Breast cancer, the development of tumors originating from lobules, ducts or nipples of the breast, is a prevalent disease that can be fatal. The National Cancer Institute indicates that breast cancer caused more than 40,000 deaths in the United States in 2009 and accounted for more than 190,000 new cancer diagnoses. Breast cancer sometimes presents as a solid lump in the breast accompanied by swelling in the armpit and nipple abnormalities, and early diagnosis increases patient prognosis. If found early, a number of therapies can very effectively treat breast cancer.
Breast-Sparing Surgery
Early stage breast cancer is characterized by the development of a lump that has not yet invaded the underlying chest muscles or overlying skin of the breast. Because these cancers are minimally invasive, they can often be treated with breast-sparing surgery, or lumpectomy. A lumpectomy removes the tumor and may remove some surrounding tissue, but it leaves most healthy breast tissue, as well as the chest muscles and skin intact. Patients may undergo radiation therapy after a lumpectomy to kill any cancer cells, and patients may undergo breast reconstruction surgery to preserve the appearance of their breasts.
Hormone Therapy
Some patients with early stage breast cancer can be treated with hormone therapy. Breast cells normally respond to some circulating hormones by proliferating, and some breast cancer cells also proliferate in response to hormones such as estrogen. Hormone therapy seeks to disrupt hormone signaling in breast cancer cells, stopping cell proliferation.
Tamoxifen is an estrogen-targeting therapy used to treat early stage breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute indicates that tamoxifen is belongs to a family of drugs called SERMs, which function to make cancer cells unresponsive to estrogen. Tamoxifen can treat early stage cancer and be used to prevent breast cancer recurrence after initial remission.
Targeted Therapies
Patients with early stage breast cancer may also receive targeted therapy. Cancer cells carry genetic mutations, and the identification of commonly occurring genetic abnormalities in breast cancer has lead to the development of targeted therapy. These treatments target proteins that are specific to cancer cells, so the drug selectively attacks the cancer cells, causing fewer side effects than drugs that target any dividing cell.
One targeted therapy used to treat early stage breast cancer is herceptin. Herceptin belongs to a family of drugs called monoclonal antibodies, which work by binding to specific proteins. Herceptin binds to HER2, a protein found in high amounts in breast cancer cells. Herceptin binds to the cancer cell and targets that cell for degradation by the immune system. Herceptin coupled with other cancer therapies is effective in treating early breast cancer, reports the National Cancer Institute.
