Chemotherapy is the use of medications to kill cancer cells and slow down the division and growth of malignant cells. The FRC regimen is a multi-drug treatment used to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or CLL. Using more than one chemotherapy drug is typically more effective than using one chemotherapy drug, which is why regimens usually consist of multiple agents.
Function
The FRC chemotherapy regimen is typically used in treating CLL, states MacMillan Cancer Support. CLL is a cancer of the lymphocytes, which are a type of white blood cell. In CLL, these blood cells multiply too quickly, take up too much space in the blood and do not mature properly. These abnormal, non-functioning cells crowd out healthy normal blood cells. CLL typically develops slowly, and when treatment is needed, FRC is one of the chemotherapy regimens used.
Features
The FRC regimen is made up of three different chemotherapy drugs: fludarabine (Fludara), cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) and rituximab (Rituxan), according to navigatingcancer.com. The first two medications, fludarabine and cyclophosphamide, are traditional chemotherapy drugs that kill cancer cells and prevent them from dividing, and rituximab is a newer type of drug called a monoclonal antibody. This kind of drug targets cancer cells more precisely than traditional chemotherapy drugs, explains navigatingcancer.com.
Administration
The dosage of the drugs may vary from person to person, as the amounts are based on height and weight. These chemotherapy agents are administered intravenously, and the specific regimen may vary, depending on what the doctor has prescribed, notes navigatingcancer.com. Along with these drugs, anti-nausea drugs that can help lessen and prevent nausea and vomiting may also be given.
Effects
Chemotherapy drugs have side effects, and while not everyone will have every side effect, there are common effects reported. Navigatingcancer.com lists some of the more common ones including nausea and vomiting, hair loss, mouth sores, lowered white and red blood cell counts, which can lead to increased risk of infection and anemia, fatigue, loss of menstrual periods, skin discoloration and nail bed discoloration. Many of these symptoms typically resolve over time once treatment has ended.
Benefits
According to cancerconsultants.com, adding rituximab to fludarabine and cyclophosphamide improved survival in patients with CLL when compared to those receiving just fludarabine alone, or a combination of fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and prednisone. In addition to improved survival time, more patients also had a complete response to the chemotherapy when rituximab was added.
Warning
There are some side effects that could be potentially serious, and a health care provider should be notified immediately if symptoms develop such as chills or fever higher than 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit, unusual bleeding or red spots on the skin, severe or prolonged vomiting or diarrhea, irregular or rapid heart beat, dizziness or lightheadedness, blood in the urine or inability to eat, states navigatingcancer.com. These could be signs of serious problems, and should be evaluated by a doctor.
