Chemotherapy Hours?

[Scott]

I received a question by e-mail today asking, "Do you know if the 'off week' bleo sessions (BEP 3 cycles protocol) are 5 hour days, shorter or longer?"

Well, I don't know, but I'm sure many of you do! How long are or were your chemotherapy days?

[nzsteve]

From memory the bleo sessions were around 60mins total - 5 mins on fluids to clear my line, about 45mins for the bleo to drip in, and another 5 mins to clean the line out afterwards. Nice and easy

Im pretty sure the infusion time (and dose) should be the same as they have on the 'on' week, but just as an out patient - I think my inpatient timings for the BEP were 30-45mins bleo, 60mins etoposide and 4hrs cisplatin (with 6 hrs fluids before and 8hrs afterwards).

steve

[Martin]

Mine were even shorter. In and out in 30 or so minutes.

-Martin

[mikeygti]

Sometimes waiting for a vacant chair was longer than the actual treatment.

Bleo "only" days for me were aprox. 20 minutes.

Best wishes

[Mom]

I don't think the infusion was more than 10 minutes, however, Jeff's doctor liked to fill him with fluids before and after, plus he was drinking Sprite through the process. No more than an hour. The doctor did not want him driving after the infusion so someone always took him. We had some very good conversations on that ride. Dianne

[ndboondockid]

I just got done with my last Bleo last tuesday, and it usually took around 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 30 minutes of anti-nausea stuff, 30 minutes of Bleo, and then 15-30 minutes of saline. There is also a benedryl shot in there before the bleo is given, that usually knocked me out for the rest of the process.

[Eric]

Strange

I never had anti-nausea stuff before bleo. It's just saline, 20 minutes of bleo and saline again (10minutes). The longest part was to wait for the blood test result before bleo.

[ghjones]

I've just finished my chemo - and my beomycin was always 30 mins, with a 5 minute flush afterwards. The length of the treatment does depend on the volume (mine was always 100ml) and the speed of infusion. I'm no expert, but maybe the length of the chemo depends on the weight of the patient (which determines the volume to be infused)?

[Jens]

Hi.

I was told that the risk of sideeffects from Bleomycin (especially the lung fibrosis) was increased if the influx was to quick (i.e. more than 30 min for the 500 ml) - so I always turned the drop down and made it last approx. 1 hour.

In other words, the toxicity is proportional to the concentration.

Best wishes
Jens