Second Round And A New Chemo

I know it's been a while since my last post; everything has been going well, and I have been feeling good! I had some additional fatigue with my first round of chemo, but nothing too major; I was able to enjoy working out in the yard and planting new plants for the season (although I managed to pull something in my back), and it was a blessing to be able to enjoy time with my family during Easter.

Tomorrow (Monday) starts the second round of chemo with a new one being introduced. Avastin will be added, and much like Oxaliplatin, it will work in the same way by cutting off blood supply, which is what those nasty little cancer cells love!
Basically, here is a little lesson in how this particular chemo works ~ Avastin binds to the target VEGF (Vascular Epidermal Growth Factor), rendering it unable to then bind with its receptor which in turn by blocking the formation of new blood vessels then interferes with the growth of the tumor. When cancer cells spread to another part of the body they try to form a lump or tumour mass. In order to do this, they need to rapidly stimulate the local blood vessels and capillaries to grow into the tumor mass in order to nourish the cancer cells with food and oxygen (a process called angiogenesis). They achieve this by releasing a chemical into the surrounding tissues called Vascular Epidermal Growth Factor. Avastin, being a monoclonal antibody which attaches to circulating VEGF, effectively blocks its ability to bind to its receptors in the tissues of the body, most importantly those surrounding tumors. Avastin, therefore interferes with the tumors ability to recruit new blood vessels reducing their ability to grow and spread to other areas of the body. There is also evidence that Avastin enhances the effect of chemotherapy. It is thought they make tumour vessels less "leaky" and so allows chemotherapy to reach the tumour more effectively.

So now you know how Avastin works......class dismissed!
~K~