Adjuvant chemotherapy can be a confusing topic for patients because it is chemotherapy given in addition to therapy they're already receiving. In that sense it can come to seem unnecessary, but the overall goal of adjuvant chemotherapy—which is the goal of adjuvant therapy in general—is to reduce the chances that a patient's cancer will come back.
What it's effective for and why
Adjuvant chemotherapy is most often used as a systemic treatment following surgery when a person's cancer has metastasized away from the primary site. The idea is to kill cancer cells throughout the body that may have escaped the surgeon but pose a threat to cause a recurrence in the future. Adjuvant chemotherapy has a well-defined role in the treatment of early-stage breast cancer.
Other times adjuvant chemotherapy is given prior to another treatment, such as surgery. When this is done, the idea is to reduce the size of the tumor so that surgeons can more easily manage it.
Side effects: Overview
The side effects of adjuvant chemotherapy are no different than the side effects seen in normal chemotherapy because the chosen chemotherapeutic agents are the same: hair loss, fatigue, loss of appetite, and widespread problems with one's digestive system are generalized side effects of chemotherapy, along with long-term concerns about developing secondary cancers or organ toxicity. A patient receiving adjuvant chemotherapy may be at greater risk of experiencing certain side effects because they have also so recently undergone a prior treatment, such as a surgical procedure.
Sources
- Ko, Andrew H MD et al. 2008. Everyone's Guide to Cancer Therapy, Fifth Ed. Kansas City. Andres McMeel Publishing LLC.
- OncoLink: Chemotherapy Primer
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