Chemotherapy is a very common treatment for many different types of cancer, including breast cancer. Chemotherapy utilizes drugs in order to destroy or slow down the growth and spreading of quickly multiplying cancerous cells. In general, chemotherapy involves a combination of different drugs to treat breast cancer, because several drugs prove to be stronger and more effective than a single drug treatment alone.
Function
Chemotherapy drugs are either given orally (by the mouth) or intravenously (by injecting them directly into a vein). Upon the drugs entering into the bloodstream, they spread to all other parts of the body in order to get to cancer cells that have moved far beyond the breast. Chemotherapy treatment is done in cycles followed by periods of recovery. Although the time frame varies depending on the drugs used, chemotherapy generally lasts between six months and a year.
Time Frame
Chemotherapy is usually given to a breast cancer patient after the patient undergoes breast removal surgeries, such as mastectomies and lumpectomies. This applies to when the breast cancer is limited to only the breast or the lymph nodes. However, chemotherapy can also be given to women whose cancer has spread to other body parts (metastatic breast cancer).
Side Effects
Some potential side effects of chemotherapy treatments include hair loss, mouth sores, appetite loss, feelings of nausea, vomiting, menstrual cycle changes, higher chance of infection (because of decreased white blood cells), fatigue, excessive bleeding and bruising, among others.
Common Chemotherapy Drugs
There are several different common chemotherapy drugs that are often used to treat breast cancer. These drugs include cyclophosphamide, gemcitabine, trastuzumab, taxanes, anthracyclines, capecitabine and vinorelbine.
Considerations
When a medical professional determines a specific chemotherapy treatment plan for a specific breast , there are a lot of different factors that are used for consideration. These include a person's overall health, medical history and age, the stage of cancer and type of cancer, a person's tolerance for specific medications and procedures, whether an individual is menstruating or not, and the patient's personal preference and opinion as well.
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