Many women are prescribed drugs as part
of their breast cancer treatment. The type of drug and dosage
will vary from patient to patient depending on her medical situation. This section
outlines some of the drugs commonly used to treat breast
cancer:
Please note: This is not an exhaustive list of all drugs used to treat breast cancer.
 Click here
to learn about classes of breast cancer drugs.
Abraxane (paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension)
Abraxane was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2005 to help treat women with advanced breast
cancer who have not responded well to combination chemotherapy, or who have relapsed within six months of
chemotherapy. Abraxane is similar to the drug Taxol but unlike Taxol, is not required to be dissolved in a
toxic solvent prior to administration. This solvent can cause allergic reactions in some patients, and to
counteract these reactions, patients are often treated with steroids and antihistamines. Patients receiving
Abraxane do not need these treatments.
Side effects of Abraxane may include:
- Neutropenia (a reduction in white blood cell count)
- Anemia
- Infections
- Edema (swelling)
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Nerve damage
- Severe pain in the muscles or joints
Full prescribing information is available from Abraxis BioScience, Inc.
at http://www.abraxane.com/
Adriamycin
(generic name, doxorubicin)
Adriamycin (generic name, doxorubicin)
is a chemotherapy drug commonly used to treat breast cancer and other cancers. Adriamycin first disrupts, then destroys the
growth of cancer cells. It is usually
administered intravenously (through the vein).
Common side effects may include:
- Decreased white blood cell count with
increased risk of infection
- Decreased platelet count with increased
risk of bleeding
- Loss of appetite
- Darkening of nail beds and skin creases
of hands
- Hair loss
- Nausea and vomiting
- Mouth sores
Patients should be tested for heart problems
before beginning Adriamycin and should be continuously monitored for developing problems
during treatment.
Click here for additional information and full prescribing information on
Adriamycin (courtesy of Pfizer; requires Adobe Acrobat).
Aredia (generic name, pamidronate disodium)
Breast cancer has the potential to spread to almost any area of the body. After the axillary
(armpit) lymph nodes, bone is the most common place to which breast cancer can spread. Aredia
(generic name, pamidronate disodium) is a medication that is used to reduce bone complications
and bone pain in patients whose breast cancer has spread to the bone. Clinical studies have
shown that patients who are given Aredia tend to experience a delay in or reduction of bone
pain, fractures, and other bone complications than patients who do not receive Aredia. Aredia
is usually administered by intravenous injection along with the patient's other cancer therapies, such as chemotherapy.
Possible side effects of Aredia include:
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Nausea and vomiting
- Initial bone pain
- Lack of appetite
- Anemia (decrease in red blood cells)
Click here for additional information and full prescribing information
on Aredia (courtesy of Novartis).
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