143: Rick Upchurch survived chronic myelogenous leukemia | oral chemotherapy | blood cancer | tasigna | nilotinib

Former NFL star Rick Upchurch seemed to be in good health, but in 2010, he began to experience night sweats, fatigue and aches and pains.  He saw his doctor, who ordered blood work.  The test results revealed his white blood cell count was very high, and his general practitioner gave him the address of another doctor to see.   Rick and his wife were shocked to learn the doctor they had been told to see was an oncologist.  That doctor called for a bone marrow biopsy, which confirmed Rick had chronic myelogenous leukemia, a rare form of blood cancer that is tied to a genetic mutation called Philadelphia chromosome.   The onocologist prescribed a chemotherapy regimen for Rick, but to some degree he was relieved to learn that it would be a regimen of oral chemotherapy.  The medication was known as tasigna, which also goes by the name of nilotinib.  Rick had to take these pills three times a day, which he still has to do, and will have to do for the rest of his life.   Rick Upchurch's chemotherapy regimen led to survivorship, but again, he has to take the tasigna three times a day, something he will need to do for the rest of his life.  He has his good days and bad days.   On the bad days, he still experiences the fatigue, night sweats, achy muscles and joints; and he sometimes has diarrhea, as his body has a tough time processing the tasigna.  However, he is grateful to be alive and grateful for the good days, in which he can lift weights, get on the elliptical and go for walks.   Rick and his wife, Donna, also engage in a number of activities that support children with cancer.