Breast Cancer Month

Published on Jun 25 2010, in the categories: breast cancer, treatment

If we look at figures related to <a href="http://w-breastcancer.com/" target="_blank">breast cancer</a>, there is always a sadness coming up on us. Over the last few years this form on cancer has spread in so many countries that it is hard to keep track. From Western societies where patients get the best treatment to Asian countries where the disease is still a shameful secret cancer remains the same. It comes with the same physical pain and emotional impact.

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Medical research is still trying to figure out what exactly lays behind these anomalies that the body experience and let to cancer. The only good news about this is that an early diagnosis is highly treatable. In order to get to this early diagnosis women should be informed and know that, for example, breast cancer is not contagious. Basic information should be something every woman has access to no matter what. This is difficult to do in places where there are no good hospitals, or medicines or support center.

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All these need money, every drug must be paid by someone. The question is who can do this?. Who has the financial power to make such an effort? The answer would be: there are a few out there. However, in most cases it is the simple person from the street that helps as little as he/she can. Of course, from those a few raise to the occasion good hearted people, who make the impossible possible in some situations.

People can help people. In order to do this people need to be gathered under the same umbrella. Otherwise their efforts will spread in different directions without being able to stick. Getting hands in a common place it is hard. Many attempt, few succeed. Over the years tow major breast cancer symbols have passed the time

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The <a href="http://breastcancer.about.com/od/whatisbreastcancer/tp/bcam-hub.htm" target="_blank">breast cancer</a><a href="http://breastcancer.about.com/od/whatisbreastcancer/tp/bcam-hub.htm" target="_blank"> awareness</a> logo is the little and delicate pink ribbon. Breast cancer also has an official month. This month is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Breast_Cancer_Awareness_Month" target="_blank">October</a>. The beginning of the day as a national awareness symbol goes back to 1985. The initiative belongs to AstraZeneca, a company that manufactured breast cancer drugs like Arimidex and Tamofixen.

When the whole thing started the idea behind the project was to promote the mammography as one the most effective, if not the most effective weapon in this fight against this form of cancer. Over the years more and more companies joined the campaign. It developed becoming an international movement with millions of supporters all over the world.

Breast cancer month stands as a very important pylon in building a future, larger support structure for both patients and survivors. From a pink White House to a pink world the distance is rather hard to see. But not impossible. Listen to just one survivor story and the impossible appears possible just after few lines.

Types of breast cancer

Published on Jun 19 2010, in the categories: breast cancer, treatment

Breast cancer early diagnosis is very important and gives you significantly increased chances for survival. This can only be possible by doing periodical mammograms and even more frequent self exams. Monitoring the condition of your breasts and reacting immediately to any change in your breast texture or structure by seeking medical attention.

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If early diagnosis is missed and the cancer reaches a more advanced stage before it is diagnosed, it is very important to test the cancer and establish the exact stage and the type of cancer it is. This can be done through a biopsy. The first thing that is determined is whether the cancer ins invasive or non-invasive. If it is noninvasive it means that it hasn't spread to other parts of the body or surrounding tissue for that matter. This is also refered to as stage 0 breast cancer and the most common type diagnosed is ductal carcinoma in situ.

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Invasive cancer consists of breast cancer that has spread to surrounding tissue or, though the blood stream or the lymph system, to other organs in the body. Stages 1 to 4 are considered to be invasive breast cancer though life expectancy prognosis can vary dramatically.

Another way to determine the type of the cancer and implicitly the treatment plan, is by considering the place where the cancer started. A common place where cancer can start from are the milk ducts, particularly the lining of a milk duct. Ductal carcinoma are actually the most common type of breast cancer.

Another type of breast cancer judging from the place where it starts is lobular carcinoma. This starts in the lobules where milk is produced. Breast cancer can also start from the connective tissues. This is not very common but it can happen that cancer develops in this tissue made up of muscles, fat and blood vessels. This is also called sarcoma and it can be further divided into secondary types like phyllodes tumor or angiosarcoma.

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Another way to separate forms of breast cancer is by grading them depending on the degree of difference between cancer cells and normal cells. The extent to which your cancer cells differ in appearance from normal cells is called the cancer's grade. Breast cancer can be graded on a 1 to 3 scale and grade 3 means that the cancer cells are very different and therefore the most aggressive.

Other factors that can be used to differentiate between breast cancers include the type of hormones your cancer is fueled by and the genetic makeup of the cancer's cells. Conclusions from making these distinctions can significantly help with treating and even curing the cancer. They also are very useful in making progress in general by studying the weaknesses of breast cancer and what makes a certain type more responsive to treatment than others.

