|
If a mammogram shows an abnormality, other tests including additional mammograms and ultrasound may help your doctor decide if you need to have a biopsy. A diagnosis of breast cancer can only be made with a biopsy.
Breast cancer may be treated In a number of ways. Your doctor will determine the best method of treatment depending on the characteristics and stage of the cancer.
Surgery is the most common treatment for breast cancer. If the cancer is detected early, it may be treated with breast-sparing surgery, usually followed by radiation to destroy remaining cancer cells. Reconstructive surgery can be done during or after initial breast cancer surgery.
Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may be given before or after surgery.
Chemotherapy uses specialised drugs to kill cancer cells. Usually a combination of drugs is given in a pill or by injection. Your healthcare practitioner will determine whether chemotherapy should be administered.
Hormonal therapy is a treatment given if lab tests show that the breast cancer depends on the body's natural hormones to grow. If so, hormonal therapy decreases the production of certain hormones or blocks the body's natural hormones from reaching any of the remaining cancer cells.
Biologic therapy is a treatment that boosts the body's natural immune system to fight off infections and
cancer. Biologic therapy is often used with radiation and chemotherapy.
print this page
|