Breast cancer chemotherapy is used to treat and prevent the cancer from spreading further in the body. Though surgery is used in most of the breast cancer patients, breast cancer chemotherapy helps to kill any cancer cells present in the entire body.
Breast cancer chemotherapy is called a systemic therapy as well. It involves the entire body. The main purpose is to get rid of the cancer cells in the body.
Breast cancer chemotherapy uses combination of drugs to treat cancer. It can be given before the surgery to reduce the size of the tumor. After the surgery it is given to kill any cancer cells present in the entire body. It works as prevention against spread of cancer.
Chemotherapy stops the cells from dividing rapidly.
Chemotherapy is given in cycles. That means once one dose is given you have to go after some days to receive another dose. How many cycles you will need, depends on the type of drug is used and how the cancer behaves. If the cancer responses to the treatment then you will have to go fewer times. If the cancer becomes immune to the drugs then the doctor may have to change the medication.
Chemotherapy given as a curative treatment is called adjuvant chemotherapy. This helps in reducing the chances of the cancer returning. Sometimes chemotherapy is given prior to the surgery. This helps in reducing the size of the tumor. Along with the shrinking the tumor it also kills any free cancer cells in the body. This helps in getting rid of cancer completely. Women with advanced stage of breast cancer are given therapeutic chemotherapy.
Though the chemotherapy kills rapidly multiplying cells in your body, some of the healthy cells also get damaged. This happens because most of the cells in our body multiply as and when required. The drug can not differentiate between the cancer cells and the healthy cells. Hence the patient may suffer some side effects. Hair loss, loss of appetite, nausea vomiting, sores in the mouth, skin problems these are some of the side effects experienced by the patient undergoing chemotherapy.
Every day the researchers are working to minimize the side effects of the drug. In order to help the treatment the patient should take as much rest as possible. Try and not to go in public places where the chances of getting infection are high.
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