Beaded lanyards to increase breast cancer awareness

Published on Jun 19 2010, in the categories: breast cancer, treatment

Breast cancer awareness beaded lanyards are probably the most popular product related to cancer awareness on the market. One explanation for this would be that it is so delicate and graceful but it makes such a powerful statement. It not only symbolizes a woman's feminity but also her power and strength necessary to fight breast cancer. It is also very easy for women to relate to this message and that is probably why so many women find it so appealing. It makes for a great thing but also something you would buy for yourself. You also don't necessarily have to be a breast cancer patient to wear it. You can do so just to show your support to a loved one or to let her know you are there for her but it can also be for the simple reason that you have come to realize the gravity of breast cancer and have decided to be an advocate for increased awareness.

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These beaded lanyards can come in a great variety of designs and many times you can find them as made by victims who have survived the cancer and are now active in trying to prevent other women from developing it or from dismissing symptoms as nothing relevant.

With pink foil hearts, silver beads or ceramic beads and even swarovski pearls, breast cancer awareness beaded lanyards are authentic works of art and can touch you through their significance as well as their beauty. If at least a minority of those wearing such lanyards remember about their annual mammogram it was all worthwhile. This product can clearly save life if you think about how important early diagnosis is and, moreover, prevention.

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The price, though probably your last concern can vary greatly depending on the beads, the amount of silver or gold in them and even of the brand. Often enough though, at least as far as the most expensive are concerned, the money raised from people buying them usually goes to breast cancer research or breast cancer treatment and testing for underserved and low income patients.

By simply buying this present for yourself or to give it as a gift you are contributing to the fight against cancer and you are coming together with many other people around the world who have decided to also show their support for the many women struggling with lung cancer, realizing that we are all vulnerable to this type of cancer. These lanyards have the power to increase awareness but also solidarity among women.

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This can empower women and help them become more responsible about their lifestyles. Breast cancer can have a great impact on the whole family and even on entire communities and it wouldn't be far fetched to expect to see everybody wearing such a beaded lanyard once in a while.

Chemotherapy Survival Rates For Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Published on Jun 08 2010, in the categories: treatment, Useful Info

Breast cancer is type of cancer that originates in the tissue from milk ducts in the breast or in the lobules that supply milk for the ducts. Therefore, there are two types of breast cancer: ductal carcinoma and lobular carcinomas. Next, the stage is what characterizes the cancer and plays an important role in establishing a treatment plan. Survival rates depend a great deal on the stage, aggressiveness and genetical predisposition of the cancer. A medical examination and computerized models can help you evaluate your condition, establish the best treatment option and predict survival. Even so, with an optimal treatment 10-year survival rates can still vary from 10% to 98%, treatment being undermined by the stage. Depending on the stage, treatments undergone are surgery, hormonal therapy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
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Breast cancer is a worldwide spread cancer accounting for 10,4% of all cancers encountered among women and being the fifth deadliest cancer. It is also second in incidence, following lung cancer. This makes it one of the main dangers women are confronted with at present and raises a dire need for awareness especially as far as prevention is concerned but also about treatment. Self examinations are very helpful and can detect the cancer early on. However, there's a popular myth that makes women search for lumps as main signs for breast cancers.

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Being aware of new treatment and about accurately detecting it or even preventing it is important especially in atypical forms of cancer as inflammatory breast cancer. This is an aggressive type of breast cancer and it is different from most types of breast cancer because it doesn't include lumps in the tissue as a symptom. Instead, the breast in inflamed and can be felt as a thicker area on the breast. This cancer is a form of ductal carcinoma in which the cancerous cells block the lymph vessels.

This type of breast cancer is very rare and actually only represents 1 to 5% of all breast cancers in USA. Even though it is usually associated with a poor prognosis recent studies have favored chemotherapy followed by surgery as the best treatment rather than surgery followed by chemo, as traditionally preferred. These studies have associated great benefits with chemotherapy and neoadjuvant therapy. First of all, chemotherapy allows for a less radical surgery, a breast-sparing surgery. Researches have indicated a 76% 5-years survival rate at least in patients who received neoadjuvant therapy for a period of 70 months

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However, in the study many patients were not suffering from inflammatory breast cancers and often enough, in various studies, these patients are not considered as valid candidates for breast-conserving therapy. For other advanced forms of advanced breast cancer the survival rate goes as high as 45%.

