Breast Cancer Treatment With Chemotherapy

I found this interesting article entitled ... Breast Cancer Treatment with Chemotherapy. I've just touched on some of the many points in the article but if you'd like to read the whole thing, please feel free to follow the link.

For Breast Cancer, chemotherapy can be used in three different ways to fight the disease. Firstly, chemo can be given after surgery and radiation to prevent it from cancer from coming back as there is a chance the cancer may have spread through the lymphatic system. Secondly, chemo may be given to shrink a tumor before it can be surgically removed. And thirdly, chemo is given to metastatic patients to kill cancer cells and help them live longer. This is my category.

There are many common chemotherapy drugs used to treat breast cancer but I've only listed the two that I've been treated with:

• Docetaxel (Taxotere)
• FEC - fluorouracil, which is also known as 5FU, epirubicin, cycophosphamide
  

I had six treatments of FEC back in 2000 after surgery and radiation. I've lost track of how many treatments I've had of Taxotere since August of 2008.

Generally, cycles of chemo are every 2-4 weeks and but can varies quite a bit. When on FEC my cycle was supposed to be every three weeks but ended up being every four weeks as my white blood cells would not recover in time ... so chemo had to be postponed. With the Taxotere, my cycle is three weeks.

Chemotherapy generally goes in via a vein. My six chemo treatments in 2000 pretty well destroyed or damaged any good IV veins in my left arm therefore in August of 2008 when I started chemo again, a CVC - central line was inserted on my chest wall. That worked for about eight months until I got an infection. Now I have a PICC line in my arm.

There are numerous side effects of chemo. Some of which include; hair loss, fatigue, nausea, weight gain and many more. Side effects vary quite a bit with the chemo you are on and based on my experience are cumulative.

With chemo there are a few danger signs to watch for with the main one being a high fever and chills. This is usually indicative of an infection. My thermometer is always within reaching distance.

With CT scans every six weeks, we can monitor my progress and see how the battle is going. Up to this point, I'd have to say I'm happy with the results ... we are shrinking some of the many tumors and have prevented any others from growing.