Breast Cancer: Breast Cancer Treatment

There are two major goals of breast cancer treatment:

1) To rid the body of the cancer as completely as possible.
2) To prevent cancer from returning.

How Is Treatment Determined?

The type of treatment recommended to you by your cancer specialist will depend on the size and location of the tumor in the breast, the results of lab tests done on the cancer cells and the stage or extent of the disease. Your doctor usually considers your age and general health as well as your feelings about the treatment options.

Be sure to discuss your treatment options with your cancer specialist.
What Are the Types of Breast Cancer Treatment?

Breast cancer treatments are local or systemic.

Local treatments are used to remove, destroy or control the cancer cells in a specific area, such as the breast. They include:

* Surgery, either mastectomy or lumpectomy also called breast conserving therapy or partial mastectomy) with or without lymph node removal.
* Radiation therapy

Systemic treatments are used to destroy or control cancer cells all over the body. They include:

* Chemotherapy which uses drugs to to kill cancer cells. Side effects can include nausea, hair loss, early menopause, hot flashes, fatigue and temporarily lowered blood counts.
* Hormone therapy , including tamoxifen, and the aromatase inhibitors Arimidex, Aromasin and Femara. Hormone therapy uses drugs to prevent hormones, especially estrogen, from promoting the growth of breast cancer cells that may remain after breast cancer surgery. Side effects can include hot flashes and vaginal dryness.
* Biological Therapy such as Herceptin, works by using the body's immune system to destroy cancer cells. Herceptin targets breast cancer cells that have high levels of a protein called HER2.

Systemic therapy can be given after local treatment (adjuvant therapy) or before (neoadjuvant therapy). Adjuvant therapy is used after local treatments to kill any cancer cells that remain in the body and may be in other parts of the body.

A patient may have just one form of treatment or a combination, depending on her needs.
Tips to Remember about Choosing Breast Cancer Treatment

Although there are some typical treatment regimens used to treat breast cancer, women do have choices.

* Be sure to discuss with your doctor all the risks and benefits of each option and how they relate to your own lifestyle.
* Consider joining a support group to help you address the emotional issues surrounding your diagnosis and in choosing therapy.
* Ask your doctor about participating in a clinical trial.