Carly Simon Overcoming Breast Cancer

Published on Jun 01 2010, in the categories: breast cancer, treatment

Sometimes people learn best from the mistakes of celebrities. We can go on for a long time without appreciating the gravity of some illnesses and risks and then when the media starts covering a celebrity suffering from the disease we begin to realize the threat is real and suddenly we become more sensitive and sympathetic.

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Carly Simon is a good example and when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 52 many of her fans are sure to have reflected on their own health and condition. Who knows? Maybe some of them even got tested for breast cancer.

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For those who don't know her, Carly Simon is an American singer and song writer as well as a children's author. Her most well-know song is "You're so vain" and her fans are from all over the world. Her talent is undisputed and she has won a lot of awards. She first became famous in the 1970s and her awards include two Grammy Awards, an Academy award and a Golden Globe.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997 and underwent chemotherapy and a mastectomy. She survived and then went on to inspire and encourage others by writing music and lyrics about her experience. Most of them can be found on her album Bedroom Tapes. Many patients have admitted to listening to her songs during their own experience with cancer.

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The cancer cost her a breast but the most important thing is that she has survived to become an example of overcoming the disease and of empowerment of women. She's got a comment wall on her MySpace page and many patients throughout USA can share experiences and favorite songs and it's just simply a great support for many of them. She has also contributed a lot to people who even if they had survived, couldn't help but despair at the loss of their breast. Many people think and I am sure cancer survivors agree that the most important thing is to save your life, no matter what sacrifice you have to make. But in reality it's very hard to give up a breast. Many women struggle with post cancer depression and people congratulating then for their accomplishment just makes them feel more alone.

Carly Simon admits to having gone through serious phases of depression and wrote music to deal with it. The song "I forget" is a song she wrote in those periods and she claims she used that song to torture herself into a closer examination. She was afraid at first of getting people down but then she realized denial is even worse and deepens a person's sorrow and loneliness.

Just by reading her story women immediately increase their self-confidence and realize good things can come out of difficulties and problems.

Advanced Breast Cancer Stages

Published on May 24 2010, in the categories: breast cancer, treatment

The cancer stages I to IV to understand what is tumor size (from Q1 to Q4) and whether or not lymph nodes, mobile or fixed. According to UICC International Classification of tumors in breast cancer can be distinguished:

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Depending on these stages will determine which treatment should follow.
Advanced breast cancer stage III begins with 3-4 series of chemotherapy sessions, according to oncology. If the answer is positive, is an adjunct after surgery (1 year), surgery followed by radiotherapy. Also, if the cancer is HER2-positive are given Herceptin,

Metastasis in areas near the breast, for example in the armpit (under arm) is called regional metastasis. Metastasis in other areas of the body such as bones, liver or lung, is called metastasis from a distance. Metastatic cancer at diagnosis may be present initially or may appear months or years later, following treatment for stage It is unusual to have a comma following a subject pronoun. Consider removing the comma or changing the pronoun, e.g.I, stage II or stage III. Metastatic cancer is down to 5% of 245 comments

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Breast Cancer Signs Stages

Published on May 22 2010, in the categories: breast cancer, treatment

Breast cancer signs are usually detected in early stages of disease. Early-stage breast cancer is often detected by mammography before any symptoms have appeared. The most common symptom is painless breast nodule. However, mammary glands of breast cancer can also be painful.
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Breast cancer general symptoms include:
- A lump in the breast or armpit appeared recently
- Changing breast size or shape
- Changes in the breast skin, such as a wrinkle or stain
- Nipple discharge or bleeding to occur in this collection
- Nipple changes such as retraction or inversion
- Nipple crusting
- Changes in skin color or texture of the breast or darker around the nipple

90% of women, which have breast cancer signs first of all, they noticed as a node (appearance of tumor tissue that emerges from the normal plane breast). Nine out of ten breast growths are benign, many among these are cysts.
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However, there are other signs that require attention: changes in size, shape or appearance of breasts (increasing of breast cancer compared with other, wrinkled of the skin), and a not easy way to movement compared with other breast, it is possible to develop a hypersensitivity to this
level; enlarging lymph nodes on the periphery of the breast or armpit, as well the appearance of nodules in these levels, which persist after menstruation; pain associated with nodules that persist and interfere style living or sleeping patient; unilateral pain that persists in the breast in women postmenopausal; abscess or inflammation of the breast (translated by redness and pain) as resistant to a first set of antibiotics;

Breast cancer is not painful, so do not expected appearance a pain to consult a doctor. In fact, many women find that their healthy breasts are full of lumps before a cycle and that some types of benign breast growths are painful.

