Breast cancer develops in the cells of the breast, and may present itself in a variety of forms. With improvement of treatment methods over the years, the number of deaths from this disease has declined, according to the Mayo Clinic. The type of treatment one receives depends on the severity of the cancer, their overall health and personal treatment preference.
Surgery
Most women undergo surgery to treat breast cancer. The type of surgery a woman undergoes depends on the severity of her cancer.
A lumpectomy is the least invasive, and is known as breast conservation. During this procedure your doctor removes the tumor and a small area of surrounding tissue to ensure all cancer cells no longer remain.
Mastectomies can be simple or radical; a simple mastectomy involves the removal of all breast tissue, including the nipple and areola, according to the Mayo Clinic. Radical mastectomies require the removal of the breast tissue, along with the muscles under the wall of the chest and surrounding lymph nodes under the armpit. Reconstructive surgery can be done immediately following the procedure, or at a later date.
Radiation Therapy
The American Cancer Society states that radiation therapy should be given after a lumpectomy to destroy any remaining cancer cells in that area. BreastCancer.org notes that it is highly effective in reducing the risk of breast cancer recurrence by 70 percent.
Similar to an X-ray, radiation therapy uses high-powered beams of energy to kill these cells. A large machine directs the beams to the specific area of the breast from which the doctor removed the tumor, localizing the treatment, making it more effective. Known as external radiation, it is the most common type of radiation therapy for women who have undergone a lumpectomy, and who have early-stage breast cancer.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is given to women with early-stage breast cancer after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells and prevent recurrence. It may also be used for women with advanced breast cancer to destroy as many cancer cells as possible. This therapy is often administered after surgery, and may be used in combination with radiation therapy to increase efficacy.
It differs from radiation in its mode of delivery and how it affects the body. Rather than focusing on the breast itself, chemotherapy requires a variety of drugs that travel through the body, attacking any cancer cells they meet along the way--this is known as systemic therapy. The downside to chemotherapy is its side effects. The drugs cannot tell the difference between cancerous and noncancerous cells, destroying both. This results in nausea, vomiting, fatigue and in some cases, hair loss. The side effects differ depending on the drugs and the person taking them.
