Breast Cancer Treatment

Almost all women who are diagnosed with breast cancer are likely to undergo treatment for the disease. Although, the most ideal treatment plan is dependent on such factors as location and size of the tumor, the stage of breast cancer, and laboratory results. And since there is no miracle cure that works for everyone, breast cancer treatment schemes vary per patient.

Over the years, there has been a huge increase in the number of breast cancer treatment options. Instead of one or two choices in the past, the list now grew to provide patients with a more appropriate and efficient method of fighting the disease.

Currently, breast cancer patients and their health care providers can choose from among the three general treatments for breast cancer, which are: local or regional treatment, systemic treatments, and holistic and alternative therapies.

Local treatment means dealing with a particular area of the body like the lungs, lymph nodes, or breast. Breast cancer diagnosis is usually based on a certain medical procedure such as biopsy that is capable of showing the patient and his doctor the presence of breast abnormalities. Biopsy can serve both as diagnostic and therapeutic surgery at the same time if it removes all of the cancer present.

A lumpectomy is another kind of therapeutic surgery that totally takes out cancer in its entirety. This is sometimes called as “quadrantectomy” or “partial mastectomy”, and treatment process requires radiation on the remaining breast tissue.

Mastectomy is a breast cancer treatment option that involves total removal of the breast. Radiation on the breast area often follows this treatment process.

These two common breast cancer treatments are known to be similarly efficient for patients whose breast cancer is not more than four centimeters. Those with a tumor bigger than four centimeters may still opt for lumpectomy as long as the lump is shrunk through chemotherapy before surgery.

Systemic breast cancer treatment has four types, namely: hormonal therapies, chemotherapy, immune therapy, and anti-angiogenesis therapy. Hormonal therapies involve the medicines which are most often in pill form, or rarely those injected through the skin. These medications either lower the estrogen amount in the body, or restrict the effects of estrogen so as to prevent the growth of cancer cells in the body.

Chemotherapy is the type of treatment for breast cancer that may be given via the pill or injected through a port or needle into the bloodstream. The medicine serves to prevent the ability of cancer cells to function and multiply.

Immune therapy is a breast cancer treatment option that aims to replicate the body’s natural immune system which is known to fight disease. Right now, Herceptin remains to be the only easily available immune therapy. It is introduced directly into the bloodstream via needle or port.

Anti-angiogenesis therapy, which is a very limited breast cancer treatment method, works to stop the production of new blood vessels which serve to feed cancer cells its needed nutrients for growth. This means that you starve the cancer by taking away the element necessary for its survival.

Holistic or complementary medicine has now become a popular breast cancer treatment alternative. This type of technique of treating breast cancer aims to balance the person as a whole – that is – physically, emotionally, and mentally. Patients who used this treatment option claim that complementary medicine was able to: offer relief from symptoms; lessen side effects of certain treatments; enhance the quality of their lives.

Although there is no magic potion or miracle cure for breast cancer, it is comforting to know that science has come up with numerous choices of treatments for patients. Definitely, there is one option for each that will work to eradicate the disease.