Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer
There are multiple chemotherapy drugs which have been proven to be effective for the treatment of breast cancer. Some of these drugs are used in the adjuvant setting, some in the metastatic setting (once cancer has spread outside of the breast) and some in both.
Whilst there are lots of different "flavours" of chemotherapy out there, not all drugs work to treat every cancer type. For example, there are some drugs like adriamycin and cyclophosphamide which have been proven to be very effective against breast cancer, but not necessarily effective treatment for someone with say, bowel cancer.
Listed below are some of treatment regimens I commonly use for breast cancer. Clicking on the link will take you to the information sheets which I give to my patients - this information has been written by the NSW Cancer Institute and is regularly updated. It can also be found on the eviQ website.
Abraxane
Adriamycin & Cyclophosphamide (AC)
Dose Dense Adriamycin & Cyclophsphamide (DDAC)
Eribulin
Fluorouracil, Epirubicin & Cyclophosphamide (FEC)
Gemcitabine & Taxol (GT)
Gemcitabine & Abraxane
Gemcitabine & Carboplatin
Kadcyla
Oral Cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and fluorouracil (PO CMF)
Taxotere
Taxol & Herceptin
Taxotere, Adriamycin & Cyclophosphamide (TAC)
Taxotere & Cyclophosphamide (TC)
Taxotere, Carboplatin & Herceptin (TCH)
Taxotere, Herceptin & Perjeta (THP)
Tykerb / Xeloda
Weekly Taxol
Xeloda (Capecitabine)
How much does chemotherapy cost?
The majority of chemotherapy regimens I prescribe are on the PBS - this means that the cost is subsidised by the government and therefore the cost to you is minimal. If I am thinking of prescribing a treatment which is not on the PBS, I will discuss the associated costs with you before we decide the final treatment plan.
There are some costs associated with the take home medications (mainly anti nausea medications) and also the compounding of the chemotherapy. These costs are low, usually not more than $30-40, and not every visit.
Where can I have chemotherapy?
With regards to the hospital, if you are in a health fund which covers day procedures, then you are covered to have treatment within a private facility. My patients can have chemotherapy at either Macquarie University Hospital or Norwest Private Hospital. It doesn't matter to us where you have your chemotherapy. Decisions regarding which hospital to have treatment in mainly revolve around accessibility, car parking and the availability of scalp-cooling.
On the day of chemotherapy you are admitted and discharged from the hospital, as you would if you were having a day only procedure. You may need to pay an excess for this (usually a one-off) and if you call your health fund they can tell you if this is the case.
I also sometimes treat patients who do not have private health insurance and they can choose to have chemotherapy at either Westmead Hospital or Blacktown Hospital. Because I am not able to treat patients at Westmead or Blacktown, we usually need a colleague of mine, Dr Matt Carlino or Dr Phuong Dinh, to supervise your care. Often you will continue to see me at Macquarie or HSS, however if you need to be admitted to hospital for any reason, Dr Carlino or Dr Dinh will look after you, in consultation with me.
What if I need to be admitted to hospital?
Regardless of where you have chemotherapy, if you have private health insurance and you need to be admitted to hospital for any reason, we prefer you to be in Macquarie University Hospital. This is because Jenny is there 5 days a week, and I am there 4 days a week, and we like to look after you ourselves. We are not able to look after you if you are admitted to Norwest or Westmead Private. There is no emergency department at Macquarie, so if you are unwell please call Jenny on 9812 3519 between 8:30 - 4:30pm Monday to Friday or the after hours number 9812 3001 outside of these hours. Do not just turn up to the hospital.
If you do not have health insurance, the best hospitals to attend are Westmead or Blacktown. I work closely with oncologists at both hospitals and you will receive excellent care. If you are unwell in business hours, it is always best to call Jenny. Outside of these hours if you are unwell then proceed to the emergency department at Westmead or Blacktown Hospital.
Whilst there are lots of different "flavours" of chemotherapy out there, not all drugs work to treat every cancer type. For example, there are some drugs like adriamycin and cyclophosphamide which have been proven to be very effective against breast cancer, but not necessarily effective treatment for someone with say, bowel cancer.
Listed below are some of treatment regimens I commonly use for breast cancer. Clicking on the link will take you to the information sheets which I give to my patients - this information has been written by the NSW Cancer Institute and is regularly updated. It can also be found on the eviQ website.
Abraxane
Adriamycin & Cyclophosphamide (AC)
Dose Dense Adriamycin & Cyclophsphamide (DDAC)
Eribulin
Fluorouracil, Epirubicin & Cyclophosphamide (FEC)
Gemcitabine & Taxol (GT)
Gemcitabine & Abraxane
Gemcitabine & Carboplatin
Kadcyla
Oral Cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and fluorouracil (PO CMF)
Taxotere
Taxol & Herceptin
Taxotere, Adriamycin & Cyclophosphamide (TAC)
Taxotere & Cyclophosphamide (TC)
Taxotere, Carboplatin & Herceptin (TCH)
Taxotere, Herceptin & Perjeta (THP)
Tykerb / Xeloda
Weekly Taxol
Xeloda (Capecitabine)
How much does chemotherapy cost?
The majority of chemotherapy regimens I prescribe are on the PBS - this means that the cost is subsidised by the government and therefore the cost to you is minimal. If I am thinking of prescribing a treatment which is not on the PBS, I will discuss the associated costs with you before we decide the final treatment plan.
There are some costs associated with the take home medications (mainly anti nausea medications) and also the compounding of the chemotherapy. These costs are low, usually not more than $30-40, and not every visit.
Where can I have chemotherapy?
With regards to the hospital, if you are in a health fund which covers day procedures, then you are covered to have treatment within a private facility. My patients can have chemotherapy at either Macquarie University Hospital or Norwest Private Hospital. It doesn't matter to us where you have your chemotherapy. Decisions regarding which hospital to have treatment in mainly revolve around accessibility, car parking and the availability of scalp-cooling.
On the day of chemotherapy you are admitted and discharged from the hospital, as you would if you were having a day only procedure. You may need to pay an excess for this (usually a one-off) and if you call your health fund they can tell you if this is the case.
I also sometimes treat patients who do not have private health insurance and they can choose to have chemotherapy at either Westmead Hospital or Blacktown Hospital. Because I am not able to treat patients at Westmead or Blacktown, we usually need a colleague of mine, Dr Matt Carlino or Dr Phuong Dinh, to supervise your care. Often you will continue to see me at Macquarie or HSS, however if you need to be admitted to hospital for any reason, Dr Carlino or Dr Dinh will look after you, in consultation with me.
What if I need to be admitted to hospital?
Regardless of where you have chemotherapy, if you have private health insurance and you need to be admitted to hospital for any reason, we prefer you to be in Macquarie University Hospital. This is because Jenny is there 5 days a week, and I am there 4 days a week, and we like to look after you ourselves. We are not able to look after you if you are admitted to Norwest or Westmead Private. There is no emergency department at Macquarie, so if you are unwell please call Jenny on 9812 3519 between 8:30 - 4:30pm Monday to Friday or the after hours number 9812 3001 outside of these hours. Do not just turn up to the hospital.
If you do not have health insurance, the best hospitals to attend are Westmead or Blacktown. I work closely with oncologists at both hospitals and you will receive excellent care. If you are unwell in business hours, it is always best to call Jenny. Outside of these hours if you are unwell then proceed to the emergency department at Westmead or Blacktown Hospital.