Breast Cancer Treatments

Treatment

Once breast cancer is found, staging tests are done. This will help to find out if the cancer has spread and, if so, to what extent.

Treatments include:

Surgery

Lumpectomy —removal of the breast cancer and some normal tissue around it. Often, some of the lymph nodes under the arm are also removed.
- May also be called tylectomy or quadrantectomy
Segmentectomy—removal of the cancer and a larger area of normal breast tissue around it.
Simple mastectomy —removal of the breast, or as much of the breast as possible. The surgeon will try not to remove lymph nodes.
Radical mastectomy—removal of the breast, both chest muscles, the lymph nodes under the arm, and some additional fat and skin. This procedure is only considered in rare cases. It is done if the cancer has spread to the chest muscles. This procedure is rarely done in the US at this time.
Modified radical mastectomy—removal of the whole breast, the lymph nodes under the arm and, often, the lining over the chest muscles.
Axillary lymph node dissection—removal of the lymph nodes under the arm. This is done to help determine whether cancer cells have entered the lymphatic system.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy —a small amount of blue dye and/or a radioactive tracer is placed in the area where the tumor was located. The dye or tracer is then followed into the armpit. The lymph nodes that pick up the substance are removed. The accuracy rate for this procedure exceeds 95% in experienced hands. It reliably identifies those lymph nodes that may contain cancer. Presently, those remaining lymph nodes should be removed if any sentinel nodes contain cancer. This method is usually done in women who do not have lymph nodes that can be felt in the armpit. The potential side effects are far less than seen after a standard lymph node dissection.

Radiation Therapy

This is the use of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Two main types of radiation may be used:

External radiation therapy—radiation directed at the breast from a source outside the body
Internal radiation therapy—radioactive materials placed into the breast in or near the cancer cells

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. It may be given in many forms including pill, injection, and via a catheter. The drugs enter the bloodstream. They travel through the body killing mostly cancer cells. Some healthy cells are killed as well.

Biologic Therapy

Biologic therapy is the use of medicines or substances made by the body. They can increase or restore the body's natural defenses against cancer. It is also called biologic response modifier (BRM) therapy.

Hormonal Therapy

Hormonal therapy is designed to take advantage of the fact that many breast cancers are "estrogen sensitive." Estrogen binds to the "estrogen sensitive" cells and stimulates them to grow and divide. Anti-estrogen drugs prevent the binding of estrogen. This stops the cells from growing and, in doing so, prevents or delays breast cancer recurrence.

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