Breast Cancer Treatment

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

Cancer Research

US National Cancer Institute