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Breast Cancer Treatment With Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy refers to the use of anti-cancer drugs to kill breast cancer cells. The doctor who determines which drugs and in what dosage is known as an oncologist. Chemotherapy can be used for three major purposes:
- Adjuvant therapy: The goal is to prevent or postpone cancer from coming back after the initial surgery and radiation. Even when the cancer seems to be confined to the breast and lymph glands under the arm, there is a chance that cells may have already spread to other areas that cannot be seen. Chemotherapy is given to try and kill these cells.
- Neo-adjuvant therapy. Sometimes the cancer in the breast is so big that shrinking it first with chemotherapy may make it easier to do surgery.
- To treat metastatic disease. If the cancer shows up in parts of the body other than the breast and lymph glands under the arm, it is called metastatic disease. Chemotherapy can be one of the main ways to kill cancer cells that have spread to other parts of the body, and help woman live longer with good quality of life.When to start chemotherapy, what drugs to use, and what side effects to expect varies from woman to woman. Women should discuss this with their doctors.
Common Chemotherapy Drugs for Breast Cancer
Some of the most common chemotherapy drugs used to treat breast cancer include the following:
- Anthracyclines: This class of drugs includes doxorubicin (Adriamycin), epirubicin (Ellence), and liposomal doxorubicin (Doxil)
- Taxanes: This class of drugs includes docetaxel (Taxotere), paclitaxel (Taxol), and protein-bound paclitaxel (Abraxane)
- Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan)
- Capecitabine (Xeloda) and 5 fluorouracil (5 FU)
- Vinorelbine (Navelbine)
- Gemcitabine (Gemzar)
- Trastuzumab (Herceptin): This drug is only of use in women whose breast cancers have the HER-2 gene
Chemotherapy drugs are usually given in 2-4 week cycles. In adjuvant and neo-adjuvant settings, they are usually given in combinations of two or more drugs. Single agent (one drug at a time) can be a good choice in treating breast cancer that has already spread to other areas.
Receiving Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer
For breast cancer, chemotherapy is given either by mouth or injected into a vein daily, weekly, or every 2-4 weeks. Your treatment plan is designed for your particular condition. It may vary greatly from someone else you know who had chemotherapy. For example, while some women stay in the hospital overnight to receive chemotherapy intravenously, others receive chemotherapy for an hour once a day for a week in their doctor's office. Some patients receive chemotherapy in pill form.
Sometimes, if a person's veins are hard to find, it can help to place something called a "port-a-cath" (completely covered with skin and requires no care) or a "Hickman" catheter (hangs outside the chest and must be cleaned and flushed) in a large vein. These devices are inserted by a surgeon or radiologist and have an opening to the skin, allowing chemotherapy medications to be given. They can also be used to administer fluids or take blood samples. The catheters are placed on an outpatient basis using local anesthesia. Once chemotherapy is finished, they can be easily removed.
WebMD Medical Reference
Breast Cancer Guide
VIVELLE-DOT (estradiol transdermal system) IS AVAILABLE BY PRESCRPTION ONLY.
INDICATION
Vivelle-Dot is used after menopause to: reduce moderate to severe hot flashes; treat moderate to severe dryness, itching and burning in or around the vagina; help reduce your chances of getting osteoporosis (thin weak bones); and treat certain conditions in which a young woman's ovaries do not produce enough estrogens naturally. Vivelle-Dot 0.025 mg/day is only used to prevent osteoporosis from menopause. If you use Vivelle-Dot only to treat your dryness, itching, and burning in and around your vagina or if you use Vivelle-Dot only to prevent osteoporosis from menopause, talk with your healthcare professional about whether a different treatment or medicine without estrogens might be better for you.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Estrogens increase the chances of getting cancer of the uterus (womb). Report any unusual vaginal bleeding right away while you are taking estrogens. Vaginal bleeding after menopause may be a warning sign of cancer of the uterus (womb).
Do not use estrogens with or without progestins to prevent heart disease, heart attacks, or strokes. Using estrogens with or without progestins may increase your chances of getting heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, and blood clots. Using estrogens with progestins may increase your risk of dementia (decline in memory and thinking skills).
Vivelle-Dot should not be used if you have unusual vaginal bleeding; currently have or have had certain cancers, including cancer of the breast or uterus; had a stroke or heart attack in the recent past (for example, in the past year); currently have or have had blood clots; currently have or have had liver problems; or think you may be, or know that you are, pregnant.
The most common side effects that may occur with Vivelle-Dot are headache, breast tenderness, and back pain.
You and your healthcare professional should talk regularly about whether you still need treatment with Vivelle-Dot.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Full Prescribing Information for Vivelle-Dot.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and a new study reveals why a high number of women with the disease still prefer to have the entire breast surgically removed instead of just the tumor. It's not always because doctors recommend it.
