“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.”
― Helen Keller
The untold story of the advanced or metastatic breast cancer patient
When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, I was treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Will I get the same drugs again?
When you got adjuvant chemotherapy, the hope was that it would eradicate all of the micrometastases that were in your body. Unfortunately, that did not work, and those seeds have now grown into obvious metastases. It does not make any sense to treat your cancer with drugs to which it is already resistant.
Therefore, your oncologist will probably want to choose new drugs to fight your cancer. This is especially true if your cancer returned while you were getting those drugs, or shortly after you stopped taking them. If you got adjuvant chemotherapy many years ago, your oncologist may decide to include one or two of those drugs in your new treatment program since they worked so well at the outset. It is possible that they will be more effective when combined with a new agent.
How will my oncologist decide how much chemotherapy to give me?
Your oncologist will individualize your chemotherapy dose and schedule to maximize the chance that your cancer will respond and minimize the side effects that you will experience. The initial doses will depend upon your height and weight (body surface area), vital organ function (especially the kidney and liver), and general health status. Your oncologist may need to adjust the dose of chemotherapy in subsequent cycles if you are having unacceptable side effects or need to delay the start of the next treatment. Your oncologist will decide how many cycles of chemotherapy to give you based on how well your cancer responds to treatment (efficacy) and on the side effects (toxicity) that you experience. They may give it for a set number of cycles, but, when treating metastatic breast cancer, oncologists usually continue treatment as long as it is working.
Do I have to be hospitalized to get my treatments?
Certain types of breast cancer treatment require a short stay in the hospital, but most do not. You will most likely get your chemotherapy in your oncologist’s office or in an outpatient clinic. Many cancer patients enjoy the camaraderie and support of others who are getting chemotherapy, but most chemotherapy infusion suites also offer you the option of getting your treatment in a private room. You should make sure that your doctor has a facility that will meet your needs. It can take anywhere from 1 to 8 or more hours to get your treatment, depending on the type of chemotherapy that you are getting. You will probably get your chemotherapy while seated in a comfortable reclining-type chair.
There are beds available in some infusion centers, but you will probably be more comfortable in the specially designed chemotherapy recliners. If there are no TVs at the place where you get chemotherapy, you may want to bring your own DVD player, iPod, or a book to read. You should dress comfortably, and you may want to bring a snack or light lunch. It will probably be possible for a family member or friend to keep you company while you get your treatment, but space is usually quite limited and you may want to nap during much of your infusion. Although there is nothing particularly scary about seeing someone receiving chemotherapy, young children are easily bored and should probably stay at home.
Your oncologist will individualize your chemotherapy dose and schedule to maximize the chance that your cancer will respond and minimize the side effects that you will experience.
Many cancer patients enjoy the camaraderie and support of others who are getting chemotherapy, but most chemotherapy infusion suites also offer you the option of getting your treatment in a private room.
Term:
Micrometastases – Small numbers of cancer cells that have spread from the primary tumor to other parts of the body and are too few to be picked up in a screening or diagnostic test.
