10 Drugs Commonly Prescribed for Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the second-most common cancer affecting American women
after skin cancer. It can also affect men, but this is very rare. Mammogram
screening finds many breast cancers before symptoms develop. This means doctors
often find breast cancer in early, highly treatable stages. Surgery is
typically part of breast cancer treatment. Medications are also standard
treatment options for all stages of breast cancer. There are different
classes of cancer drugs and proven medications for breast cancer within each
class.

Classes of Breast Cancer Drugs

Medication-based treatment options for breast cancer mainly depend on
the stage and the tumor’s characteristics. Your doctor will run tests to check
the type of breast cancer and if the cancer has spread—or metastasized. The
test results will help your doctor decide on the best treatment recommendation
for you. Doctors follow expert guidelines when choosing which medicines
to use in treating breast cancer.

Classes of breast cancer drugs include:

• Chemotherapy.
  These drugs are a main treatment for breast cancer. Side effects are likely
  with chemotherapy—or chemo—because of the way it works. Chemo kills or slows
  the growth of rapidly multiplying cells. This includes both cancer cells and
  some normal cells in your body. However, some chemo drugs carry more risk of
  side effects than others. Talk with your doctor to understand the specific side
  effects of your breast cancer chemo regimen.

• Hormone
  therapy. This class of drugs works on breast cancers with hormone
  receptors. Female hormones—estrogen and progesterone—stimulate growth of hormone
  receptor-positive breast cancer cells. Hormone therapy works to lower hormone
  levels or block the hormone receptor on the cancer cell. Aromatase inhibitors are a type of hormone therapy for breast
  cancer. They lower hormone levels blocking an enzyme (aromatase) necessary for
  making estrogen. Hormone therapy side effects include hot flashes, fatigue,
  vaginal dryness, and night sweats.

• Targeted
  therapy. These drugs recognize markers (typically proteins derived from
  mutated tumor genes) that help cancer cells grow or spread into other tissues.
  Targeted therapies for breast cancer recognize and block markers present only
  on cancer cells. This means the drug inhibits breast cancer cell growth but not
  normal cell growth. Sometimes, these therapies work when traditional
  chemotherapy does not. Doctors can use targeted therapies to treat hormone
  receptor-positive and HER2-positive breast cancers. Side effects are usually
  milder with these drugs than traditional chemotherapy. Talk with your doctor so
  you know what to expect.

There are various ways to receive cancer medication.
Typically, you will get injection medicines in an outpatient clinic or hospital
setting. You can usually take hormone therapy and other tablet medications at
home. Your doctor will monitor you closely during your treatment cycles. It may
be necessary to adjust your doses as you go through cancer treatment.

Common Breast Cancer Drugs

Doctors
usually follow treatment protocols for cancer therapy. Protocols list the
combination of drugs and how doctors should give them. Here are 10 drugs
commonly prescribed for breast cancer:

1. Anastrozole (Arimidex)
   is an aromatase inhibitor.
   It decreases estrogen levels in the body and can treat breast cancer that grows
   in the presence of estrogen. Anastrozole is a tablet you take once a day.

2. Cyclophosphamide
   (Cytoxan) is chemotherapy
   that comes as a tablet and an injection. You take the tablet once daily.
   Doctors give the injection intravenously—through a vein.

3. Everolimus (Afinitor)
   is a targeted therapy. It interferes with signals telling cancer cells to grow
   and divide. This stops cancer cells from multiplying. It also decreases the
   blood supply to the cancer. It comes as a tablet and a dissolvable tablet you
   take once a day.

4. Exemestane (Aromasin)
   is an aromatase inhibitor
   tablet you take once daily after a meal.

5. Fluorouracil (Adrucil)
   is chemotherapy you receive intravenously.

6. Lapatinib (Tykerb) is
   a targeted therapy. It blocks a protein that signals cancer cells to grow and
   divide. The dose consists of several tablets you take together once a day.

7. Letrozole (Femara) is
   another aromatase inhibitor tablet
   you take once daily.

8. Methotrexate
   (Abitrexate, Folex, Mexate) is chemotherapy that comes as a tablet and an injection. If you take
   the tablet, your doctor will give you specific instructions for when to take
   it.

9. Palbociclid (Ibrance) is
   a targeted therapy. It works by blocking a protein that signals cancer cells to
   multiply. It is a capsule you take with food once a day.

10. Tamoxifen (Nolvadex,
    Soltamox) is an antiestrogen. It blocks the action of estrogen, which can
    stop cancer that grows in response to estrogen. It is a tablet you take once or
    twice a day.

Today, there are more ways than ever for treating breast
cancer. The most important thing you can do is talk with your doctor about the
goals, benefits, and side effects of each of your options.

Researchers
continue to look for new breast cancer treatments. Clinical trials take
place all over the country. People with breast cancer can enroll in a clinical
trial for access to experimental treatments. This increases your cancer
treatment options. If you are interested in participating in a clinical trial,
your oncologist can help you find one for your type and stage of breast cancer.