Depending on the type of breast cancer and test results there are a number of treatment options. Below is an outline of the most common treatments. The information below will go some way to informing you about breast cancer treatments, however, for more comprehensive information you should consult your doctor or specialist.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the general term for treatment with medications that kill cancer cells or make them less active. It works by stopping the growth or multiplication of cancer cells, thus killing them. The purpose of chemotherapy is to reduce the size of the tumour (if given before surgery) and get rid of cancer cells that have spread to other parts of the body.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy employs high-energy radiation from x-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, and other sources that are focused on the breast where the cancer has been removed. This focused radiation, over time, damages the cells that are in the radiation path. Although it destroys both cancerous and healthy cells, the normal healthy cells in your body are able to repair themselves, whereas the cancerous cells are more easily destroyed.
Surgery
The goal of surgery is precise and targeted and aims to preserve as much of the breast as possible. There are two main options of surgery; mastectomy and breast-conserving surgery. Both of these procedures may also be accompanied by axillary surgery.
Mastectomy
Mastectomy is where either a part or the whole of the breast is surgically removed in order to remove a cancer. There are now numerous levels of mastectomy, many of which involve minimal scarring.
Breast-conserving surgery
This is where a cancer is surgically removed whilst conserving the majority of the breast tissue. There are 3 main ways this is done. They are lumpectomy, quadrantectomy, and segmental mastectomy.
Axillary surgery
Called axillary lymph node dissection, this is the standard procedure for removing lymph nodes from the armpit. The removed tissue contains about ten lymph nodes which are carefully studied by a pathologist. For women with invasive breast cancer, this surgery is usually done with a mastectomy.
Hormonal therapies
Hormonal therapies include anti-oestrogen therapy, ovarian treatments and aromatase inhibitors.
Anti-oestrogen therapy
This is a drug therapy which is recommended when cancer cells have an over supply of oestrogen receptors present. It works by blocking the oestrogen receptors thereby preventing the oestrogen from stimulating the cells to grow and spread.
Ovarian treatments
If you are pre-menopausal and have hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, stopping the ovaries’ from producing oestrogen can be an effective way to stop cancer cells from growing. The ovaries can be “shut down” temporarily by medication or permanently by surgery.
Aromatase inhibitors
Aromatase inhibitors are used to reduce oestrogen levels in post menopausal women who have hormone-receptor-positive-breast cancer. The cancer can be slowed or even stopped, because the reduction in oestrogen means the hormone receptors on the cells receive fewer growth signals.
Monoclonal antibody therapy
These are specific, man-made fighter proteins. Each one is designed to target one type of receptor. They can be used in many ways, because they can locate and connect to cancer cells wherever they are in the body and provoke the immune system to destroy cancer cells. They are used to find and treat cancer and can also take toxins, radioactive material and drugs straight to a cancer.
Different treatments can be more appropriate for specific types of breast cancer depending on the risk of progression and the patients ability to tolerate the side effects of the treatment.
Remember this information is introductory and you are urged to seek more detailed information from your doctor or specialist.
