Status and Update of this Blog, September 30, 2018

Since this blog started on 9/7/2015, this blog has been viewed for 14,641 times by people around the world.

The first five countries are Israel (8,762), United States (2,796), Ireland (589), Russia (547), and Germany (546). The other viewers were from Ukraine, Brazil, United Kingdom, Japan, Spain, France, Cyprus,  Hong Kong, Canada, Italy, Thailand, Philippines, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, Chile, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Kenya, Brunel, etc. Isreal has moved up to the first place and United States of America has dropped to the second.

As to the browsers, 44% used Chrome, 29% used Firefox, 14% used Explorer, 8% used Safari, 1% used Opera, and the rest by all others. It is pretty clear that Chrome has been and is still the primary browser.

As to the operating systems, 44% used Windows, 18% used Linux, 14% used Android, 14% used Macintosh, and the rest by other systems. It is obvious that Windows is the most popular operating system.

One recent happening to share with you is that, as the principal investigator (PI), I have recently received another research grant from National Institutes of Health (NIH) of the United States to investigate a novel small molecule to reduce the side effects incurred by total body irradiation. The news release can be found on the website of 21^st Century Therapeutics, www.21-cti.com.

By the way, if you’d like to read more than just my blog, you can order my second book (SIDE EFFECTS OF CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIOTHERAPY) from amazon.com. Meanwhile, please continue to read my blog and recommend it to your loved ones and friends.

Thank you for our visit.

© Jiajiu Shaw, 2018

Disclaimer: This blog is written solely for informational purposes. It does not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing or other medical professional health care advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All contents posted are extracted from the book, "SIDE EFFECTS OF CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIOTHERAPY", prepared by Dr. Jiajiu Shaw, Dr. Frederick Valeriote, and Dr. Ben Chen. 

Chemotherapy and Its Side Effects: Chapter 2 - Antimetabolites (Cont'd)

B.2. Fluorouracil (5-Fluorouracil or 5-FU)

Fluorouracil (Fig. 1.7) is sold under different trade names such as Adrucil and Efudex.  It is classified as an antimetabolite and has been used for treating cancer for many years. Due to its similarity to thymine, 5-FU interrupts the synthesis of thymidine, one of the building blocks of DNA. As a result, DNA replication is interrupted and the growth of cancer cells is hampered.

Fig. 1.7   5-FU (left), thymine, and thymidine (right)

Fluorouracil has been used mainly in treating colon cancer and has been used in combination with other drugs, including leucovorin, carboplatin, and paclitaxel.  It has also been used in other solid tumors including pancreatic cancer and breast cancer. Side effects of fluorouracil include myelosuppression, dermatitis, and mucositis.

© Jiajiu Shaw, 2018

Disclaimer: This blog is written solely for informational purposes. It does not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing or other medical professional health care advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All contents posted are extracted from the book, "SIDE EFFECTS OF CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIOTHERAPY", prepared by Dr. Jiajiu Shaw, Dr. Frederick Valeriote, and Dr. Ben Chen. 

Chemotherapy and Its Side Effects: Chapter 2 - Antimetabolites (Cont'd)

B.1. Methotrexate (also referred to as amethopterin)

Methotrexate has been used for treating cancer and autoimmune diseases for many years. Although it has been off-patent for many years, it is still very highly prescribed.

Methotrexate is an antimetabolite that interferes with the use of folic acid. As shown in Figure 1.6, the structures of methotrexate and folic acid are strikingly similar. Because folic acid is essential for the synthesis and repair of DNA, especially during cell growth and division, it is logical that methotrexate interferes with the growth of cancer cells.

Methotrexate is cytotoxic and has a wide range of potential side effects including myelosuppression and mucositis. Methotrexate is also highly teratogenic and should not be taken by women during pregnancy or expected to be pregnant. It is generally true that no chemotherapy is given for pregnant women and, for women of child-bearing age, precaution must be taken.

Fig. 1.6   Structures of methotrexate (left) and folic acid (right)

Sometimes, folic acid is used to reduce the side effects of methotrexate. However, folic acid could act as an antidote to methotrexate, therefore, it is better to use folic acid on the off days during methotrexate treatment.

© Jiajiu Shaw, 2018

Disclaimer: This blog is written solely for informational purposes. It does not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing or other medical professional health care advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All contents posted are extracted from the book, "SIDE EFFECTS OF CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIOTHERAPY", prepared by Dr. Jiajiu Shaw, Dr. Frederick Valeriote, and Dr. Ben Chen.