Chemotherapy is given by mouth or by injection into a blood vessel. Either way, the drugs enter the bloodstream and travel throughout the body. Most patients receive treatment in an outpatient part of the hospital or at the doctor's office. Adjuvant chemotherapy usually lasts for 3 to 6 months. In adjuvant hormone therapy, tamoxifen is taken orally.
Tamoxifen enters the bloodstream and travels throughout the body.
Most women take tamoxifen every day for 5 years. Studies have indicated that taking tamoxifen for longer than 5 years is not any more effective than taking it for 5 years. Premenopausal women may receive hormones by injection to suppress ovarian function. Alternatively, surgery can be performed to remove the ovaries. The side effects of chemotherapy depend mainly on the drugs the patient receives.