Breast Cancer Chemotherapy

Breast cancer chemotherapy refers to the use of cytotoxic drugs (chemotherapy) in the treatment of breast cancer.


Types

There are three major types of chemotherapy.

• Neoadjuvant chemotherapy

• Adjuvant chemotherapy

• Palliative chemotherapy


Regimens

Multiple chemotherapeutic agents may be used in combination to treat patients with breast cancer. In general, chemotherapy has increasing side effects as the patient's age passes 65.
The following is a list of commonly used adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer:

• CMF: cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil given 4-weekly for 6 cycles
• FAC (or CAF): 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide given 3-weekly for 6 cycles
• AC (or CA): Adriamycin (doxorubicin) and cyclophosphamide given 3-weekly for 4 cycles
• AC-Taxol: AC given 3-weekly for 4 cycles followed by paclitaxel given either 3-weekly for 4 cycles or weekly (at a smaller dose) for 12 weeks

• TAC: Taxotere (docetaxel), Adriamycin (doxorubicin), and cyclophosphamide given 3-weekly for 6 cycles

• FEC: 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide given 3-weekly for 6 cycles
• TC: Taxotere (docetaxel) and cyclophosphamide given 3-weekly for 4 cycles

Since chemotherapy affects the production of white blood cells, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is sometimes administered along with chemotherapy. Most adjuvant breast cancer chemotherapy regimens do not routinely require growth factor support except for those associated with a high incidence of bone marrow suppression and infection.