MINE chemotherapy is used to treat patients in whom non-Hodgkin’s disease relapsed after giving them chemotherapy. The term ‘MINE’ is used for the drugs that are used in the chemotherapy treatment, they are: mitoguazone, Ifosfamide, vinorelbine (or Navelbine) and etoposide. There have been many studies in which treatment was given using these drugs, prior to giving high dose therapy (HDT) with hematopoietic stem cell support.

Before moving on to the regimen of MINE, one must first understand what Hodgkin’s disease is. Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a cancer that originates from the lymphocytes of the white blood cells. These lymphocytes are a part of our immune system and protect our body from viral infections. They are present in the lymph nodes and other lymphoid tissues like the bone marrow, digestive tract, tonsils and adenoids, thymus, and the spleen. Hodgkin’s lymphoma is curable and its symptoms include swelling of the lymph nodes. For most of the cases, the treatment for this cancer provides a complete cure. But if it relapses, then doctors usually give a high dose of chemotherapy along with a stem cell transfer. It can be combined with radiotherapy.

Mine Chemotherapy

The patients given chemotherapy treatment for Hodgkin’s cancer disease are usually cured. However, researchers indicate that in about thirty percent of these patients face a relapse, irrespective of the fact whether or not they were given radiation therapy along with the chemotherapy treatment. The relapse indicated that the cancer was cured only 50% in the patients who had already undergone four to six chemotherapy cycles. The pathologists reported that the cancer in these patients increased or there were new sites where they found that the cancer had spread. In patients the partial response indicated that the chemotherapy given previously could reduce the tumor size to about 50% to 75%. Such patients were given MINE chemotherapy treatment. The success rate of chemotherapy depend on various factors.

Before treating patients with MINE, the doctors test if they are fit to undergo this treatment. Another criterion for this treatment is that the patients should be under 60 years of age. The fitness criterion included a proper functioning of the heatic and renal cells along with a healthy functioning heart, The patients who fulfill these criteria are eligible to undergo this chemotherapy. Another reason for giving these patients MINE chemotherapy was that they had previously received chemotherapy regimen that involved doxorubicin and hence it could not be repeated.

Regimen for MINE Chemotherapy

A single chemotherapy cycle for MINE usually lasts for about five days. You can choose to stay in the hospital as a day patient; for those who stay too far can opt to stay in the hospital. The rest period between two cycles is about 28 days. Most of the drugs are administered intravenously. Mitoguazone is given for about one to three hours on the first and fifth day of the cycle. Ifosfamide is given intravenously for one hour on the first and fifth day of the cycle. Vinorelbine (or Navelbine) is given for half an hour on the first and fifth day of the cycle. Etoposide is given for one to three hours on the first and third day of the cycle. After one cycle, a patient is given a break of about 28 days to recover from the side effects of chemotherapy treatment.

As the chemotherapy treatment with MINE involves a high dose of these drugs, the doctors usually recommend a stem cell transplant after the treatment. The oncologists decide the number of cycles that should be given to a patient. They also decide the amount and duration for giving the drugs intravenously. If you have any questions related to this chemotherapy treatment, then you can ask your oncologist. Before you start with the treatment, make a list of the doubts that you might have and have them clarified. The chemotherapy should be administered by a skilled chemotherapy technician as these drugs are very toxic in nature.

Side Effects of MINE Chemotherapy

When you are given the above chemotherapy drugs, you will be monitored constantly for your response to the therapy. The doctor will regularly check your blood count and also the functioning of you organs. The various side effects include: low count of white blood cells, which reduces the immunity of the body, nausea and vomiting, hair loss, loss of appetite, mouth ulcers and temporary of fertility. All the patients do not show all the side effects. Some people can have very little side effects, while others can have many side effects.

When you consult your oncologists, do ask them about the side effects that must be reported immediately, irrespective of the time of the day. Some such side effects include: blood in the urine, frequent vomiting, blood in stools and other symptoms.

Most of the patients who have been treated with MINE chemotherapy have shown positive results in the past. However, the efficacy of chemotherapy treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma can vary from one person to another, depending on various factors like the stage of the cancer, the age of the patient, the overall health of the parson and so on.