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Breast Cancer
Treatment
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Today, various treatment options are available for patients diagnosed with breast cancer. Make sure you discuss the array of different procedures and tests before deciding which one will be best for you.
Surgery is used when the doctor’s aim is to remove as much, if not all, of the tumor and some of the normal tissue around it. This way, the doctor is able to preserve as much of the breast’s normal tissue as possible without damaging a large
amount of the area. Please understand, though, that surgery cannot help remove cancer that has spread to lymph nodes or the bloodstream (for this, doctors opt for chemotherapy or hormonal therapy). There are different types of surgeries:
Lumpectomy: here, the lump and a surrounding area of normal tissue are removed. Lumpectomies are usually followed by radiation therapy to ensure the cancer has been eradicated.
Partial/Segmental Masectomy: here, the tumor and up to 25 percent of the breast is removed. Lymph nodes in the armpit are generally taken out, as well.
Simple/Total Masectomy: here, the entire breast is removed. Is some cases, radiation therapy will follow, but most of the time this is all the treatment that is required.
Modified Radical Masectomy: here, all of the breast, the lymph nodes in armpit, and the lining over the chest muscles are removed. Future breast reconstruction is taken into consideration before undergoing this surgery.
Radical Masectomy: here, all of the breast, lymph nodes, chest wall lining, and chest wall muscles under the breast are removed. This is rarely an option used today.
Radiation therapy is another breast cancer treatment. The purpose of this treatment is to target cancer cells while doing as little damage as possible to the surrounding cells. Radiation therapy is generally used alongside lumpectomies. Skin may become thicker or tougher after radiation, and that is normal side effect.
In chemotherapy, anticancer drugs are injected – usually into the mouth – and absorbed by your bloodstream. It is administered in cycles to allow for some downtime and recovery between treatments. Treatment ranges between four and nine months, most often around six months. Side effects of chemotherapy include nausea and vomiting, hair loss, appetite loss, sores in mouth, changes in menstruation/menstrual cycle, and fatigue. Doctors sometimes prescribe drugs that help alleviate some of these side effects.
Hormonal therapy is considered an important treatment against the spread of breast cancer because estrogen, a hormone produced by the ovaries, has been shown to increase the growth of the cancer. Therefore, doctors may decide to prescribe a pill known as the antiestrogen drug tamoxifen, which is taken by patients for about five years. Research has indicated that taking this drug helps reduce the chances for recurrences in the cancer. Side effects include mood swings, weight gain, hot flashes, and cataracts.
Breast reconstruction is considered after a masectomy. Some women prefer to have their breast reconstructed after surgery. Cosmetic results are usually good, and patients are encouraged to discuss the possibility of reconstructive surgery before removal of the breast so that the surgeon can discuss plans for reconstruction with the plastic surgeon.
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