The surgeon will remove the surrounding healthy tissue, called the margin, and make sure the tumor is completely removed. Sometimes, however, microscopic cancer cells remain. To check for these cells, your doctor may perform various tests. If they find any cells outside the breast, you may need systemic treatment.
Treatment options for breast cancer will depend on the type of cancer you have and how advanced it is. External-beam radiation therapy is one type of radiation therapy that is usually given after a lumpectomy. It can be given Monday through Friday for three to four weeks, or up to six weeks, depending on the stage of the cancer. Women with certain medical conditions may be given systemic treatments instead of radiation therapy. Discussing the pros and cons with your doctor is recommended.
Once a woman reaches puberty, her breasts are made up of fat and connective tissue, with thousands of tiny lobules that produce milk and a tube that carries it toward the nipple. Exposure to estrogen and inherited genetic defects can increase the risk of developing the disease. Some women are prone to developing breast cancer, and there is a strong chance that a gene mutation called BRCA1 or BRCA2 increases the risk of developing the disease.
In the United States, invasive breast cancer will kill over 281,000 women in 2021, while noninvasive breast cancer will claim about 49,290 lives in the same year. Women of all races and socioeconomic classes should seek early diagnosis. The survival rate for localized breast cancer is nearly 99%. But there is no guarantee that breast cancer will not recur. In the meantime, a woman should maintain a healthy lifestyle, go for screening, and follow any recommendations given by her physician.
When cancer is detected in the early stages, a treatment plan is recommended. The treatment team will customize the approach and drugs based on the type of breast cancer and stage. During treatment, your doctor may recommend surgery. For more information, see Drugs Approved for Breast Cancer
If your doctor detects cancer in the early stages, chemotherapy may be given to lower the chances of spread. After your initial treatment, you may need to undergo several more tests. Some of these tests may be repeated to make sure that you are responding to your treatments. In other cases, cancer treatments will be changed to decrease the chance of spreading. The tests can also show whether the cancer has spread or if the disease has returned. You should consider all these options before undergoing chemotherapy.
Radiation therapy may be an option for you. Depending on your stage of cancer, your doctor may prescribe cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs or block their action. These drugs can help shrink the tumor, or even prevent it from returning. Radiation therapy may be an option for you if your cancer has spread to lymph nodes. Some tumors may respond to hormone-blocking treatment after chemotherapy. For patients who don’t respond to chemotherapy, this treatment may be your only option.
