Leer esta página en español. Even after you and your doctor have decided on a chemotherapy regimen, you may still have questions about what to expect and how chemotherapy will affect your daily routine. But most side effects can be controlled. It may be used in combination with targeted therapy.The main goal of chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer is generally to improve quality and length of life rather than to cure the disease.Chemotherapy medications travel throughout the body. As newer types of cancer treatment are developed, such as immunotherapy, doctors may find that these treatments also cause late effects in cancer survivors. If you have advanced breast cancer, treatment may continue beyond six months.If you have early-stage breast cancer and you are also scheduled to receive radiation therapy, it usually follows chemotherapy.There's an array of chemotherapy drugs available.
You can also talk with your doctor and chemotherapy nurse about measures you can take to minimize side effects.If chemotherapy damages your infection-fighting blood cells, your doctor may adjust your doses or add medications that help your bone marrow to recover more quickly.Certain chemotherapy drugs for breast cancer can cause long-term side effects, including:Depending on your age, chemotherapy may induce a premature permanent menopause. Chemotherapy for breast cancer uses drugs to target and destroy breast cancer cells. Receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer may increase the chance of a cure, decrease the risk of the cancer returning, alleviate symptoms from the cancer or help people with cancer live longer with a better quality of life.If the cancer has recurred or spread, chemotherapy may control the breast cancer to help you live longer. Long-term side effects begin during treatment and continue after all treatment is stopped. These drugs are usually given directly into a vein through a needle or as a pill.Chemotherapy for breast cancer frequently is used in addition to other treatments, such as surgery, radiation or hormone therapy. You may be at higher risk of metastasis if cancer cells are found in lymph nodes near the breast with the tumor.When considering adjuvant chemotherapy, ask your doctor about how much the chemotherapy will reduce your chance of the cancer coming back.
Your doctor can give you an idea how much the chemotherapy will affect your usual activities, but it's difficult to predict just how you'll feel.Prepare by asking for time off work or help around the house for the first few days after treatment. 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44195 | In most cases, these problems go away within a year of completion of the chemotherapy.Your doctor can prescribe drugs to help reduce nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy. The Impact of Breast Cancer Treatment on Your Long-Term Health. These may affect the way the chemotherapy drugs work. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. Chemotherapy: What to Expect Save as Favorite. This is to monitor you for long-term side effects and to check for recurrence of the breast cancer. Chemotherapy is often used a treatment for certain types of breast cancer. In some cases, characteristics of the breast cancer itself may suggest other more beneficial, less harsh treatments, such as endocrine therapy (hormone therapy) with estrogen-blocking medications.Discuss your treatment goals and preferences with your doctor.
When you and your doctor are deciding on a chemotherapy regimen, weighing the benefits versus the side effects is part of the process. Your doctor and … Or it can help ease symptoms the cancer is causing.Chemotherapy for breast cancer also carries a risk of side effects — some temporary and mild, others more serious or permanent. Other tests, such as tumor marker tests, liver function tests, PET scans, CT scans, bone scans and chest X-rays, generally aren't recommended unless there is a specific need. It may help to take a family member or friend with you to the treatment session for support and companionship.Chemotherapy for breast cancer is given in cycles. Receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer may increase the chance of a cure, decrease the risk of the cancer returning, alleviate sy… Advertising on our site helps support our mission. Chemotherapy for breast cancer uses drugs to target and destroy breast cancer cells. Everyone involved is working toward the same goal — completion of treatment with the best possible outcome. When breast cancer is localized only to the breast or lymph nodes, chemotherapy may be given after a lumpectomy or mastectomy. Your doctor can give you an idea of the side effects you're likely to have. This can be done through:Not all chemotherapy sessions are alike, but a session might follow this order:Some people feel fine after a chemotherapy session and can return to their schedules and activities.
Also discuss with your doctor other alternatives, such as hormone-blocking therapy, that might be effective in your situation.Chemotherapy is sometimes given before surgery (neoadjuvant therapy) to shrink larger tumors. This spread is known as Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 09/05/2013.