Types of treatment
The goal of treating early breast cancer is to get rid of the cancer and keep it from coming back. Treatment for early breast cancer includes some combination of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and targeted therapy. These treatments are designed to remove the cancer from the breast and destroy any cancer that might still be in the body.
You may have a combination of these treatments, depending on your situation. It is impossible to generalize about breast cancer treatment because there are so many different sets of circumstances. Your doctor will take many different factors into account when deciding which treatment is best for you. Some of the factors they consider are:
- Type of breast cancer
- Size of breast tumor
- Stage of breast cancer
- Grade of cancer cells
- Whether you have had your menopause
- Whether your cancer cells have receptors for particular cancer drugs
- Your general health
If you feel strongly about having or not having a particular treatment, talk with your doctor as there may be other options for you. If you prefer a particular type of treatment, but it wasn’t suggested by your specialist, you can discuss it together, he/she can explain the reasons to you.