High-dose chemo with bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplant for breast cancer

At one time, it was thought that very high doses of chemo followed by a stem cell transplant might offer some women the best chance for a cure — especially those women with a high risk of the cancer coming back or with advanced cancer. But doctors have found that the women who had high-dose therapy did not live any longer than women who had standard dose chemo. And high-dose chemo with stem cell support can cause serious side effects. For now, experts in the field suggest that women get this treatment only as part of a clinical trial.