Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment (i.e., travels throughout the body via the bloodstream) that uses a combination of drugs to slow tumor growth and destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be used in addition to surgery (called adjuvant therapy) to treat metastatic endometrial cancer and to prevent recurrent disease. Drugs may be administered orally or intravenously (through an IV).

The following drugs are used to treat endometrial cancer:

• Carboplatin (Paraplatin®)
• Cisplatin (Platinol®)
• Doxorubicin (Doxil®)
• Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxin®)
• Paclitaxel (Taxol®, Paxene®)

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Side effects of chemotherapy may be severe and include the following:

• Fatigue
• Fever
• Hair loss (alopecia)
• Infection
• Low blood cell count (e.g., anemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia)
• Nausea

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