New from ASCO - Widely Used Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Falls Short

I held my breath while watching this video. (If I could figure out how to embed it I would.)

There has been a lot of discussion over the years of the benefit of anthracyclines in breast cancer chemotherapy because of potential cardiac damage - in addition to all the other nasty side effects it may cause. Doxorubicin or (Adryamicin or Rubex) is known as the 'red devil' for its red color and it is so toxic that when administered by IV the nurses wear protective gear. (You feel so safe that they are wearing protective gear and it is going in your veins.) Its also the one that causes hair loss and all sorts of other fun.

Announced at ASCO, new research on the research on it has shown that by adding anthracyclines to the taxane/cytoxan combination has a significant positive impact on long term survival. I held my breath because I wasn't sure if it was going to show me that I had received what is now seen as the better combination.

I really hate this when this happens. Some had recommended removing anthracyclines from breast cancer chemotherapy protocols because of the damage because the potential cardiac side effects. Now it seems that was the wrong action to take.

Changes like this cause cancer patients to second guess their doctors. You can't go back and do the same chemo all over again with the anthracyclines added. It doesn't work that way. The doctors were following the best practice standards at the time. But then it leaves us patients in the lurch. Thank you very much!!! Triple grrrr......