After diagnosis of cancer, will determine prevalence of the disease. This step is very important because the proposed treatment and recommendations for recovery depend on cancer stage. Staging takes place after certain rules and uses three concepts key, which serve as decisive criteria:
• T represents the tumor.
• N represents the lymph nodes.
• M stands metastasis.

TNM descriptions can groupe breast cancer signs into a simpler set of stages, graded from I to IV.
▪ Stage I - small breast tumor size up to 2 cm without affecting the lymph nodes or spread in the body
▪ stage II - mammary tumor is slightly larger, usually not than 5 cm, with or without affecting the lymph nodes, without widespread evident in the body
▪ stage III - tumors can be any size, but lymph nodes are bulky or fixed between them and / or structures adjacent, there is no spread of disease in body
▪ stage IV - is suffering once the disease spread primarily the body, the so-called metastasis - bone, lung, liver, regardless of how the disease manifests itself locally, the breast or lymph.
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Due to ignorance, fear of diagnosis or lack of education health in our country, over 60% of patients diagnosed with breast cancer are in advanced stages, III and IV, their chances survival is low and high treatment cost. In view of this staging, but other factors such as: age, general health, diseases associated installation menopause, deciding a particular type of treatment. Using a appropriate treatment program is unlikely passage cancer from one state to another.

Breast Cancer Stage 4 Prognosis

Published on May 22 2010, in the categories: breast cancer, treatment

Breast cancer is a very rare disease before the age of 25 years. His growing frequency after 30 years. Three quarters of breast cancer cases occur after 50 years. It can be found in an early stage, intermediate or advanced, and can evolve slowly or moderately fast. There are many types of cancer breast cancer, each requiring a treatment adapted and updated by medical staff according to patient needs.
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Like others types of cancer, breast cancer has many stages.
▪ Stage I - small breast tumor size up to 2 cm without affecting the lymph nodes or spread in the body
▪ Stage II - mammary tumor is slightly higher, usually not than 5 cm, with or without affecting the lymph nodes, without widespread evident in the body
▪ stage III - tumors can be any size, but lymph nodes are bulky or fixed between them and / or structures adjacent, there is no spread of disease in body
▪ stage IV - the pain is due of the disease spread in the entire body, the so-called metastasis - bone, lung, liver, regardless of how the disease manifests itself locally, the breast or lymph.
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Stage 4 of breast cancer prognostics are not so good because at this level, the disease is very advanced. The treatment of stage IV and metastatic breast cancer may include the following:
- Hormone therapy and / or chemotherapy with or without trastuzumabum (Herceptin)
- Radiotherapy and / or surgery to relieve pain and other symptoms
- Inclusion in clinical trials investigating new chemotherapy and / or hormone therapy. Also, clinical trials are investigating new mixtures between trastuzumabum (Herceptin) and other anticancer drugs
- In clinical trials are investigating new therapies associated with high dose chemotherapy stem cell transplantation.

Also, stage 4 of breast cancer prognostics are made it after many reserches in breast cancer medicine, where many women died after a long treatment, only because they made the medical investigations too late.

If is treated early, breast cancer can have good prognosis. However, approximately 50% of patients make a relapse in the first 10 years after treatment. For detection of recurrence is required supervision by:
- Consulting the doctor frequently (every 6 months for 4 years, then annually);
- Monthly breast self-examination with rapid presentation to the doctor if a change is detected;
- Systematic examination or only recommended if the person has some symptoms, to detect signs of metastasis or recurrence of cancer in other organ (heart ultrasound, bone scintigraphy, chest radiography, liver ultrasound, CT brain, determination of tumor markers).
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- A very healthy and natural diet
Due to ignorance, fear of diagnosis and lack of education health in our country, over 60% of patients diagnosed with breast cancer are in advanced stages, III and IV, their chances survival is low and high treatment cost. In view of this staging, but other factors such as: age, general health, diseases associated installation menopause, deciding a particular type of treatment. Using a appropriate treatment program is unlikely passage cancer from one stage to another.

Journal Articles On Breast Cancer

Published on May 07 2010, in the categories: breast cancer, treatment

The Reuters New York journal edition published on May 5 this year, dwells on the breast cancer provoked by night shifts issue, which seems to affect more and more women around the world. In another journal, BBC in this case, we find the same issue commented by Kenneth Macdonald on March 15 2009.

