Review Article
Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture for Breast Cancer Palliative Care and Adjuvant Therapy
Table 1
Summary of major mechanisms of action and common side effects of chemotherapeutic drugs approved for breast cancers.
| Chemotherapeutic agent | Mechanism of action | Side effect | References |
| Cyclophosphamide | Apoptotic cell death | Pulmonary toxicities, weight gain | [50, 52] | Cisplatin | DNA damage, apoptosis | Nephrotoxicity | [54] | Doxorubicin | DNA damage | Impaired cognitive function, anemia | [55, 56] | Docetaxel | Mitotic inhibition | Pulmonary toxicities, colitis, diarrhea | [57] | Epirubicin | DNA damage | Nausea, cardiotoxicity | [58ā60] | Fluorouracil | Thymidylate synthetase inhibition; DNA synthesis inhibition | Cardiotoxicity, anemia, GI tract toxicity | [61] | Gemcitabine | Nucleic acid synthesis inhibition | GI tract toxicity | [62] | Methotrexate | Cell cycle arrest | Anemia, weight gain, jaundice, diarrhea, loss of bone density | [50] | Mitomycin | DNA alkylating agent | Myelotoxicity, fatigue, systemic toxicity | [63] | Mitoxantrone | Topoisomerase inhibition | Alopecia, systemic toxicity | [63] |
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