Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells or slow their growth. It may be used before or after surgery.
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When is chemotherapy used?
It is often used for breast cancers that are not sensitive to hormone therapy, are HER2+ or triple negative, or for inflammatory breast cancers. Chemotherapy is sometimes used for hormone receptor positive breast cancers.
Having chemotherapy
There are different types of chemotherapy drugs. The choice of drugs will depend on the type of cancer, how far it has spread and what other treatments you are having.
Your medical oncologist will talk to you about the most suitable types of chemotherapy drugs, as well as their risks and side effects.
Chemotherapy for breast cancer is usually given through a vein (intravenously) or through a port. This is a thin plastic tube that is surgically inserted under the skin, usually in the chest or arm, under local anaesthetic. It stays in your vein throughout the treatment course.
You will usually be treated as an outpatient, but occasionally you may have to stay in hospital overnight.
Chemotherapy is usually given once every 1–3 weeks for 3–6 months.
For more information, visit eviq.org.au.
Side effects of chemotherapy
Chemotherapy damages cells as they divide. This makes the drugs effective against cancer cells, which divide rapidly. However, some normal cells – such as hair follicles, blood cells, and cells inside the mouth or bowel – also divide rapidly. Side effects happen when chemotherapy damages these normal cells. Unlike cancer cells, normal cells can recover, so most side effects are temporary.
See below for common side effects.
| Nausea | You may feel sick for a few hours or days after each treatment. Not everyone feels sick, and you’ll be given medicine to help prevent it. Some medicines may cause constipation; talk to your doctor about this. |
| Diarrhoea | You may have loose, watery stools and feel like you urgently need to go to the toilet. You may be given medicine to manage diarrhoea. |
| Hair loss | You may lose the hair from your head and other areas of the body (e.g. eyebrows, underarms and pubic area). Cold caps may prevent hair loss on your head in some cases Learn more about hair loss and cancer. |
| Swelling (oedema) | Some medicines used with chemotherapy drugs can cause excess fluid (fluid retention) to build up in the body. This can affect the arms and the trunk, but it usually gets better when treatment ends. |
| Changes to fertility | Chemotherapy can cause infertility in females and males. If you may want to have children in the future, it’s essential that you talk to your cancer specialists about your options and ask for a referral to a fertility specialist before treatment starts. Learn more about fertility and cancer. |
| Heart problems | The risk is very small but chemotherapy can sometimes damage the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy). If necessary, your heart health may be checked before, during and after treatment. If you are at risk of heart damage, you may be offered other types of drugs. |
| Peripheral neuropathy | You might develop tingling or numbness in your hands or feet. This is called peripheral neuropathy. |
| Other side effects | These include an increased infection risk, fatigue, mouth ulcers, constipation and memory changes. |
Learn more about chemotherapy.
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→ READ MORE: Hormone therapy for breast cancer
Video: What is chemotherapy?
Watch this video to learn more about chemotherapy (Open settings to turn on auto-generated subtitles in your language).
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A/Prof Cindy Mak, Breast Surgeon and Director of Breast Services, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, NSW; A/Prof Nick Murray, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Royal Adelaide Hospital and GenesisCare Adelaide, SA; Caroline Bennett, Consumer; Tamara Casey, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Breast Assessment Unit, Fiona Stanley Hospital, WA; A/Prof Joe Dusseldorp, Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Lauren Lores, Consumer; Dr Linda Madigan, Breast Physician, Royal Adelaide Hospital, SA; Catherine Meredith, Consumer; Ash Mondolo, Breast Cancer Clinical Nurse Consultant, Mater Private Hospital, QLD; Chris Rivett, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council SA; Catrina Ross, McGrath Breast Care Nurse, Northern Sydney Local Health District, NSW; Prof Christobel Saunders AO, James Stewart Chair of Surgery and Director of Research, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, VIC; Dr Janice Yeh, Radiation Oncologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; A/Prof Yvonne Zissiadis, Radiation Oncologist, Medical Director, GenesisCare WA and Adjunct A/Prof, Curtin University, WA.
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