You will be taking the chemotherapy pill etoposide.

A prescription has been sent to the Stanford Cancer Center pharmacy for this medication and the and the anti-nausea pill called Zofran (odansetron).

Instructions for taking this medication:

• Etoposide will be taken every night before bed for 21 days on and then 14 days off. Based on your weight, your dose would be 75 mg daily, however the medication only comes in 50 mg capsules. Therefore, you will alternate doses of 50 mg one evening and 100 mg the following and continue to alternate every other night for 21 days.
• 1 hour prior to bedtime, take the Zofran (anti-nausea medication). Then, before bed, take the etoposide. If you feel nauseated upon waking or anytime during the day, you may take an additional dose of Zofran every 6 hours as needed. Eat small frequent meals throughout the day. Sucking on sugar-free hard candy or chewing gum can help alleviate these symptoms, as well. 
• You will need to weekly blood tests to monitor your blood cell counts. Chemotherapy can increase your risk of anemia, infection, or bleeding. You may get labs drawn here at Stanford or we can send an order to a lab closer to your home if this is more convenient for you.

Should your counts drop, we will notify you of necessary precautions. Be sure to wash your hands frequently. Avoid intimate contact with anyone that is sick. And wash your produce carefully.

Contact us immediately, if you:

• Develop a fever of 100.5°F (38.1°C) or greater
• Develop an infection
• Note any unusual bruising or bleeding

We will remind you when it is time to start your next cycle of etoposide and to contact the pharmacy to get your refill.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for any questions or concerns at 650-725-8630.

After hours, call: 650-723-6661 and ask for the neurology resident on-call to be paged.