March 12, 2008

Medications for Breast Cancer

Posted in Category : Women's Health

Breast cancer medications available today are safely used for treating thousands of breast cancer patients. Radiation therapy and surgery if used together can be very effectual for taking care of cancerous growths that occur in the breasts. One drawback of this therapy is that it is ineffective for tumors hat have spread throughout the body. In such cases you can take the help of drug therapy.

Drugs work in a systematic and gradual manner. They steadily destroy cancer cells that are spread throughout the body. Breast cancer medications that are commonly used in the treatment of breast cancer are as follows

Chemotherapy: This technique makes use of cytotoxic drugs. They are either given by injection or orally. These drugs are potent breast cancer medications that kill all cancer cells within the body. Chemotherapy is truly an effective addition to anticancer drugs

Hormone Therapy: Hormone therapy prevents estrogen from stimulating the growth of estrogen of breast cancer cells. Women of all ages who are suffering from breast cancer are recommended to use this treatment. This therapy involves the use of hormone incorporated breast cancer medications that lower the estrogen hormone levels which in turn help to shrink tumors and stop their growth.

If radiation therapy and surgery is not appropriate for you then chemotherapy is the best option. In case all breast cancer cells have not been removed and there is some microscopic evidence of cancel cells even after surgery you can always take the help of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy eliminates any cancer cells that remain after breast cancer surgery. If Chemotherapy is used before surgery, it will be easier for the doctors to eliminate cancer cells.

Chemotherapy not only cures breast cancer but also improves quality of life. Chemotherapy works by stopping the cancer cell growth. Paclitaxel is a chemotherapy drug that is extremely useful in the treatment of advanced breast cancer.

Pamidronate is used in the treatment of bone problems that can occur with breast cancer

Although chemotherapy has some side effects they are temporary. Drug therapy has also significantly contributed in towards treatment of breast cancer.