Chemotherapy for breast cancer is one of the main methods of treatment. It is used as the only way to influence a malignant tumor. The effectiveness of this therapeutic regimen directly depends on the type of cancer cells, and, in addition, on the stage of the disease. Chemotherapy is often included in the scheme of complex treatment of breast cancer.
How does chemotherapy work?
Chemotherapy for breast cancer is a systemic cytostatic method of influencing cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs introduced into the body are carried with the blood and distributed throughout the tissues. The selectively acting blood-brain barrier does not act as an obstacle for them, which ensures consistency. Drugs affect not only the primary focus, but also distant metastases. As a result, the growth of malignant cells is inhibited even in the not yetdiagnosed dropouts.
Drug groups
There are two types of chemotherapy drugs:
- Medications with cytotoxic effects that disrupt the functioning of cell organelles and lead to tumor necrosis.
- Means with a cytostatic effect, within which the process of cell division is suppressed.
Drugs intended for chemotherapy can affect protein molecules that bind to nucleic acids or are responsible for the formation of the skeleton of cells. Some of them slow down or disrupt gene replication processes, while others may contribute to the formation of toxic radicals or have anti-metabolic effects.
Mechanism of action
Each drug has a specific mechanism, which is the basis of the classification of chemotherapeutic agents. For breast cancer, certain chemotherapy regimens may be prescribed, which include carefully selected combinations of different drugs. Chemotherapy drugs for stage 2 breast cancer are not selective, they negatively affect the vital activity of the cells of the entire human body.
Proliferation rate
Malignant tumors are characterized by the highest rate of proliferation. This, in turn, is accompanied by a decrease in cellular differentiation along with inhibition of the natural mechanism of self-control. This explains the high efficiency of cytostatics,as a result of their influence, tumor cells stop dividing and die.
The rate of proliferation of ordinary cells in the human body is much lower compared to neoplastic ones. Therefore, even an actively dividing structure is not damaged so deeply. After the cessation of exposure to cytostatics, they can restore their functioning, and side effects are significantly reduced or completely disappear.
What is chemotherapy for breast cancer?
Chemotherapy and its types
Modern medicine distinguishes between the following types of chemotherapy:
- In the treatment of breast cancer, chemotherapy can be an outpatient or inpatient. The choice directly depends on the power of the prescribed drugs, and, in addition, on the patient's condition and the severity of side effects.
- Chemotherapy may be the main treatment for cancer. This technique is often used in the presence of tumors that are highly sensitive to drugs. It is also prescribed when it is impossible to use other cancer treatment options, for example, in the presence of multiple metastases. In this case, as a rule, powerful therapeutic regimens are used that allow you to influence cancer cells at absolutely all stages of proliferation.
- Another variation is adjuvant chemotherapy. At the same time, the use of chemotherapy drugs acts as an addition to alternative methods of treating breast cancer, and the tumor itself is removedsurgical method. In modern clinical practice, two options are used: neoadjuvant and postoperative chemotherapy. In the first case, the main objectives are to contain the growth of the tumor along with the prevention of metastasis. After the operation, chemotherapy drugs are prescribed for anti-relapse purposes.
- Among other things, there is induction chemotherapy, which is carried out before surgery. With the help of this treatment, the size of the tumor is reduced, achieving the possibility of converting the cancer into an operable form.
What should be the chemotherapy for breast cancer after surgery?
Colour codes for chemotherapy regimens
To indicate the type of treatment regimen used, the concepts of red, blue, white and yellow chemotherapy are used. It depends on the color of the medical solutions administered intravenously.
Red chemotherapy for breast cancer is considered the most powerful and at the same time very toxic. In this regard, it is worse tolerated, accompanied by a large number of various complications. With this scheme, "Doxorubicin" and "Idarubicin" with a cytostatic effect are used.
In the yellow scheme, drugs such as Methotrexate and Cyclophosphamide are prescribed. These agents are less toxic, and the treatment is milder. Blue and white chemotherapy regimens for breast cancer are used when there are certain indications.
What should I consider when deciding whether to have chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy for cancermammary gland can be prescribed at any stage. At the same time, doctors may pursue different goals, which will affect the expected result of the planned treatment. When assessing the need for the use of cytostatics, the following factors are taken into account:
- The size of the tumor along with its location and degree of invasion.
- The nature of the expressivity of the oncogene, and, in addition, the degree of its differentiation.
- Involvement of lymph nodes in the tumor process.
- Tumor hormonal status.
- Tumor growth dynamics.
- The hormonal status of the patient along with the full functioning of her ovaries.
- Age of the patient at the time of cancer diagnosis, as well as directly during the treatment.
For each patient, an individual treatment regimen is drawn up. Before starting the use of drugs, the genetic profile of the tumor is studied.
How is chemotherapy treated for stage 2 breast cancer?
Chemotherapy depends on the patient's condition and how she feels. Before the start of the first course, a clinical examination is prescribed, assessing the state of the heart, and, in addition, blood counts. This is required for follow-up monitoring of treatment tolerance over time, which will allow timely detection of severe complications.
Chemotherapy usually involves intravenous administration of drugs. It can be carried out in a round-the-clock or day hospital, sometimes thisdone at home. Currently, various methods are being actively introduced that make it possible to avoid the daily puncture of veins for vascular access. For example, some clinics offer to install a special port for automated administration of drugs. An venous catheter is often placed.
How long is the session?
Thus, spend a chemotherapy session for several hours. Patients with fairly good he alth usually do not need to stay in the hospital around the clock. After examination by the doctor, patients are sent home, and also allowed to return to the workplace. In the event that any side effects occur, additional medications are prescribed or the treatment regimen is adjusted. In oral chemotherapy, drugs are given to patients for a set number of days at home, and dietary and lifestyle advice is also provided.
What happens after breast cancer chemotherapy?
Unwanted consequences
Chemotherapy is a highly toxic treatment, so side effects can occur in most patients. Possible consequences due to chemotherapy are as follows:
- Nausea, vomiting, bad taste in the mouth along with loss of appetite.
- The appearance of inflammation of the oral mucosa.
- The occurrence of a feeling of discomfort in the abdomen, as well as a violation of the stool.
- Hair loss up to complete baldness.
- Developmentbrittleness along with discoloration of nails.
- The appearance of a skin rash of a different nature.
- Presence of subfebrile or febrile body temperature.
- Development of anemia.
- Immunosuppression leading to protracted and complicated infections.
- Irregular menstruation and infertility.
- Development of toxic myocardiopathy.
The consequences of chemotherapy for breast cancer in women are manifested in different ways.
Many of the listed conditions are reversible and may soon pass after the completion of the course. Hair and nails grow back quickly. However, after undergoing chemotherapy, most patients require recovery.
Recovery period
Recovery after undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer can take some time, which directly depends on the severity of side effects, and, in addition, on the degree of organ damage. To speed up this process, doctors prescribe immunomodulatory and hepatotropic drugs.
Nutrition plays an important role in breast cancer chemotherapy. The menu should be balanced, be sure to eat fresh vegetables and fruits along with dairy foods, proteins and iron-containing foods. Nutrition after chemotherapy should provide the body with the necessary amount of essential nutrients and trace elements, preventing the development of hypovitaminosis. Starvation is absolutely unacceptable, eating shouldoccur often enough, but in small portions.
Chemotherapy improves the survival of patients, even those with stage 3 or 4 breast cancer.
