Surgery

Chemotherapy

Radiation

Cure and Treatment

Breast cancer is curable if identified in early stage. Treatment for the cancer involves multiple intervention and we will try to address and provide more information regarding the same here.

Stage of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is categorised in to 4 stages.

• Stage 1 : Very early stage breast cancer, where cancer cells are very small. In this stage treatment can be hormonal therapy and lifestyle change.
• Stage 2 : Stage 2 breast cancer is when the nodule can be experienced with size upto 2.5 cms, and few other symptoms which are experienced. In this stage, doctors could recommend surgery followed by Chemotherapy to treat cancer. Regiment depends on size of the cancer, as well as its spread.
• Stage 3 : This stage of cancer is when nodule size if 5 cm and above, and could have spread to nearby lymph nodes. In this stage of cancer surgery is recommended, along with chemotherapy and radiation therapy
• Stage 4 : This is considered as advanced stage of breast cancer, where nodule size is more than 5 cm, and there is metastasis (cancer spread) to other organs.

Breast Cancer Surgery

Surgical procedure involves full body Anastasia to patients, and removal of breast cancer tissues from affected breast. The procedure could be partial removal of tissues, or complete removal of breast (mastectomy) to eliminate risk of spreading cancer cells to other lymph nodes. During the surgery, they will inspect nearby lymph nodes, and remove them to limit risk of cancer spreading to other organs through these nodes.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy for cancer treatment involves, specific chemo medication (Paclitaxel or Docitaxel) prescribed to patients in a diluted format through intravenous injection. Chemotherapy medicine is determined by Oncologist, and actual dosage id determined by mathematical calculation involving age, body weight and height of the patient. Generally medicine is diluted before being administered to patient through intravenus route.

How does Chemo work : Chemotherapy medicine will scout for highly active and rapidly dividing cells, and eliminate them. Since cancer cells divide rapidly and spread across the body, chemotherapy will be effective in eliminating them. As a side effect, they also destroy good cells which are developing rapidly. Since hair, nails, and some of the skin cells divide rapidly they will also get affected, and this is the reason for hair loss during treatment. It is very important to focus on good and nutritious diet to recoup, and help body generate good and healthy cells. Chemotherapy medicine is generally given once in 3 week (21 day) cycle and typically for 6 cycles (6 injections : 126 days : 4 months) or 12 cycles depending on severity of cancer.

Radiation Therapy

After chemotherapy, most patients are recommended to undergo radiation treatment. This is prescribed based on stage and spread of cancer. In radiation treatment, patient will be subjected to precise low dosage of radiation at specific locations, where cancer cells were present. This will burn any surrounding cells in that area, and ensure no cancerous cell traces are left. This process generally takes 25 sittings ( 5 weeks with 5 days in a week). Actual procedure of radiation is than 5 minutes for each sitting.

Hormone Therapy

During initial investigation of cancer, doctor's prescribe hormone tests to check their levels. Result of these tests determine if patient is ER+ ( Estrogen level positive), PR+ (Progesterone positive) and/or HER+ (Human Epidermal Growth Hormone positive). If all 3 harmones are +ve during diagnosis then this type of breast cancer is called "Triple +VE". Such cases are treated with hormone therapy, along with above mentioned treatments. Breast cancer treatment along with hormone therapy will improve survival rate, and reduce possibilites of cancer in other breast.

Hormone therapy involve medication such as Trastuzumab : commercial name : Herceptin. This will be prescribed to patient in diluted format. Medication schedule is similar to Chemotherapy of 21 days, and is prescribed for 12 months duration. ( 14 to 17 dosage through Intravenous injection).

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