Global Courant
Breast cancer is the cancer that develops in the breast tissue, usually in the inner lining of milk ducts or in the lobes that supply milk to the ducts. Depending on the site of origin, they are known as ductal carcinoma if originated in the milk ducts or lobular carcinoma if originated in the mammary glands. Breast cancers are also classified as hormone-positive or hormone-negative cancers, which are determined based on their sensitivity to hormones such as progesterone and estrogen.
The options available for breast cancer treatment depend on the type of breast cancer and staging results. Staging is the process of spreading the disease and determining its progressive extension. Although it is the most common non-skin cancer in women and considered one of the deadliest cancers, there are many advanced breast cancer treatment options that can help cure this disease if detected early.
Breast cancer treatment plan
Once the cancer is diagnosed, the doctors evaluate the pathology report and create a plan that fits the type of cancer and the stage to which the disease has progressed. Treatment methods are aimed at reducing the spread of the disease, destroying the diseased cells and reducing the likelihood of its recurrence in the future. The doctors would choose a single treatment or a series of treatment options based on the patient’s medical condition, which they can evaluate periodically.
Types of breast cancer treatment methods
The available treatments are generally classified as standard methods and clinical trial methods. Standard methods are methods that are currently being used for the cure of breast cancer, while clinical trials are currently being tested for more efficient results. The standard methods of breast cancer treatment include surgery, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, radiation treatments, and targeted therapy.
Surgical method for the treatment of breast cancer
Surgery is a possible option to remove the cancer cells from the body. Depending on the extent of spread and the stage to which the disease has progressed, all or part of the breast is removed. Based on the level of surgery required to remove the cancer cells, the surgeries are divided into three types as below.
* Breast conserving surgery – This is surgery where only the part of the breast that contains the cancer is removed and not the breast itself. If the surgery only requires the removal of the tumor in the breast and a small amount of tissue then this is known as a lumpectomy or is known as partial mastectomy when it involves removing a partial portion of the breast along with a significant amount of normal tissue. This type of surgery may also include the removal of lymph nodes under the arm to be used for biopsy. Such dissection is performed along with the surgery or after it is known as lymph node dissection.
*Total mastectomy – This type of surgery aims to remove the entire breast that is infected with the cancer cells. This also requires removing lymph nodes for biopsy.
* Modified radical mastectomy – This is the surgery where large parts are removed to get rid of the cancer cells. The entire breast affected by cancer, along with certain lymph nodes under the arm and the pectoral muscle lining, is removed through this surgical process. In certain cases, part of the affected chest wall muscles is even removed by this operation.
* Radical mastectomy – This surgery removes the entire breast, chest wall muscles, and all of the lymph nodes under the arm. This kind of surgery for breast cancer treatment is also known as Halsted radical mastectomy.
These surgeries may also be followed by other methods of breast cancer treatment such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or radiation therapy to kill the presence of cancer cells. Such types of treatments that help prevent cancer recurrence are known as adjuvant therapy. Some patients may also consider the option of breast implants to rebuild the removed breast shape after a mastectomy.
Chemotherapy
This type of treatment helps kill the cancer cells or prevents them from growing through internal delivery of drugs. The mode of drug delivery can be through the bloodstream spreading throughout the body, which is known as systematic chemotherapy, or directly into the cerebrospinal fluid or a specific organ known as regional chemotherapy.
Hormone Therapy
This type of breast cancer treatment involves the introduction of substances that negate the effect of hormones that cause cancer growth. Estrogen is known to trigger the growth of breast cancer in certain cases. One of the treatment methods involves preventing the ovaries from secreting the hormone estrogen and one such method is known as ovarian ablation. The hormonal therapy involves the use of an aromatase inhibitor that reduces estrogen secretion in the body. Aromatase inhibitors are given to hormone-dependent breast cancer patients who are in the postmenopausal stage, while tamoxifen is used in cases of metastatic breast cancer. Aromatase inhibitors are also generally used as adjunctive therapy after continued use of tamoxifen for two years or more.
Radiation therapy
High energy X-rays are generally used as an alternative to drugs to kill the cancer cells and prevent them from growing.
Targeted therapy
Another type of treatment that helps destroy the cancer cells without any damage to the normal cells is called targeted therapy. The targeted therapies used in breast cancer treatment are generally of two types: monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
* Monoclonal Antibodies – These types of substances are antibodies made from a single type of immune system cell that have the potential to identify and destroy cancer cells. They are also sometimes used to deliver toxins or drugs to the cancer cells to effectively destroy the cells. Trastuzumab is a monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of breast cancer patients. This method can be clubbed along with chemotherapy as an adjuvant therapy.
* Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors – These drugs block signals needed for tumor growth and are generally used in combination with other cancer drugs. Lapatjnib is one such inhibitor that helps block the HER2 protein in the tumor cells and is effectively used for the treatment of HER2 positive breast cancer patients.
Information about breast cancer treatment
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