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Womens Health
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 Links
NHS
Direct
US
National Cancer Institute
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