How friggin’ cool does this thing look?

What is chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer drugs to treat cancer. It can be used to treat cancer by stopping the growth of cancer by killing cancer cells that have spread to other parts of the body. Chemotherapy is given after surgery (called adjuvant chemotherapy) or before surgery (known as neoadjuvant chemotherapy) to reduce the risk of breast cancer returning.

What are the side effects associated with chemotherapy?
Side effects from chemotherapy depend on what drug or combination of drugs is used. The severity of these side effects will vary from person to person. Some of the most common side effects include nausea and vomiting, hair loss, early menopause and fatigue. Other possible side effects include infections, mouth and throat sores and weight gain. Remember, chemotherapy can greatly reduce the chances of breast cancer returning. The side effects are temporary and the management of these side effects has greatly improved in recent years.

This post is for the Blogathon 2006! I am blogging for The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. For more information about what I am doing, please click here!