| Drug for Chemotherapy | |||||
| Generic Name | Brand Name | Use | Method of Action | Schedule | Adverse Effects |
| Carboplatin | Paraplatin | metastatic disease | Inhibits DNA synthesis | IV every three weeks | Decreased immunity, bruising or bleeding, nausea or vomiting, loss of appetite, tiredness and weakness |
| Capecitabine | Xeloda | For metastatic disease resistant to anthracyclines and Taxol | Converted to 5-FU in body.Prevents DNA and RNA synthesis | Oral twice a day over 3 week cycles -- 2 weeks on Xeloda, 1 week off | Nausea, diarrhea, tingling hands and feet, fatigue, anemia, reduced immunity |
| Cyclophosphamide | Cytoxan | Primary therapy and metastatic disease | Interferes with tumor cell growth | IV every three weeks; oral in 3-week cycles -- 2 weeks on Taxotere, 1 weekoff | Temporary or permanent infertility, hair loss, cystitis, immune suppression |
| Docetaxel | Taxotere | Locally advanced or metastatic disease after failure of first treatment | Inhibits cell division | IV High dose every 3 weeks; low dose weekly | Fluid retention, suppressed immunity, hair loss, loss of feeling in hands,feet |
| Doxorubicin | Adriamycin, Rubex | Primary therapy and metastatic disease | Inhibits DNA synthesis | IV every 21 days | Nausea, hair loss, immune suppression; may cause heart damage,increased risk of leukemia |
| Epirubicin | Ellence | Primary therapy and metastatic disease | Inhibits DNA synthesis | IV every 21 days | Nausea, hair loss, immune suppression; may be less toxicto heart than doxorubicin, increased risk of leukemia |
| Etoposide | VePesid | Metastatic disease | Stops cell division | Oral twice a day over 3 week cycles -- 2 weeks on VePesid,1 week off | Immune suppression, nausea, diarrhea |
| 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) | Primary and metastatic disease | Prevents DNA and RNA synthesis | IV days 1and 8 every 21 days; with leucovorin days 1 through3 every 28 days | Nausea, diarrhea,tingling hands and feet, fatigue, anemia,reduced immunity,less hairloss than other drugs | |
| Gemicitabine | Gemzar | Metastatic Disease-- first-line treatment in combination with paclitaxel in women who already had an anthracycline, unless anthracyclines were contraindicated |
Stops cells from making and repairing DNA | Fatigue, skin rash, reduced immunity, shortness of breath, diarrhea, bruising more easily | |
| Ixabepilone | Ixempra | Metastatic Disease-- or locally advanced disease resistant to an anthracycline (such as doxorubicin or epirubicin), a taxane (such as paclitaxel or docetaxel), capecitabine (Xeloda). Or with capecitabine after treatment wiuh an anthracycline and a taxane. |
A microtubule inhibitor, and a member of a new class of drugs called epothilones. Stops cancer cell by disrupting the formation of the microtubules, which are part of the cell's skeleton. | IV every three weeks | Neuropathy, fatigue, hair loss, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and musculoskeletal pain. Cannot be used by women with liver problems. |
| Lapatinib | Tykerb | Used in combination with capecitabine (Xeloda) for women with advanced or metastatic HER2-positive tumors who have already used Herceptin, an anthracycline, and a taxane | Binds to the EGFR and HER2 receptors to inhibit tumor cell growth | 1,250 mg (5 tablets) given orally once daily on Days 1-21 | Diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, fatigue, unpleasant or painful feeling in the palms of the handq and the soles of the feet, and rash |
| Methotrexate | Primary and metastatic disease | Interferes with DNA synthesis and repair | V days 1 and 8 every 21 days | Immune suppression, nausea, gastrointestinal distress, flu-likesymptoms | |
| Mitoxantrone | Novantrone | Metastatic disease. May be less effective than doxorubicinand epirubicin | Inhibits DNA synthesis | IV every 21 days | Nausea, hair loss, immune suppression; may cause heart damage,increased risk of leukemia |
| Mitomycin C | Mutamycin | Metastatic disease | Inhibits DNA synthesis | IV once every 6 weeks | Nausea, hair loss, immune suppression; may cause heart damage,increased risk of leukemia |
| Paclitaxel protein-bound particles | Abraxane | Metastatic disease or relapse within 6 months of adjuvant chemotherapy. Prior therapy should have included an anthracyline, unless clinically contraindicated | Active agent is paclitaxel, which inhibits cells divison, but uses a human protein instead of a solvent,!which allows the drug to be administered in only 30 minutes | IV; doctor will determine dose and schedule | Decreased immunity, tingling in the hands and feet |
| Paclitaxel | Taxol | Metastatic disease, can also be used in the adjuvant setting.For more info, click here | Inhibits cell division | IV High dose every 3 weeks; low dose!weekly | Fluid retention, suppressed immunity, hair loss, loss offeeling in hands, feet |
| Trastuzumab | Herceptin | For primary and metastatic disease in women with HER2-positive tumors | Blocks HER2, a growth factor receptor, to inhibit tumorcell growth | IV weekly | Anemia, immune suppression, flulike symptoms |
