Chemotherapy drugs are used to slow or stop cancer cells from reproducing. These drugs have the ability to shrink tumors significantly, which can help control breast cancer cells and prevent them from spreading. Chemotherapy drugs are either given independently, or in combination with other medications or therapies.
Breast cancer chemotherapy can cause uncomfortable side effects, such as:
Fortunately, there are many ways to deal with these side effects--your oncologist can give you recommendations on how to manage discomforts as a result of chemotherapy treatment.
Unlike radiation therapy and surgery, which target a specific area of the body to treat, chemotherapy reaches diseased cells throughout the entire body. This effect is particularly important following radiation therapy or surgery in which not all the cancer cells are destroyed. In this case, chemotherapy is known as a secondary treatment, or "adjuvant therapy."
Chemotherapy drugs are also sometimes used prior to surgery and radiation therapy to reduce tumor size and lessen tumor attachment to healthy tissue. Chemotherapy can be used in palliative care (which aims to treat symptoms rather than cure the disease) to help shrink the tumor and improve quality of life in cases of metastatic breast cancer.
Breast cancer chemotherapy is typically administered in successive treatments, each one followed by a recovery period. Treatment can last three to six months, depending on patient health, drugs used and the extent of the disease.
Chemotherapy drugs vary in their effectiveness, toxicity and suitability. They are administered in different quantities and for different durations depending on the patient's condition and the oncologist's objectives. Typical methods used are intravenous injection and oral administration. Common chemotherapy drugs for breast cancer treatment include:
The American Cancer Society. (2009). Breast cancer facts and figures 2009-2010. Retrieved October 19, 2010, from http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@nho/documents/document/f861009final90809pdf.pdf
BC Breast Cancer Agency. (2010). Chemotherapy protocols for breast cancer treatment. Retrieved October 19, 2010, from http://www.bccancer.bc.ca/HPI/ChemotherapyProtocols/Breast/default.htm
Cleveland Clinic Foundation. (2005). Chemocare: Chemotherapy drugs. Retrieved October 19, 2010, from http://chemocare.com
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