TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR
BREAST CANCER

The stage of the cancer
The type of breast cancer
Estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor levels in the tumor tissue
Human epidermal growth factor type 2 receptor (HER2/neu) levels in the tumor tissue
Whether the tumor tissue is triple-negative (cells that do not have estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, or high levels of HER2/neu).
How fast the tumor is growing
How likely the tumor is to recur (come back)
A woman’s age, general health, and menopausal status
Whether the cancer has just been diagnosed or has recurred (come back).

There are different types of treatment for patients with breast cancer.

-Surgery

-Radiation therapy

-Chemotherapy

-Hormone therapy

-Targeted therapy

Breast cancer is usually treated with surgery to remove the cancer.

Many women with breast cancer can choose between mastectomy and breast conserving therapy (lumpectomy)

Surgery to remove the whole breast.

Women who choose this option might have to decide whether to have surgery to reconstruct breast and when

Also called lumpectomy

-Surgery to remove the cancer and a section of healthy tissue around it.

-Women who choose this option keep their breast. But they usually must have radiation therapy after surgery.

Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing.

There are two types of radiation therapy.

-External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation towards the cancer.

-Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer.

The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.

Uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing.

When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy).

When chemotherapy is placed directly into the cerebrospinal fluid, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy).

The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.

Some forms of breast cancer grow in response to hormones.

So treatment may be given to block hormones or to prevent the body from making certain kinds of hormones.

Type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells.

Monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors are two types of targeted therapies used in the treatment of breast cancer.

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