Surgery is the usual treatment of early breast cancer. The desired goals of breast conserving treatment is surgical, if possible, and it involves removing the cancer with a minimal amount of surrounding tissue of the most secure (ie wide excision).
There are some patients where this is not possible and the total elimination of the affected breast and underlying muscle, (ie mastectomy), is required. Lymph nodes under the armpit can be completely removed at surgery. (Ie axillary clearance) or, alternatively, the dye may be injected into areas of primary tumors to determine the most informative single gland to remove (sampling sentinel mode). It is important to predict how likely the cancer will recur.
Radiotherapy after surgery may be needed if you feel that there may be cancer cells left in the remaining breast tissue that can cause breast cancer to recur in subsequent date, (ie local recurrence). Chest radiotherapy usually lasts for 5 weeks. Radiotherapy is almost always recommended if the cancer is only wide excision performed.
Chemotherapy aims to prevent a recurrence of cancer in the breast tissue away from. Chemotherapy is usually indicated in younger women and administered for 3 to 6 months. There may be mild nausea or vomiting, hair loss, lethargy or fatigue, and loss of appetite. Most women can continue to work during this period. Selection of drug recommended will depend on the person's general health and other medical problems, cancer stage, and other risk factors.
Some breast cancers have specific protein receptors on cancer cells, such as estrogen and progesterone receptors, and its receptor-2neu. Breast cancer patients who have estrogen or progesterone receptors are more likely to benefit from additional hormonal treatment. For patients with advanced breast cancer where the cancer has-2neu its receptor, antibodies to her 2-neu has been developed for therapeutic use. Studies with antibody-2neu it continues, because of possible damage to the heart can not be considered standard therapy in the setting (prophylae) adj yet.
Sometimes chemotherapy is given before surgery to shrink breast cancer before surgery. This usually happens if the breast cancer especially large.
In older women who have reached menopause, cheomotherapy may not always be necessary; only hormones such as tamoxifen may be required. This is so if the cancer is estrogen or progesterone receptor positive.
Advanced Breast Cancer
Breast cancer can spread to, heart lungs, bones or brain, either at diagnosis or the year after the original breast cancer had been removed. Treatment options include hormone therapy, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy.
