Learn how an Alimta cancer treatment can cure mesothelioma and non-small cell lung cancer. Alimta is the trademark of Pemetrexed: a chemotherapeutic agent that interferes with the process where cancer cells try to reproduce and spread. Alimta is often used with Cisplatin chemotherapy and stops the production of three enzymes needed to feed cancer cells.
What is Alimta
Alimta is the trademark of cancer medication Pemetrexed that interferes with the growth of cancer cells, slows down their growth and spread in the body.
Alimta is a chemotherapy mainly used in the treatment of:
- mesothelioma: the form of lung cancer that is associated with asbestos exposure
- non-small cell lung cancer that has already been treated with other chemotherapy
Pemetrexed: is usually given every 3 weeks but of course your oncologist will decide how many treatment cycles are needed for you when you decide to opt for chemotherapy treatment.
Alimta will be given in a hospital through a needle in your vein and the entire Alimta treatment can take up to 10 minutes or more.
If Alimta is given with Cisplatin to treat mesothelioma, you will get an intravenous cisplatin infusion about 30 minutes after the Alimta treatment. Cisplatin infusions are very slow and can take up to 2 hours.
Alimta side effects
List of common chemotherapy side effects of Alimta:
- nausea and vomiting
- loss of appetite, diarrhea and constipation
- sores in the throat, mouth or on the lips
- rashes on the skin
- lower counts of blood cells, these need to be followed up rigorously as lower blood cells means that your immune system is less prepared to fight of cancers or any other disease in a natural way
- physical and mental fatigue, feeling depressed
- numbness or tingling
Do inform your doctor immediately when you notice easy bruising or bleeding, as that indicates a low platelet count: meaning your blood is this and you could bleed to death since there are no platelets to stop the bleeding.
Every Alimta chemotherapy should be done when patients take a supplement of vitamin B12 and folic acid to reduce side effects. Ask your doctor for the recommended dose that will protect your stomach, blood cells, and bone marrow from the side effects of Alimta. To avoid rashes on the skin, ask your doctor about taking steroids.
Allergic side effects of caused by Alimta manifest themselves on the respiratory system: difficulty breathing, chest pain, hives, swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Overdoses of Alimta typically cause fever, severe diarrhea, body aches, chills, flu symptoms and mouth sores or white patches in your mouth.
Alimta chemotherapy forums
There aren’t many specialized forums online that focus solely on Alimta chemotherapy. You can try to search for Alimta in the http://www.cancerforums.net/ or get inspired by all the things you need to do to survive cancer.
There is an interesting discussion going on by lung cancer survivors about carboplatin and Alimta problems since some doctors have recommended to treat non-small lung cancer with Alimta and carboplatin in stead of with the more commonly used cisplatin. ()
More information about Alimta
You can find more information about Alimta at the official Alimta website and at the Wikipedia’s Alimta – Pemetrexed page.
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