Treatment & Side Effects

Treatment & Side Effects
In recent years, there's been an explosion of life-saving treatment advances against breast cancer, bringing new hope and excitement. Instead of only one or two options, today there's an overwhelming menu of treatment choices that fight the complex mix of cells in each individual cancer. The decisions—surgery, then perhaps radiation, hormonal (anti-estrogen) therapy, and/or chemotherapy—can feel overwhelming.

breastcancer.org can help you understand your cancer stage and appropriate options, so you and your doctors can arrive at the best treatment plan for YOU.

In the following pages of the Treatment section, you can learn about:

Overview of Options

What types of treatment are available and which might be appropriate for you.
Surgery

Breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy), mastectomy, and lymph node dissection, and what to expect from each.
Radiation Therapy

What it is, who it's for, advantages, side effects, and what to expect when you get it.
Targeted Therapies

Including Herceptin: How they work, who should get them, how they're given, side effects, and major studies.
Hormonal Therapy

The link between hormones and breast cancer and how different groups of drugs—including ERDs, SERMs, and aromatase inhibitors—can affect that link.
Chemotherapy

Who should get it, how it works, different types, side effects, and how to manage them.
Complementary Medicine

How complementary medicine techniques such as acupuncture, meditation, and yoga could be a helpful addition to your regular medical treatment. Includes research on complementary techniques and ways to find qualified practitioners.
Building Long-Term Health

Why it's so important to stick to your treatment plan, take the full course of medications, and continue with regular tests and doctors' visits to keep yourself healthy into the future

Medical Treatment for Breast Cancer by Robin Brain

Surgery. Treatment varies according to the type and stage of cancer, but surgery remains the first choice for most tumors. The majority of operations now are less disfiguring than the radical mastectomy that was standard until the 1970s.