Chemotherapy for breast cancer has fewer side effects

Medicine has made enormous progress. The best proof: more and more women are surviving breast cancer, provided the disease is detected and treated early. Standard treatment includes surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The aim is to eliminate all tumour cells and minimize the risk of recurrence. However, chemotherapy for breast cancer in particular comes at a price: the side effects are often very troublesome. Radiation irritates the skin, while chemotherapy can weaken the immune system, which in turn increases susceptibility to infection. Two other side effects of breast cancer therapy are severe fatigue and digestive problems. However, patients do not have to put up with this.

Idee für mich
via Anna-Lisa
09/13/2016, 11:55
So wird die Brustkrebs Therapie erträglicher© fotolia
This makes breast cancer therapy more bearable.

Reduce the side effects of chemotherapy

There are complementary procedures that can be used to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy for breast cancer. This makes breast cancer therapy more bearable overall. One frequently used method is mistletoe therapy, for example. The plant extract is injected under the skin or administered intravenously and is said to help combat fatigue, among other things. The pain becomes more bearable.

Enzymes can also be very useful. A combination of three enzymes in particular can make the side effects of chemotherapy for breast cancer at least a little more bearable. One of them is called papain and is extracted from papaya (for example in Wobe-Mucos, pharmacy). The enzymes support certain reactions of the immune system and help the immune cells to recognize and eliminate tumour cells. They also promote blood circulation. Inflammation subsides more quickly and pain is reduced. All of this can significantly improve the quality of life during breast cancer treatment. After all, this can last a year or more.

A study of 649 patients confirms that the side effects of chemotherapy occur less frequently with enzyme therapy. Two other important measures that can make chemotherapy for breast cancer more bearable are a healthy, varied diet with vegetables, fruit and fish and regular exercise. Physical activity prevents the muscles from regressing during the debilitating illness. At the same time, it strengthens the psyche. There are now also studies that prove that sport has a positive effect on breast cancer therapy and can even increase the chances of survival. Patients should ask their doctor which type of sport is suitable for them during treatment.

A cosmetics seminar also promotes well-being

What should I look out for in my skin care during breast cancer treatment? How do I conceal missing eyebrows and eyelashes so that I feel good again? And which lipstick harmonizes with my headgear? Cancer patients can get answers to these and other questions at the free make-up seminar organized by DKMS life, a sister organization of the German Bone Marrow Donor Center based in Tübingen. In the two-hour hands-on program " look good feel better", beauticians give valuable tips and tricks on how to hide the external signs of chemotherapy for breast cancer. The seminar also includes a scarf and headdress consultation as well as a bag of high-quality products. The number of participants per course is limited to ten.

Information on events can be found on the Internet at www.dkms-life.de