My Breakthrough
Chemotherapy for secondary breast cancer
Chemotherapy is treatment with one or more anti-cancer (also called cytotoxic) drugs.
It aims to destroy cancer cells that may have spread beyond your breast and lymph nodes in your armpit to other parts of your body.
Secondary breast cancer in the lung and liver responds well to chemotherapy.
Anti-cancer drugs work in different ways, but they all damage cancer cells so they can't divide and grow.
Some anti-cancer drugs for secondary breast cancer are tablets, others are injections or infusions ('drips') that you have in a vein in your arm. You can take tablets at home, but you will probably have injections or infusions in an out-patient clinic at your hospital.
A course of chemotherapy can last several weeks or months. It is made up of repeated cycles of treatment, which are usually repeated every 3 weeks.
If you have not previously received an anthracycline chemotherapy, you will probably be offered one at this stage if it is suitable for you. Repeated courses of anthracyclines can affect the heart muscle, so if you were given some at an earlier stage you are likely to be offered something different now. Other chemotherapies commonly given at this stage include:
Unfortunately, all the anti-cancer drugs used in chemotherapy for secondary breast cancer do have side effects. Anti-cancer drugs are designed to kill cells that multiply quickly.
Cancer cells do this, but so do healthy cells in some parts of the body, for example in the mouth, intestines, bone marrow (where blood cells are made) and scalp. So most of the side effects of anti-cancer drugs affect these areas. But a lot can be done to relieve them. See dealing with side effects.
Secondary breast cancer in the lung and liver responds well to chemotherapy.
Anti-cancer drugs work in different ways, but they all damage cancer cells so they can't divide and grow.
Some anti-cancer drugs for secondary breast cancer are tablets, others are injections or infusions ('drips') that you have in a vein in your arm. You can take tablets at home, but you will probably have injections or infusions in an out-patient clinic at your hospital.
A course of chemotherapy can last several weeks or months. It is made up of repeated cycles of treatment, which are usually repeated every 3 weeks.
If you have not previously received an anthracycline chemotherapy, you will probably be offered one at this stage if it is suitable for you. Repeated courses of anthracyclines can affect the heart muscle, so if you were given some at an earlier stage you are likely to be offered something different now. Other chemotherapies commonly given at this stage include:
- Taxanes (docetaxel, paclitaxel)
- Vinorelbine [Navelbine]
- Capecitabine (an oral form of 5-FU)
- Gemcitabine
Side effects
Unfortunately, all the anti-cancer drugs used in chemotherapy for secondary breast cancer do have side effects. Anti-cancer drugs are designed to kill cells that multiply quickly. Cancer cells do this, but so do healthy cells in some parts of the body, for example in the mouth, intestines, bone marrow (where blood cells are made) and scalp. So most of the side effects of anti-cancer drugs affect these areas. But a lot can be done to relieve them. See dealing with side effects.
Also within "Secondary breast cancer"
- Hormone treatment for secondary breast cancer
- Oophorectomy
- Radiotherapy for secondary breast cancer
- Chemotherapy for secondary breast cancer
- Antibody treatments for secondary breast cancer
