Big News

A couple weeks ago i started doing some research. I started doing research on Burkitts and the Hyper CVAD treatment that i am undergoing. I decided it was time that i take charge and know what is really going on in my body. I also reached out to the Leukemia and Lymphoma society and talked to a few people that had gone through the same Burkitts diagnosis as me at or around my age. After hearing there stories a few things just weren't adding up. After doing some research on the Hyper CVAD treatment i found out that there is a maximum of 8 cycles. There is an A cycle and a B cycle or odd and even. Each cycle counts as one cycle instead of both rounds counting as one cycle. I got really excited after doing all this research because that meant that the number of treatments i had originally thought i had to do would be cut in half. Thinking i had 10 more treatments after the last one was mind boggling. I mean i was starting to really doubt that i could do that and it turns out that i don't have to. I spoke with my doctor last friday and he clarified everything for me. I have 6 total cycles, which means i will be done sometime in October, that is if i can ever start my third treatment. I thought i should share a little info about Burkitts with you all so you can get a better understanding of what this crap actually is. So here he go. by the way this is a copy and paste job, just so you know:

Burkitt's Lymphoma, a very rare form of cancer with about only 300 new cases a year in the United States. Burkitt's Lymphoma, rare in most of the world, is the most common childhood cancer in Central Africa, and is one of the most aggressive of all human cancers.

Burkitt's lymphoma is one type of a group of malignant diseases know as the Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas (NHL). These lymphomas are very similar to the leukemias. The type of malignant cell present is called a B-cell and Burkitt's is often referred to as a B-cell lymphoma or leukemia.

As with other cancers, the exact cause is not known. Burkitt's is the most common in children in Africa and there is some evidence linking its cause there to a virus known as the Epstein-Barr virus. Outside of Africa, chromosomal defects in some of the patient's cells may be the cause. Children still seem to be the most affected, but there are cases of adults with Burkitt's.

This malignancy grows very rapidly and a person who appeared in good health a month or 6 weeks ago may now be critically ill. (The tumor can replicate in 25 hrs)

The diagnosis of Burkitt's is usually made by a biopsy from a suspected disease site such as the bone marrow or a lymph node. The staging of the disease is done quickly to spare the patient any life threatening complications from the rapid tumor growth. Common tests done include a complete blood count (CBC), a platelet count, a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy and a lumbar puncture. Further tests may include radiographic exams such as CT scan to look for occult masses but usually extensive x-ray procedures are not required.

So that's a little bit of info on what Burkitt's is. I will have another post in the next couple of days.