Options for breast cancer treatment have been advancing and made better with time. Today, there are more options for breast cancer treatment than there were a few years ago. Since there are so many treatments to choose from, it is important to know every option before picking the right one for you. But regardless of the treatment option you pick, the goals of the treatment will remain the same. Let’s take a look at them:
- To destroy as many cancer cells as possible
- To prevent cancer cells from growing back
Here’s a list of the commonly prescribed breast cancer treatment options.
Surgery
Several surgical procedures can opt for breast cancer treatment. These include:
- Lumpectomy
This surgery is also known as breast conservation or wide local excision surgery. In this procedure, the tumor and a small margin of the healthy tissue surrounding the tumor are removed.
- Mastectomy
In this surgical procedure, all breast tissue—the ducts, the lobules, the fatty skin, and some skin—is removed. With new surgical procedures, the appearance of the breast can be restored.
- Sentinel node biopsy
To check if cancer has reached the lymph nodes, the doctor can suggest removing the lymph nodes that are first at the risk of receiving lymph drainage coming from the tumor.
- Axillary lymph node dissection
If the cancer cells are found in sentinel lymph nodes. The patient can be suggested removal of additional lymph nodes that are found in the armpit.
- Contralateral prophylactic mastectomy
In some cases, the patient with cancer in one breast can opt for removal of the other healthy breast. This is usually done when a person has a family history of breast cancers and is at a high risk of getting cancer in the other breast.
Radiation therapy
This is another treatment option for breast cancer patients. In this procedure, high-powered rays of energy are used to destroy cancer cells. These rays usually are protons and X-rays. There are heavy machines used in the procedure that aim at the parts of the body to kill cancer cells. In some cases, radiation therapy can also be done using radioactive material placed inside the body. This procedure is known as brachytherapy.
Giving external radiation therapy to the entire breast is usually done after a lumpectomy. If there is a low chance of cancer recurrence, brachytherapy can also be an option after the patient undergoes lumpectomy. If there is a large breast cancer tumor or when cancer spreads to lymph nodes, the patient can also be prescribed radiation therapy on the chest wall after a mastectomy. The duration of radiation therapy depends on the course of treatment given to the patient; it usually lasts between three days and six weeks.
Chemotherapy
In this treatment, medication is used to slow the growth of cancer cells. Chemotherapy is usually suggested in cases where cancer has high chances of recurring or reaching other parts of the body. Chemotherapy is prescribed after surgery to reduce the chances of cancer cells from growing again. In case a woman has large tumors, chemotherapy can also be suggested before surgery to reduce the size of the tumor so that the removal is easier. Chemotherapy is also suggested when cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
The therapy is also effective in controlling cancer growth and fighting the symptoms caused by cancer. However, the therapy’s side effects depend on the medicine that is being used in the treatment. Some of the common side effects of chemotherapy include nausea, vomiting, hair loss, and fatigue. There are some rare side effects of chemotherapy also. These include premature menopause, heart and kidney damage, infertility, and damage to the nerves. In some rare cases, chemotherapy can also cause blood cell cancer.
