Breast cancer is the uncontrolled growth of malignant cells in the tissues of the breast. It may also involve nearby lymph nodes in the armpit and metastasize, or spread, to other areas of the body. Although breast cancer is still the second-most common cancer among American women, it has become increasingly survivable in recent years. While there is no surefire cure, effective treatments exist for most stages of the disease.
Treating Early Stage Cancer
Breast cancer is classified according to its progression and the particular form of cancer present. If your cancer is caught in its earliest stages, you may undergo a conservative surgical procedure called a lumpectomy. In lumpectomy, doctors will remove any tumors along with a precautionary fringe of healthy breast tissue. If your tumor cells are difficult to separate from healthy tissue, your doctors may decide to perform a mastectomy, or removal of the entire breast. In addition to surgery, you may receive treatment with focused X-rays (radiation therapy) designed to kill any remaining cancer cells. You may also receive a medication called tamoxifen, which fights certain forms of breast cancer by depriving tumor cells of estrogen.
If you have a family history of aggressive breast cancer, you and your doctor may consider what is called prophylactic mastectomy, in which one or both breasts are removed before any cancer appears.
Treating Mid-stage Cancer
If your cancer is discovered after it has significantly progressed, you may receive a lumpectomy in combination with exploratory surgery to see if your lymph nodes have become involved. These procedures are typically followed by radiation therapy. If lymph node involvement is already indicated, you may receive a procedure called a radical mastectomy, in which the breast is removed along with the lymph nodes in the armpit and the chest muscle underlying the actual breast. Radical mastectomy is sometimes followed by reconstructive plastic surgery to preserve the appearance of the chest.
Prior to surgery, you may receive an additional therapy to improve the chances of gaining a positive result. Besides radiation therapy, this pre-surgical treatment may include systemic chemotherapy drugs or hormone therapy, which seeks to starve hormone-loving cancer cells.
If your cancer shows clear evidence of lymph node involvement, it is more likely to metastasize. To avoid this possibility, you may receive combined courses of chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormone therapy in addition to surgery. You may also be asked to participate in clinical trials to test the effectiveness of new cancer fighting drugs or procedures.
Treating Advanced Cancer
If your cancer metastasizes to other organs of the body, your chances for a breast cancer cure effectively drop to zero. However, this does not mean you are resigned to an immediate decline. Treatments for metastasized breast cancer focus on slowing the progression of illness and providing optimum quality of life. Typically, systemic chemotherapy is combined with radiation therapy and hormone therapy. You may also choose to undergo experimental treatment. While it is impossible to pre-judge individual cases, some patients in this category remain productive and active for five years or longer.
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