Treatment options for breast cancer
There was an explosion of life-saving treatment advances against breast cancer, leading to new hope and enthusiasm. Instead of just one or two options, today there is an overwhelming menu of treatment choices that the complex mix of cells in every fight against cancer. Decisions – surgery, radiation could, the anti-estrogen hormonal therapy, and / or chemotherapy – can be confusing.
After breast cancer is diagnosed and staged, the team recommended medical treatment. The treatment plan will be based on the type of cancer you have, the size, quality and biological characteristics of cancer, hormonal status, and your general health.
There are five standard treatment: surgery and radiation typically used for local control of breast cancer and lymph nodes and chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and biological agents, usually reserved for disease control potential in the rest of the body.
Surgery
The objectives of breast cancer surgery to remove the tumor tissue and to analyze the type, quality, size, hormonal status and metastasis possible. Prevention of recurrence of breast cancer is the top priority of your surgeon. You have some choices about what kind of surgery, depending on tumor size and location. If you have a mastectomy, reconstruction can also be an option.
Diagnostic surgery is done to determine if cancer is really present, and if it is widespread. Procedures include breast biopsy, sentinel lymph node biopsy and removal of axillary dissection
Getting treatment standards, which are used to remove the cancer, are: lumpectomy, quadrantectomy, partial mastectomy, modified radical
Radiation
DNA is the code that serves as the planning for all processes of the body and features. Tumor cells grow in a disorderly and uncontrolled due to disturbances in DNA. Radiotherapy works by causing severe damage to DNA abnormal disruption of the signals for growth and prevent cell division. Healthy cells surrounding the tumor can survive the radiation, with a range of side effects. Radiation technology has improved, more focused and effective.
There are two types of radiotherapy: external beam, brachytherapy internal beam
Chemotherapy
And the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells, and chemotherapy targets rapidly diving cells in your body. Chemotherapy is considered systemic therapy, because, as systemic tumor metastases, it goes everywhere in the systems of your body. Chemotherapy is used to kill cancer cells and prevent relapse. Chemotherapy can be used in all stages of breast cancer. Although commonly used in phase two, three, or four, the first phase, many patients who can benefit from this therapy can be identified.
Schedules and forms of chemotherapy: adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy, stem cells and bone marrow transplantation
Most drugs are: Adriamycin, Cytoxan, methotrexate, 5-Fluorouracil, Cytoxan, Taxol
Life during chemotherapy may include:
Side effects nausea, vomiting, fatigue, hair loss, etc.
booster shots of white and red blood cell
frequent blood tests CBC
Blood transfusions
Tumor markers
Targeted biological therapies
These therapies are designed to interrupt the processes that contribute to the further growth of cancer cells. These treatments include Tykerb, Herceptin, Avastin and Iressa
Hormone therapy
Breast cancers are often dependent on estrogen for their growth. Anti-hormone therapy estrogen starves tumor cells need estrogen to grow, allowing the cancer cell death. This type of treatment can be provided for the operation, or simultaneously with radiation. You may need to take hormone therapy for five years after completing primary treatment to prevent recurrence.
Hormone therapy may include:
Estrogen receptor blocker tamoxifen, raloxifene
aromatase inhibitors Aromasin, Arimidex, Femara
oopherectomy surgical removal of the ovaries
Faslodex chemical ovarian suppression