Breast Cancer Treatment
Breast cancer treatment depends
largely on what stage the individual case was diagnosed at. Early
stage breast cancer is usually treated with a combination of minor
surgery and local radiation treatment, while later stage cancers
can be inoperable, and treatable only through systemic chemotherapy.
Each diagnostic 'stage' of breast cancer may suggest a slightly
different treatment regimen.
Breast cancer stages are determined with the "Tumour Node
Metastasis" system (TNM), which considers the size of the tumour,
whether or not the lymph nodes have been affected, and whether the
cancer has metastasised (migrated) to distant areas of the body:
Stage I means there the tumour is less than 2 centimetres in diameter,
and has not affected the lymph nodes or metastasised. These cases
are generally treated with lumpectomy surgery, and follow-up localized
radiation therapy to minimize risk of recurrence. Most women treated
for Stage I breast cancer will receive follow-up screenings for
the rest of their lives, to ensure the cancer does not return. Stage
I breast cancer has the highest patient survival rate.
Stage IIa and IIb mean the tumour is up to 5 centimetres in diameter,
and may have affected some localized lymph nodes, but has not metastasised.
These cases may be treated with more radical surgery, up to a full
mastectomy, along with radiation therapy and regular follow up exams,
but chemotherapy is not a given. While the surgery is more severe,
Stage II breast cancer still has a fairly high survival rate with
proper treatment.
Stage III breast cancer (the 'broadest' of the stage definitions)
encompasses everything from a small tumour with extensive lymph
node involvement, to a growth that has invaded most of the patient's
chest tissue, but has not yet metastasised beyond the immediate
'upper torso' area. Stage III treatment will often involve more
extensive surgery, including "radical mastectomy" where
the chest wall muscles are removed along with the breast tissue,
removal of most or all of the chest-area lymph nodes, aggressive
radiation treatment, and chemotherapy.
Stage IV means the cancer has metastasised to remote areas of the
body, regardless of the apparent level of advancement in the local
breast area. In any metastasised cancer, localized treatment becomes
an issue primarily of 'buying time', as the metastasised cancer
cells can trigger tumours in any area of the body. Some patients
may choose extended chemotherapy along with radical surgery to try
and conquer the malignancy, but in many cases palliative care, intended
to maximise quality of life and reduce pain without attempting to
cure the disease, may be considered the only realistic option.
As you can see, early detection and treatment is the best option
for ensuring a good chance of breast cancer survival. It is impossible
to stress the importance of regular self-examination for women of
all ages, and regular professional screening and mammography in
older (40+) women or high-risk groups. A breast cancer patient diagnosed
in Stage I or early Stage II enjoys excellent odds of survival,
while every delay beyond those early stages decreases those odds.
Breast Cancer Treatment
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US
National Cancer Institute |