Treatment of Breast Cancer

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Key points

  • Breast cancer can be treated in several ways. It depends on the type of breast cancer and how far it has spread.
  • People with breast cancer often get more than one kind of treatment.
a breast cancer patient in a hospital bed talking to her doctor

Treatment options

Often, patients first need to have the lump removed (a lumpectomy) or the entire breast removed (a mastectomy). Then they have chemotherapy treatments to target any cancer cells that can't be seen—cells remaining in the breast or that may have spread into other parts of the body. Sometimes doctors recommend chemotherapy before surgery to shrink the cancer.

  • Lumpectomy: With lumpectomy, a surgeon removes the lump from your breast. He or she also removes nearby lymph nodes (the little oval-shaped organs that are part of your immune system) to see if the cancer has spread. The surgery takes 1 to 2 hours. Most women spend the day at the hospital and usually do not need to stay overnight.
  • Mastectomy: For a mastectomy, your surgeon removes the breast and nearby lymph nodes to see if the cancer has spread. Some women choose to have breast reconstruction during the same surgery.
  • Radiation: Lumpectomies are usually followed by radiation therapy. High-energy radiation is given to your breast to kill any remaining cancer cells. Radiation usually takes about 20 minutes per day. Most women go in 4 to 5 days a week for about 6 weeks. You'll see a radiation doctor to have this done.
  • Chemotherapy: Cells from the cancer may have spread somewhere else in your body. The goal of chemotherapy is to kill those cancer cells wherever they may be. Chemotherapy lowers the chance that your cancer will grow or come back.
  • Hormonal therapy: Blocks cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow.
  • Biological therapy: Works with your body's immune system to help it fight cancer cells or to control side effects from other cancer treatments.

For more information, visit the National Cancer Institute's Breast Cancer Treatment Option Overview. This site can also help you find health care services.

Which treatment is right for me?

Talk to your cancer doctor about the treatment options available for your type and stage of cancer. Your doctor can explain the risks and benefits of each treatment and their side effects. Side effects are how your body reacts to drugs or other treatments.

Sometimes people get an opinion from more than one cancer doctor. This is called a "second opinion." Getting a second opinion may help you choose the treatment that is right for you.

Clinical trials

Clinical trials use new treatment options to see if they are safe and effective. If you have cancer, you may want to take part. Visit the sites listed below for more information.

Complementary and alternative medicine

Complementary and alternative medicine are medicines and health practices that are not standard cancer treatments. Complementary medicine is used in addition to standard treatments. Alternative medicine is used instead of standard treatments. Acupuncture and supplements like vitamins and herbs are some examples.

Many kinds of complementary and alternative medicine have not been tested scientifically and may not be safe. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits before you start any kind of complementary or alternative medicine.

Resources

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Content Source:
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; Division of Cancer Prevention and Control