Although surgery is the most effective (and hence,
the most widely used) breast cancer treatment method, there are several
other ways of dealing with the disease, some are more powerful than the
others. These include radiation therapy, chemotherapy or hormonal
therapy, each of them with their own assets and downsides.
Most of them however are used in combination with
surgery for best effects, either prior to it, in order to reduce the
size of the tumor or after the operation, in order to remove any
remaining cancerous cells. For a better understanding of these
alternative treatment methods for breast cancer, we'll take a closer
look at each, explaining how they work and in what cases they might
prove useful.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses powerful gamma rays (x-rays) which target the
specific area that needs to be treated with high precision. Usually,
radiation therapy is performed after surgery, to destroy any cancer
cells that have not been removed or the ones that formed up where the
tumor was removed. Although it can't be used as, a treatment on its
own, radiation therapy is one of the most accepted post-surgery methods
of breast conserving therapy (BCT) and has a high chance of stopping
the cancer from recurring.
As with all treatments involving x-rays, there are
some downsides to radiation therapy. First, in order to wipe out the
cancerous cells that might have formed (or remained) in the area where
the tumor was removed from, the x-rays will eventually damage some of
the healthy tissue too. Although the process is highly precise, the
rays cannot make a difference between cancerous and normal cells, so
they "burn" them together.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy involves the administration of drugs that kill the cancer
cells or stop them from growing. Most chemotherapy medications are
given through an intravenous line, although some are administered in
pill form. Chemotherapy is a harsh regime, which often makes people
feel more ill than the illness they are suffering from; however, it has
been proved very effective.
Chemotherapy is a great treatment method to use
both prior and after surgery. With the help of this method, you can
virtually contract the cancerous tumor before the actual surgery,
making it easier and less complex to remove. In addition, chemotherapy
is used in the same sense as radiation therapy after the surgical
intervention, to stop the diseased cells to recur.
Chemotherapy is administered usually in cycles
where each cycle consists of a period of intensive treatment that lasts
for a few days or weeks followed by a week of recovery. Most patients
with breast cancer have two to four cycles of chemotherapy to start
with before tests are performed to see what effects it has had on the
cancer.
Chemotherapy is different to radiation as it can
treat the whole body with the potential of finding other tumor cells
that have migrated from the breast and surrounding area. Many people
are familiar with chemotherapy's side effects although the side effects
do depend upon drugs to treat the patient.
The most common side effects are loss of hair,
loss of appetite, fatigue, vomiting and low blood cell count making the
patient more susceptible to infections, feeling sick or tired. Many
notice that they bleed more than usual, especially from gums, sores and
small scrapes etc.
There are three different chemotherapy strategies
are used in breast cancer:
Adjuvant chemotherapy this is given to patients
who have undergone curative treatment for breast cancer such as
radiation or surgery. In order to decrease the possibility of the
breast cancer recurrence, this treatment is given.
Pre-surgical chemotherapy this is given to shrink
a large tumor and/or to kill any stray cancerous cells. This will also
increase the chance that the surgery will kill the cancer completely.
Regular chemotherapy this is given routinely to
people who have breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast or the
surrounding local area.
Hormonal therapy may also be given, as many breast
cancers such as those that have ample estrogens or progesterone
receptors are sensitive to changes in hormones.
Tamoxifen Breast Cancer Treatment
Those women who are genetically at high risk of developing breast
cancer may benefit from tamoxifen as it has previously been seen to
decrease the incidence of the disease occurring. Raloxifene, which is
used to treat osteoporosis, is now being studied for treating breast
cancer.
In some breast cancer cases, a woman's natural
hormones are suppressed with drugs whereas other patients find benefits
by adding hormones. Tamoxifen for instance is currently the most
commonly prescribed effective hormone treatment. It can be used for
treating breast cancer and in the prevention of breast cancer.
Tamoxifen has few side effects and can considerably improve the life
span of those women who have advanced cases of breast cancer.
Fulvestrant Breast Cancer Treatment
A further treatment, Fulvestrant has recently been approved in the USA.
It is planned to be used for treating hormone receptor positive
metastastic breast cancer in women who have been through the menopause.
It is given following antiestrogen therapy.
Monoclonal Breast Cancer Treatment
Another treatment known as monoclonal is antibodies that are
antagonistic against the proteins, which are in or around cancer cells.
They recognise an invader such as a cancer cell and attack it. This
antibody therapy is currently being investigated holds out a lot of
hope for breast cancer sufferers.
Excessive alcohol intake and obesity following
menopause can increase the risk of developing breast cancer although
this increase is slight. Those physically active women have a lower
risk.
Preventative or Prophylactic Mastectomies
More and more women who are at a high risk of developing breast cancer
are having preventative or prophylactic mastectomies to avoid them
developing breast cancer.
The main risk factors for women to develop breast
are age, sex and genetics. Women can do nothing about some risks so
preventing death caused due to breast cancer is recommended with
regular screening.
Women should undertake regular screening including
self-examination, mammography and clinical breast examinations.
I hope that reading the above information was both
enjoyable and educational for you. That's how things stand right now.
Keep in mind that any subject can change over time, so be sure you keep
up with the latest news.
Article Source: http://
www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/new-
treatment-options-for-breast-cancer-64000.html About the Author
Nishanth Reddy is an author and publisher of many
health related websites. To learn more about Breast cancer symptoms,
causes, stages and different treatment options available to cure Breast
cancer, visit his website at Breast Cancer
Information | 