Chemotherapy
Breast Cancer is a treatable disease but if it is diagnosed or detected at an early stage. There are many ways to treat the Breast Cancer Patients namely surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy. The latest ways of treatment for breast cancer are under trial that includes Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Followed By Surgery, High Dose Chemotherapy with Stem Cell Transplant and Monoclonal Antidotes as Adjuvant Therapy.
Chemotherapy is a use of drugs or medicines in order to stop the growth of the cancer or to stop it from spreading. There are two ways of taking drug either by mouth or injected into a vein. The type of the Chemotherapy used depends solely on the type and stage of the cancer. In chemotherapy, a combination of drugs is given, as a single drug is not so effective. When a drug enters the blood stream, it reaches to each and every part of the body and so to the cancer cells too. Due to which chemotherapy is also referred as Systemic form of Breast Cancer Treatment. The duration of the treatment can last for a month to one year depending on the recovery of the patient. Chemotherapy is mostly given after mastectomy and lumpectomy. This type of treatment is called as Adjuvant treatment of Breast Cancer and is useful in order to lower the risk of recurrence of cancer. Adjuvant Treatment is usually given after surgery and before radiation and it lasts for 4-6 months. It is important to have regular blood tests of the Breast Cancer Patient who is undergoing chemotherapy. It is important to check the white blood cell count, which fights against the infections. If the number of white blood cells is lower, then injections are given to speed up the recovery of the patient and chemotherapy is postponed until the number of white blood cells increases. Chemotherapy is recommended to the women who have Invasive Breast Cancer and the length of therapy is determined by the size of the tumor.
Some of the drugs that are used in Chemotherapy of Breast Cancers are namely Anthracyclines, in this class the dugs include Adriamycin, Ellence, and Doxil. Other classes include Taxol, Taxotere, Abraxane, Xeloda, Navelbine, Herceptin and Gemzar. These drugs are mostly given in combinations of two or more drugs.
Side Effects Of Chemotherapy
It mainly depends on dosage, the type of the medication and the duration of its use so as to dtermine about its side effects. Some general and temporary side effects are nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, hair loss, and mouth sores, changes in menstrual cycle. There is always a high risk of infection as the blood count i.e., white blood cells decreases. The bruising or bleeding may also occur. The fatigue is also one of the most common side effects of Chemotherapy. It is important to discuss the side effects with your health provider if you are facing difficulty in managing it.
