You’d give up almost anything for a chance to beat your cancer. And many treatments will test your resolve to do just that. Hair loss is one of the sacrifices most-often associated with chemo and radiation. Here’s what you can expect.
Breast cancer is prevalent in women. Age and being a woman are the key causes of the disease. The behavior and activity of breast cancer will significantly impact how it is treated. Some breast tumors may be small but will proliferate while others can be large and progress slowly.
If detected early, breast cancer can be treated successfully before it metastasizes, and the patient’s survival rate will improve. When the disease has already spread, it is difficult to treat. However, some treatment options can be used to control it for years.
Breast cancer treatment options vary depending on;
The tumor subtype and hormone receptor status, including the HER2, PR, and ER status.
The stage of the cancer
The age, health status and preferences of the patient
The presence of mutations in the breast cancer genes
The genomic markers, e.g., BRCA1 or BRCA2
Surgery is often recommended for locally advanced and early-stage breast cancer. This helps to remove the tumor and a small margin of healthy tissue surrounding the tumor.
For advanced cancer that spread quickly, a systemic treatment (neoadjuvant therapy) is administered. It includes hormonal therapy or chemotherapy before surgery. This helps to improve the outcomes for patients. For example:
Patients scheduled for a mastectomy can undergo breast-conserving surgery if the tumor shrinks before surgery.
It will be easy for the doctors to perform surgery on a smaller tumor
Doctors may discover treatments that will work well for the patient’s condition
Patients may benefit from clinical trials
When surgery is no longer viable, oncologists may recommend other ways of treatment, including radiation therapy, targeted therapy, hormonal therapy, or chemotherapy. Therapy for the recurrent disease will depend mainly on the cancer biology and the way it was first treated.
A patient’s breast cancer care plan involves treating the disease, its symptoms, and side effects.
You Might Also Enjoy...
You’d give up almost anything for a chance to beat your cancer. And many treatments will test your resolve to do just that. Hair loss is one of the sacrifices most-often associated with chemo and radiation. Here’s what you can expect.
Three oncology practices with a combined total of ten physicians have recently joined The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (The Center), the growing North Texas independent oncology practice, an affiliate of OneOncology, announced today.
Most people are familiar with radiation and chemotherapy as effective go-to treatments, but there are many more cancer-fighting weapons in our arsenal. Here’s how hormone therapy may be a key player in your cancer treatment plan.
Pain isn’t a guaranteed side effect of cancer, but it can be part of the experience for some. Many hesitate to discuss cancer pain, but controlling it is important for your overall well-being. Discuss your pain symptoms with your treatment team.
Colon cancer can be life-threatening, but you may be able to sidestep this aggressive disease by taking a few precautionary steps. If you’re in a high-risk group, learn how to gain the upper hand and increase your chances of preventing colon cancer.
When you catch a cold, your immune system attacks the virus that caused it. But when you have cancer, it’s not so easy. Find out how your immune system can benefit from immunotherapy and kick cancer to the curb.