Breast Cancer Treatment – Types of Surgeries & Therapies
Breast cancer behaviour and biology affect the treatment. Some types of breast cancers are aggressive – though they are small, they grow quickly.
Female breast surgeon in Hyderabad, Dr Geetha Nagasree
Larger breast cancers grow slowly. Therefore, treatment methodologies and approaches vary depending on the type, nature and behaviour of cancer. Therefore, any good female breast surgeon in Hyderabad, formulates personalized treatment plans that depends on several factors – such as stage, type of breast cancer (inflammatory type, lobular or triple-negative and others), the overall health of the patient, age, presence of inherited gene mutations such as BRCA1 or BRCA2 and menopausal status of the women.
Female breast surgeon in Hyderabad, recommends systemic treatment for large breast cancer – which includes neoadjuvant therapy. Chemotherapy and hormonal therapy are given before surgery – which helps in shrinking cancer. If the tumour shrinks, it will be helpful to perform breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) in place of mastectomy.
What is adjuvant therapy?
Breast cancer surgeons recommend other treatments after breast cancer surgery. This type of treatment is known as adjuvant therapy. It may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy or targeted therapy. This type of treatment approach helps in reducing the risk of recurrence of breast cancer after an early-stage treatment by surgery.
What are the types of breast cancer surgeries?
Lumpectomy or segmental mastectomy – which is also known as a partial mastectomy or quadrantectomy – Is a breast-conserving surgery. Women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and also having BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations are suitable for this type of surgery. In addition to gene status, other factors may also determine the type of surgery for a patient. During this surgical procedure, breast lump (tumour) is removed along with a cancer-free margin of healthy tissue. Radiation therapy is often recommended after surgery.
Mastectomy: In this type of breast surgery, breast surgeon removes the entire breast. There are other types of mastectomies – it is better to discuss with your doctor regarding those procedures. Mastectomy depends on the size of the breast tumour – if it is large, then the entire breast is removed.
Breast reconstruction means reconstructing breast using tissues from other body parts or synthetic implants. A plastic surgeon performs breast reconstruction. It can be an immediate reconstruction when it is done at the time of mastectomy or a delayed one if it is done in the future. Plastic surgeons perform breast reconstruction surgery after mastectomy or lumpectomy.
The doctors who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer belong to different specialities of breast cancer treatment. For instance, surgical oncologist, radiation oncologist and medical oncologist form a team and work together with other specialists – such as pathologists and radiologists. They together prepare a comprehensive breast cancer treatment plan. They treat a patient with a combination of different types of treatments. In other words, they form a multidisciplinary team and work collaboratively.
Other Treatment Modalities
Chemotherapy – This is the type of treatment that involves the use of drugs to destroy cancer cells and to prevent them from growing and dividing. It can be used as neoadjuvant chemotherapy or adjuvant chemotherapy.
Hormonal therapy (endocrine therapy). In breast cancer treatment, it acts as anti-Estrogen or anti-hormone therapy to block hormone action or lower their levels in the body. Doctors give this therapy prior to surgery (neoadjuvant therapy) to shrink the tumour or to reduce the chances of its recurrence. When it is given after the surgery to reduce the risk of recurrence, it is called adjuvant therapy.
Targeted therapy for breast cancer: In this type of therapy drugs are used to target specific genes, proteins or the tissue environment that support cancer cells’ growth.
Targeted therapy is a treatment that targets cancer’s specific genes, proteins, or the tissue environment that contributes to cancer growth and survival. These treatments are very focused and work differently than chemotherapy. This type of treatment blocks the growth and spread of cancer cells and limits damage to healthy cells.
Immunotherapy – it is used for advanced or metastatic breast cancer
Bottom Line
We encourage patients to talk with us regarding the goals of each treatment and also about the possible outcomes and side effects of treatment. The patients should also talk about any other concerns related to the treatment they may have. In addition to medical and surgical care, palliative care (supportive) is also important to stop, slow or eliminate cancer. Palliative care includes emotional support, nutritional changes, relaxation techniques and other therapies to achieve treatment goals faster.
Dr Geetha Nagasree
Dr Geetha Nagasree is the first female M Ch qualified surgical oncologist in the twin states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Currently, she is the most sought-after female breast surgeon in Hyderabad. If you are searching for a breast cancer specialist in Hyderabad, then fix an appointment with her to discuss all the concerns you have regarding breast cancer treatment.
READ MORE – YOU MUST KNOW THIS ABOUT BREAST CONSERVATION SURGERY
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