Why Chemo?

First, to clarify, the type of chemotherapy that is being administered to my mom is not because of cancer and is not the same type that cancer patients use. She is getting Cyclophosphamide, also called Cytoxan, and is classified as a “cytotoxic agent”, because it has a toxic effect on many types of cells “good” cells as well as “bad”. Cytoxan is used in conjunction with high doses of steroids in order to stabilize and strengthen the blood vessels in her brain; it will also help with the inflammation. I have read that "for some forms of Vasculitis that do not respond to steroids (prednisone) alone, cyclophosphamide may be a life–saving medicine." It works by slowing or stopping cell growth. Not a lot of info, but the doctor says that because of how rapid the vessels were being attacked that this would help to stop that. It takes her immune system completely down in order to rebuild it- hopefully without the virus or what the body was interpreting as a virus.