|
What is chemotherapy?
In cancer treatment, chemotherapy refers to the use of drugs whose main
effect is either to kill or to slow the growth of rapidly multiplying cancer cells.
Chemotherapy often includes using a combination of drugs, since this approach is more
effective than using a single drug alone. There are many drug combinations used
to treat breast cancer. Ask your doctor for specific information and side
effects you can expect from your chemotherapy medications.
How is chemotherapy given?
Chemotherapy drugs are given intravenously (directly into the vein) or
orally (by mouth). Once the drugs enter the bloodstream, they are delivered to all parts of
the body to reach cancer cells that may have spread beyond the breast. As a
result, chemotherapy is considered a systemic form of breast cancer treatment.
Chemotherapy is given in cycles of treatment followed by a recovery period.
When given after surgery, the entire chemotherapy treatment generally lasts
three to six months, depending on the type of drugs given. When chemotherapy is
being used to treat breast cancer that has spread to other organs, chemotherapy
may be given for a longer period of time.
When is chemotherapy given?
When breast cancer is localized only to the breast or lymph nodes,
chemotherapy may be given after a lumpectomy or mastectomy. This is known as
adjuvant treatment and may help reduce the chance of breast cancer recurrence.
Chemotherapy is sometimes given before surgery (called neoadjuvant treatment) in
order to shrink the tumor so it can be removed more easily or so that a
lumpectomy can be performed instead of a mastectomy. Chemotherapy may also be
given as the main treatment for women whose cancer has spread to other parts of
the body outside of the breast and lymph nodes. This spread is known as
metastatic breast cancer and occurs in a small number of women at the time of
diagnosis or when the cancer recurs some time after initial treatment for
localized breast cancer.
What are the potential side effects of chemotherapy drugs?
The specific side effects you will experience will depend on the type and
amount of medications you are given and how long you are taking them. The most
common temporary side effects include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Hair loss
- Mouth sores
- Changes in menstrual cycle
- Higher risk of infection (due to decreased white blood cells)
- Bruising or bleeding
- Fatigue
- Premature menopause (not having any more menstrual periods) and
infertility (not being able to become pregnant) are potential permanent
complications of chemotherapy.
Please contact your health care provider about specific side effects you can
expect to experience from your chemotherapy medications. Also discuss troubling
or unmanageable side effects with your provider.
Can I still work while receiving chemotherapy treatments?
Yes. Most people are able to continue working while they are being treated
with chemotherapy. It may be possible to schedule your treatments later in the
day or right before the weekend so they don’t interfere as much with your work
schedule. You may have to adjust your work schedule while receiving
chemotherapy, especially if you have side effects.
How will I know if the chemotherapy treatments are working?
Some people may think that their chemotherapy
treatment is not working if they do not experience side effects. However, this
is a myth.
If you are receiving adjuvant chemotherapy (after surgery that removed all of
the known cancer), it is not possible for your doctor to directly determine
whether the treatment is working because there are no tumors left to assess.
However, adjuvant chemotherapy treatments have been proven helpful in studies in
which some women were given chemotherapy, while others were not.
After completing adjuvant therapy, your doctor will evaluate your progress
through periodic physical examinations, routine mammography, and appropriate
testing if a new problem develops. If you are receiving chemotherapy for metastatic disease, the effects will be monitored by blood tests, scans, and/or
X-rays.
|
