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When started chemotherapy in breast cancer
When started chemotherapy in breast cancer, Indications for chemotherapy
Mammology - Breast surgery
Chemotherapy is carried out in cycles, alternating periods of treatment and recovery periods. For example, you can treat the first three days of each month, and then the remaining time to take a break. And depending on the chosen course of chemotherapy and the doctor, he can take from 3 to 6 months. Typically, chemotherapy is started immediately after surgery.
In one study it was shown that the effectiveness of chemotherapy with a frequency of once every two weeks was better than every three weeks. This method allows the influence of chemotherapy on cancer cells when they are most susceptible to damage. However, it involves such a side effect, as the effects on white blood cells - white blood cells that are responsible for the body's immune. Therefore, in conjunction with chemotherapy is recommended to take the drug powerless.
In some cases, breast cancer chemotherapy is used prior to surgery. This is called neoadjuvant therapy. The organization makes to reduce the size of the tumor, resulting in rather than mastectomy (complete removal of the breast with the tumor) can be applied lumpectomy followed by radiotherapy. However, this method can be used not for all types of breast cancer. It is worth to talk about this with your doctor. Indications for chemotherapy are dependent on various factors:
Key features of cancer such as tumor size and stage, hormonal status, degree of differentiation, the rate of growth of cancer cells, expression of oncogenes manifestation (expression) and the degree of involvement in the regional lymph nodes.
Individual patient characteristics (age, general health, tumor location, status of regional lymph nodes).
The stage of the tumor.
The state at the time of ovarian cancer (premenopausal, menopause).
The risk of complications and the positive effects of chemotherapy. The doctor evaluates the balance of risks of complications and side effects with positive effects.
In addition, you should discuss these factors with your doctor. Keep in mind that the indications for chemotherapy in each case can be different.
Chemotherapy is never assigned to the case of non-invasive cancers (such as ductal carcinoma in situ), when the risk of metastasis is virtually absent. Usually in such cases, the anti-estrogenic (ie hormonal) therapy.
Usually the doctor likely to prescribe more aggressive treatment in premenopausal patients with invasive breast cancer. This is due to the fact that in such cases, the cancer is characterized by more severe, and usually for the better result of treatment requires chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy is almost always shown when you have defeated the process of lymph node cancer, regardless of the size of the primary tumor or the state of ovarian function.
Chemotherapy is usually recommended in premenopausal patients in the case of invasive cancer, the tumor size 1 cm or more, and the absence of lymph node involvement.
The combination of hormonal therapy and chemotherapy
Hormone therapy can be applied in all premenopausal women with hormone-positive cancer. Some patients may receive chemotherapy alone, some only hormonal treatment, and some - both types of treatment.
Combination chemotherapy with hormonal therapy can help reduce the risk of tumor recurrence in some cases, hormone-positive cancers.
Hormone therapy is shown to almost all postmenopausal patients with hormone-positive breast cancer.
Many patients receive chemotherapy and hormonal therapy regardless of the status of ovarian function.
