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	[58–60]
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]