In cancer treatment, chemotherapy refers to the use of drugs to kill or slow the growth of rapidly multiplying cells, like cancerous cells.

Chemotherapy usually includes a combination of drugs, since this is more effective than a single drug given 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.

For breast cancer, chemotherapy drugs are given intravenously (directly into a vein) or orally (by mouth). Once the drugs enter the bloodstream, they travel to all parts of the body in order to reach cancer cells that may have spread beyond the breast -- therefore chemotherapy is considered a "systemic" form of breast cancer treatment.

Chemotherapy is given in cycles of treatment followed by a recovery period. The entire chemotherapy treatment generally lasts several months to one year, depending on the type of drugs given.

When Is Chemotherapy Given for Breast Cancer?
When breast cancer is limited 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 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 (non-metastatic) breast cancer.

What Are the Potential Side Effects of Chemotherapy Drugs?
The specific chemotherapy side effects you will experience depend on the type and amount of medications you are given and how long you will be 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

Ask your health care provider about specific side effects you can expect from your specific chemotherapy medicines. Also, discuss with your provider any side effects that are troubling you, or that you feel unable to manage.

 
 
Answers to these questions will help you understand the reason for the chemotherapy:

• Why is chemotherapy recommended for me?
• What is the significance of cancer found or not found in the lymph nodes?
• How many lymph nodes? How many lymph nodes do I have under my arm and how many are involved (have cancer cells in them?
• If my lymph nodes are not involved, should chemo or hormone therapy still be considered?
• What drugs will I be taking?
• Why have you chosen these particular drugs for me?
• Are there alternative combinations that are also considered effective?
• What side effects specifically, should I report to you?
• How soon should chemo be started?
• In what form and how often will treatment be given? Will I need someone to accompany me?
• How long will each treatment take? How many treatments will I have?
• Can I continue to work, exercise etc. during these treatments? Are there special precautions that I should take while on chemo or afterwards?