Treatments for breast cancer depends on its type and the stage. Some treatments may heal a specific body part, while some may not be effective on the rest of the body. Local therapy helps treating the tumor but it does not help in the recovery of the entire body. Others are systemic, which is usually used in terms of drugs. The kind of medical treatment will vary depending on the type of breast cancer which includes chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy.
Targeted therapy is usually for HER2 positive breast cancer. HER2 is a gene which plays a major role in the development of breast cancer. It may quickly multiply, making the breast cells grow and divide in an uncontrollable way. The pathology report includes information regarding HER2 status, which tells one whether the gene is playing a role in the development of cancer or not. Some of the medicines for HER2 breast cancer treatment are Herceptin, Kadcyla, Nerlynx, Perjeta, Tykerb.
Many hospitals offer breast cancer treatment options for the patient. Let us see the treatments of breast cancer, according to the stage of breast cancer.
Stage I
Surgery is the main treatment here, with either breast-conserving surgery (BCS) or mastectomy. BCS is usually followed with a radiation therapy, to lower the chance of cancer coming back in the breast.
Stage II
Surgery, followed by radiation therapy is the main treatment for breast cancer. The surgery will also be preceded or followed by systemic therapy. This therapy before surgery may help in shrinking the tumor.
Stage III
Most of the Stage III cancers are treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, before surgery. If the tumor doesn’t shrink even after this, mastectomy is done. Radiation therapy follows next. Additional chemotherapy might be required in some cases post-surgery as well.
Stage IV
Women with stage IV breast cancer are generally treated with the assistance of systemic therapy. This could be a combination of hormonal therapy, chemotherapy as well as targeted therapy.