Breast Cancer is a big problem in the world today as it has become the second leading cause of female cancer deaths. So, when anybody hears that someone, maybe their friends or family, have contracted and are suffering from breast cancer, two questions will come into their minds: the first being how it happened and the other being what treatments are available for it.
There are various treatment methods for breast cancer such as Surgery, Radiation Therapy and Systematic Therapy, which could be used at all stages of breast cancer. However, choosing the best type of treatment depends on the decision taken by the doctor, patient, friends and family. The different treatment methods are explained in detail below.
Surgery
A surgery is mainly done with the aim of removing the cancer from the breast. The lump or tumor will be removed, which can take a number of forms based on the size of the tumor. In a Lumpectomy, only the cancerous tissue will be removed along with a rim of normal tissue, but in a Mastectomy (simple or total), the entire breast will be removed. These surgeries should then be followed by radiation therapy for better results.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is used to destroy the remaining cancer cells in the breast, chest wall or armpit region after a successful surgery. It is also used to reduce the size of the lump or tumor, so that the lump is small enough in size to be surgically removed. X-rays or gamma rays are used in this process to destroy the cancer cells in the breast region.
It is usually given for 5 to 7 weeks, and is highly recommended after a lumpectomy, and sometimes also following mastectomy. However, radiation therapy is supposed to have side-effects such as reddening of the skin, softness in the treated region, swelling, stiffened muscles, low energy (due to the process of cell repairing) and the irradiated breast shrinking faster in the long term.
Systematic Therapy
Systematic therapy includes Immune therapy, Chemotherapy and Hormone therapy.
Immune therapy
Immune therapy is only given to those patients who have metastasized diseases. But it has also been found that the use of immune therapy in the early stages of breast cancer can be highly beneficial for the victim.
Chemotherapy
It is the use of chemicals (as a treatment) to kill cancerous cells. It is used to shrink the size of the tumor before surgery, and is also used after surgery, so as to prevent recurrence of the breast cancer.
Hormone therapy
Hormone therapy is recommended by doctors for those patients who are estrogen-receptor-positive, once they have gone through chemotherapy.
Other Treatment Methods
Other treatment methods include Massage or Therapeutic Touch, Yoga, Meditation, Ayurveda, Chiropractic, Acupuncture, and Black Cohosh and Linseed (herbal remedies). Even though these methods are not scientifically proven, most people believe in them since they or their loved ones have benefited from these methods at some point in their lives as breast cancer victims. So if the scientific methods don’t work out well, try using these unconventional methods too. |
