What drugs are used in chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer?

According to the American Cancer Society, more than one hundred chemotherapy drugs are used in various combinations. Sometimes just one drug is used, but more often chemotherapy works best when it consists of more than one drug. This is called combination chemotherapy or a chemotherapy cocktail.

Don’t let long drug names be intimidating. Ask your doctor to write each one down. Question your doctor on why he has chosen a certain drug or drugs for you. Listen for more explanations about the goals for your chemotherapy in the answer you get back.

An advantage to using more than one drug is that it reduces the chance that you’ll become resistant to a particular chemotherapy drug. You and your doctor will decide together which drug or combination of drugs, dosages, delivery method, frequency, and length of treatment are best for you. All of these decisions will depend on your type of cancer, its location, the extent of its growth, how it is affecting your normal body functions, whether you’ve had chemotherapy before, your general health, and any other health problems, such as heart disease or diabetes.

Find out more about this book: The 10 Best Questions for Surviving Breast Cancer: The Script You Need to T...

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