Cancer Studies > Breast Cancer > Breast Cancer Treatment Options
There has been an explosion of life-saving treatment advances against breast cancer, leading to new hope and excitement. Instead of just one or two options, today there is an overwhelming menu of treatment choices that the complex mixes of cells in each fight cancer. Decisions – surgery, radiation might, hormonal anti-estrogen therapy, and / or chemotherapy – can feel overwhelming.
After your breast cancer is diagnosed and staged, your healthcare team will recommend treatment. Your treatment plan will be based on the type of cancer you have, the size, quality, and biological characteristics of the tumor, hormonal status, and your overall health.
There are five standard treatment options: surgery and radiation typically used for local control of cancer in the breast and lymph nodes and the chemo, hormonal and biological therapies usually reserved for the control of potential disease in the rest of the body.
Surgery
The goals of breast cancer surgery are to remove the cancerous tissue, and to analyze the type, quality, size, hormonal status and possible metastases. Prevention of breast cancer recurrence is top priority of your surgeon. You have some choices about what kind of surgery, depending on the tumor size and location. If you have a mastectomy, reconstruction may also be an option.
Diagnostic surgery is done to determine whether cancer is actually present, and if it has spread. Procedures include breast biopsy, lymph node removal sentinel node biopsy or axillary node dissection
Standard therapeutic operations, which are used to remove cancer, are: lumpectomy, quadrantectomy, mastectomy partial, modified radical
Radiation
DNA is the coding that serves as the programming for all processes in the body and features. Cancer cells grow in a disorganized and uncontrolled manner due to disturbances in the DNA. Radiation therapy works by causing serious damage to the abnormal DNA, disruption of growth signals and prevent cell division. Healthy cells that surround the cancer can survive the radiation, with a number of side effects. Radiation technology has improved, more focused and effective.
There are two types of radiotherapy: external beam, brachytherapy internal beam
Chemotherapy
Cancer is uncontrolled cell growth, and chemotherapy targets rapidly diving cells in your body. Chemotherapy is considered systemic therapy, because, as systemic metastatic cancer, it goes everywhere in your body’s systems. Chemotherapy is used to kill cancer cells and prevent recurrence. Chemo can be used in all stages of breast cancer. Although commonly used in phase two, three, or four, the first phase, many patients who can benefit from this therapy can be identified.
Schedules and forms of chemotherapy: Adjuvant or neoadjuvant, Stem cell and bone marrow transplantation
Most medications are: Adriamycin, Cytoxan, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil, Cytoxan, Taxol
Life during chemo may include:
- Side effects nausea, vomiting, fatigue, hair loss, etc.
- white and red blood cell booster shots
- frequent blood tests complete blood count
- Blood transfusions
- tumor marker tests
Targeted Biological Therapies
These therapies are designed to disruption of the processes that contribute to the further growth of cancer cells. Such treatments include Tykerb, Herceptin, Avastin and Iressa
Hormonal Therapy
Breast cancers are often dependent on estrogen for their growth. Anti-estrogen hormone therapy starves tumor cells of the estrogen they need to grow, allowing the cancer cell death. This type of treatment can be provided for the operation, or simultaneously with radiation. You may need to take hormone therapy for five years after you have finished primary treatment to prevent recurrence.
Hormone therapy may include:
- Estrogen receptor blockers Tamoxifen, Raloxifene
- Aromatase inhibitors AROMASIN, Arimidex, Femara
- oopherectomy surgical removal of the ovaries
- Chemical ovarian suppression Faslodex
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- Advanced Breast Cancer
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- Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer
- Breast Cancer Chemo
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