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Cytoxan and its use against cancer

Cytoxan is a chemotherapy medication, from the oxazophorine group and if you wish to go technical it is a nitrogen mustard alkylating agent. What this means, in plain English is that Cytoxan is converted in the liver and metabolized into phosphoramide mustard which is then transported to cancer cells in which it forms DNA crosslinks which inhibits or at least slows the cancer cells from growing. By doing so, it is efficient in treating many different types of cancer, some types of leukemia and even some solid tumors. Cytoxan can also decrease body’s immune system response and because of this, Cytoxan can also be employed in treating such autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus which causes severe lupus nephritis. Other autoimmune diseases that Cytoxan can help treat are severe rheumatoid arthritis, minimal change disease and Wegener’s granulomatosis. However, it is still primarily used in treating various types of cancer.

Proper use of Cytoxan

Like all anti-cancer drugs, Cytoxan can have some serious side effects on the health of the patient and it is therefore of utmost importance that you conduct your Cytoxan treatment in close consultations with your health care provider. For example, before you even start taking Cytoxan, you need to have a talk with your doctor during which you will share details about your medical history. If you are allergic to Cytoxan or to any other chemotherapy medications such as chlorambucil and busulfan, you will need to tell this to your doctor who will then decide if the benefits outweigh potential side effects. There are other medical conditions that might also be affected by the Cytoxan treatment, such as decreased bone marrow function (as Cytoxan and its metabolite have an effect on the cells in the bone marrow), liver or kidney disease or if you have had your adrenal glands surgically removed. Once your treatment with Cytoxan begins, you also need to take special precaution to avoid any serious side effects of Cytoxan. However, Cytoxan is known for fewer serious side effects than other chemotherapy medications and most people in fact do not experience any side effects of Cytoxan that can be characterized as serious. Hair loss is possible, but the hair is expected to grow back shortly after the treatment has finished or even during the treatment. Vomiting and nausea are common and in some cases the patient might need to take medication to prevent or at least ease these side effects. It is also very important that you take your Cytoxan regularly as this ensures the most beneficial treatment.  You need to talk to your health care provider about any other side effects that you might experience. They will also tell you about any possible interactions with other medications that might adversely affect your health.
If you observe all of these measures of precaution and if you take your Cytoxan in accordance to the prescription given to you by your health care provider, you should experience a beneficial Cytoxan treatment that will help greatly in your battle with cancer.