Current Treatment Options for Breast Cancer
Surgical Breast Cancer Treatments
The most common form of treatment for breast cancer cases is a surgical treatment involving removal of the cancerous tissue. Lumpectomy is a procedure in which small tumors that can be easily separated from the surrounding tissues are removed, without removing the whole breast. Most breast cancer cases are treated surgically with a mastectomy, which is the removal of the whole breast, and occasionally also the lymph nodes and muscle tissue as well.
Radiation Breast Cancer Treatment
Commonly after doing a lumpectomy or mastectomy, patients will undergo some radiation treatment to kill any remaining cancer cells. It can either be external, in which a machine beams the rays toward the target area, or internal radiation, which involves small radioactive "seeds" placed inside the breast to constantly emit radiation. Radiation does not have many side effects, but it can cause rash and mild swelling in the targeted area.
Chemotherapy Breast Cancer Treatment
If the breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body, it is usually treated with some chemotherapy after surgery. This is because chemotherapy will attack cancer in all parts of the body, including cancer that has spread into lymph nodes. It greatly aids in the chance of making a full cancer-free recovery.
Sometimes, chemotherapy is also used before a surgical treatment to attempt to shrink the cancerous tumor. This makes it easier for the surgery to remove the full tumor without just a lumpectomy instead of a mastectomy, or doing a mastectomy without removing lymph nodes and muscle tissue.
Chemotherapy has many side effects, as it is very hard on the body as a whole. Many chemotherapy patients experience hair loss, nausea, general feelings of weakness, and susceptibility to infections and other sicknesses.
Hormone Therapy Breast Cancer Treatment
One last form of breast cancer treatment that is widely used is hormone therapy. This type of therapy uses drugs that block specific hormones from being produced or from attaching to cells. There are a number of different hormone treatments, and they are used depending on what the cancer seems to be receptive to. Hormone therapy can have side-effects that are similar to menopausal symptoms.
Sources:
www.breastcancer.org
www.mayoclinic.com
Published by Kristen May
I grew up in Southern California, went to college in Minnesota, and am currently undecided on where I'll be settling eventually. I get much enjoyment from God, fresh fruit, large snowflakes, baby animals, th... View profile
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