Breast cancer can be very difficult to treat. One of the greatest risks of breast cancer is that sometimes it can come back. This recurrence can happen years after a successful course of treatment and can affect either breast. Recurrent breast cancer can be protected against by taking certain medications or by removing as much breast tissue as possible.
Step 1
Get frequent screenings. Although the screening procedures, such as mammograms, will not, technically, prevent breast cancer recurrence, they can detect recurring breast cancer in its earliest stages, allowing it to be treated with greater ease.
Step 2
Take tamoxifen or raloxifene. These are two chemoprotective agents. Chemoprotective agents are medications that can reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence. Both of these medications work to block the effects of estrogen on breast tissue. Because many kinds of breast cancer grow and reproduce in response to estrogen, blocking estrogen's effects can prevent breast cancer recurrence.
Step 3
Take aromatase inhibitors. These medications, which include anastrozole, prevent the production of estrogen in post-menopausal women. Aromatase inhibitors are a different type of chemoprotective agent.
Step 4
Have your breasts removed. A bilateral masectomy can greatly reduce the likelihood of breast cancer recurring. Although this procedure does not completely eliminate the risk of developing breast cancer (because a few breast cells are still left behind), the American Cancer Society says that this procedure reduces the risk of developing breast cancer by 97 percent.
Things You'll Need
- Tamoxifen
- Aromatase inhibitors