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According to these two articles, we find out that only Denmark has thought to compensate shift women workers, exposed to the risk of being affected by breast cancer. Reuters announces that last week, the Health and safety Executive in UK estimated that around 2,200 British women are affected by night shifts and consequently develop breast cancer, from which 550 do not survive.
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Another country, China, does not agree with UK about the above discussed issue, claiming that there is no connection between night shifts and breast cancer, probably as an excuse from being constrained to offer the same compensation as Denmark at some point, for shift working women. Wong-Ho Chow, researcher, affirmed that they found “no association, even among women who had more than 25 years of shift work”. The study was initiated by researchers from US and Chinese universities, and there were more than 70,000 women from Shanghai asked about their working conditions and whether or not they had cancer.
However, many other studies prove the fact that night shifts affect the melatonin and estrogen balance, consequently causing disturbances, and the worst result could be breast cancer.
On the other hand, China is the first eastern country participating in this research, and as Dr Kurt Straif said to Reuters Heath, that raises the importance of their contribution.
The World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer confirmed that there is a strong connection between breast cancer and night shifts, in the year 2007. Their study was tested on animals, as well as on nurses and flight attendants that are known to work in night shifts regularly. The research concluded that this working style affects women, and was marked in the 2A group of cancer risk, as the second highest threat. The 2A group also includes fumes and the diesel engine, as two other possible threats that conduct to breast cancer diseases. In six out of eight studies, the risk was raised to at least 50 percent.
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As a response to these researches, the Denmark state provided breast cancer risk grants, to those women who work in the above mentioned conditions, starting from the year 2009. Reuters also exposes the opinions of Johnni Hansen, from the Danish Cancer Society, who affirmed that they have “a pretty expansive attitude toward recognizing occupational hazards”. He also talked about the amount of compensation, which can range from $10,000 to $12,000 for each case.
The study also concludes that some changes in the shift work, for example the rotation or consequent alternation form day to night shifts, would make a difference for women exposed at breast cancer risk.
As a conclusion, the study was developed evaluating people who were healthy before they were hired in these night shifts working places.

Taxotere For Breast Cancer

Published on Mar 30 2010, in the categories: breast cancer, Related topics, treatment

How can be it be administrated? Taxotere is used in specialized centers of chemotherapy (witch are using drugs to treat cancer), under the medical supervision which is qualified in the administration of chemotherapy; Taxotere is administrated in the infusion for one hour every three weeks. The dose, the treatment duration and the drugs, they all depend on the type of cancer which is being treated.

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Taxotere is used only when the number of neutrophils (a type of white cells of the blood) is at least 1.500 cells/mm3.

Dexamethasone (an anti –inflammatory drug) should be administered to the patient with a day before the treatment in case of prostate cancer and a day or two days after treatment in case of others types of cancer.

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Taxotere – mechanism of action. The active substance of Taxotere, docetaxel, belongs to a group of medicines used to cancer, known as taxanes. Docetaxel blocks the ability of cells to destroy the intern “skeleton” that allows their division and multiplication. If the skeleton is not destroyed, the cells can not divide and they eventually will die. Docetaxel affects also the non cancerous cells, such as blood cells, which can lead to side effects.

Taxotere was studied on a total of about 3000 patients with breast cancer, 1900 patients with cell lung cancer, on about 1000 patients with prostate cancer, 445 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and 897 patents with cancer located in the head area and neck. In most of these studies, Taxotere was used in combination with other treatments against cancer and then it was compared with different treatments or different combinations of the same treatment but without Taxotere. The main measures of efficacy were the number of patients who responded to treatment, the survival time of the patients without the disease worsening and the survival duration in general.

In all five types of cancer, the addition of Taxotere to other cancer treatments increased the number of patients who responded to treatment, the survival time of the patients without the disease to go worse, and the survival duration in general. Used to treat breast cancer, Taxotere was at least effective and sometimes even more effective than other drugs with which it was compared.

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What are the risks associated with Taxotere ?

The most common side effects associated with Taxotere (seen in more than 1 patient out of 10) are:
-neutrophilia (low number of neutrophils) and fever neutrophilia
- anemia (low number of red blood cells)
- thrombocytopenia (low number of platelets)
- peripheral sensory neuropathy (the damage of the nerves in hands and feet)
- peripheral motor neuropathy (nerves damage causing difficulty in coordinating movements)
- dysgeusia (altered taste)
- dyspnea (breathing difficulty)
- stomatitis (inflammation of mucous membrane of the mouth)
- diarrhea
- nausea (feeling sick)
- vomiting
- alopecia (hair loss)
- skin reactions, nail impairment
- myalgia (muscle pain)
- lack of appetite
- infections
- fluid retention
- asthenia (weakness)
- pain
- hypersensitivity (allergic reactions).

These side effects may be more severe when Taxotere is used in combination with others medicines to treat cancer. For a full list of all side effects associated with Taxotere, see the prospectus.