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Should The Chemotherapy Be Continued After Finishing The First Four Cycles?
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My mother-in-law underwent mastectomy for right breast CA and completed 4 cycles of chemotherapy as instructed by the Oncologist initially, now after completing 4 cycles, the Dr. is again asking her to take 4 more cycles of chemotherapy which is said to be an even more stronger dose. Should she take these 4 cycles of chemotherapy again, coz she is not in a condition to cope with any more cycles now?
My mother-in-law underwent mastectomy for right breast CA and completed 4 cycles of chemotherapy as instructed by the Oncologist initially, now after completing 4 cycles, the Dr. is again asking her to take 4 more cycles of chemotherapy which is said to be an even more stronger dose. Should she take these 4 cycles of chemotherapy again, coz she is not in a condition to cope with any more cycles now?
posted on
Thu, 13 Mar 2014
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Tue, 2 Jun 2015
Answered on
Tue, 2 Jun 2015
Last reviewed on
Hi,
Thanks for writing in.
Cancer is a challenging condition and difficult to treat. In early stages, surgery is recommended with additional chemotherapy and radiation therapy after staging of disease. It is possible that the doctor initially wanted to give 4 cycles and observe. Continuation of treatment depends response to initial treatment and then dose is also modified as per requirement.
Saying whether she is medically fit or not is evaluated by the treatment team. It is possible that she might be feeling weak due to chemotherapy and this is observed in many patients. Her blood counts and liver function tests are important. It is possible that complete control over the cancer might be achieved through aggressive chemotherapy and that is what is planned for her. Please do not worry.
Thanks for writing in.
Cancer is a challenging condition and difficult to treat. In early stages, surgery is recommended with additional chemotherapy and radiation therapy after staging of disease. It is possible that the doctor initially wanted to give 4 cycles and observe. Continuation of treatment depends response to initial treatment and then dose is also modified as per requirement.
Saying whether she is medically fit or not is evaluated by the treatment team. It is possible that she might be feeling weak due to chemotherapy and this is observed in many patients. Her blood counts and liver function tests are important. It is possible that complete control over the cancer might be achieved through aggressive chemotherapy and that is what is planned for her. Please do not worry.
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