxol. My oncologist, Dr. M, prescribed a nausea medicine and my nurse instructed me to take a pill when my first chemo session was finished. I was to take them every six hours as needed after that only I didn't need any!

So what is Taxol? It's a plant derivative and this is how it works:

Cancerous tumors are characterized by cell division, which becomes out of control. "Normal" cells stop dividing when they come into contact with like cells, a mechanism known as contact inhibition. Cancerous cells lose this ability. Cancer cells no longer have the normal checks and balances in place that control and limit cell division. The process of cell division, whether normal or cancerous cells, is through the cell cycle.

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. The "normal" cells will grow back and be healthy but in the meantime, side effects occur. The "normal" cells most commonly affected by chemotherapy are the blood cells, the cells in the mouth, stomach and bowel, and the hair follicles; resulting in low blood counts, mouth sores, nausea, diarrhea, and/or hair loss.

The Pacific Yew

Taxol comes from the Pacific Yew tree, a conifer native to the Pacific Northwest of North America. It ranges from southernmost Alaska south to central California, mostly in the Pacific Coast Ranges, but with an isolated population in southeast British Columbia. As I understand it, a semi-synthetic pathway was developed from extracts of cultivated yews of other species due to the scarcity of the Pacific Yew.

Being a bonafide tree hugger, I find it particularly comforting that Herschel is being bombarded by little yew-ninjas that float thru my bloodstream. If having those ninjas gives me a bit of a 'rumbly tummy' I think that is a small price to pay for Herschel's annihilation!

Here's hoping Wednesday's session is as easy as the first. Thanks, as always, for the boundless support of my peeps!