Hearing that you have breast cancer is difficult and scary. It's possible that you might think of the worst-case scenario. However, many cases of breast cancer do have very good chances for recovery and remission. Your next thought after hearing about your diagnosis might be, what kinds of breast cancer treatment are there?
A lot will depend on what stage the cancer is in, if you are reached menopause and your overall health. It will also depend on if you have been treated for breast cancer or another type of cancer before, and the risk of it coming back.
How will your breast cancer be treated? Here are a few ways your doctor might recommend to treat it.
You Will Have Surgery
The majority of women who have breast cancer will have some type of surgery. You might be thinking you will undergo a mastectomy, but that isn't always the case. Other types of surgery there are include only taking out the tumor or breast-conserving surgery and lymph node surgery. It's possible to have a partial mastectomy as well in which only the portion of the breast that has the cancer is removed.
It is possible that you will qualify for breast reconstruction surgery should the doctor remove your breast.
You May Have Radiation Treatments
Radiation treatment uses a beam of radiation from a machine to the tumor to either shrink it before surgery or after breast-conserving surgery to ensure the cancer cells surrounding the area are dead. It is also possible to receive radiation treatment if the cancer has spread specifically to the bones, the brain or the lungs.
You May Have Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is one of the most common treatments for any type of cancer. Typically chemotherapy is given after surgery to help ensure the cancer does not return if the cancer is in the early stages. It is also a common treatment in later stage cancer as well. It helps to shrink the tumor in cancers that are too large at the moment for surgery or those that have spread.
It is often the case that the doctor will use a combination of drugs and chemotherapy as a treatment for the cancer. It is found that this treatment is more effective than drugs alone.
Hormonal Drugs
Hormonal drugs or therapy are used to treat the hormone receptor. It is often used in combination with chemotherapy and the hormone drug therapy. It will help to counteract the effects of the chemotherapy on your horomones helping your body to fight the cancer.