> Treatment Options for Different Types of Breast Cancer
Treatment for non-invasive breast cancer
Treatment for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a non-invasive breast cancer, involves surgery and possibly radiation therapy and/or tamoxifen.
Treatment for invasive breast cancer
Treatment for invasive breast cancer usually involves a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and/or targeted therapy. The order of the therapies and the specific treatments depend on how advanced the cancer is and the characteristics of the tumor.
Treatment by type of breast cancer
These sections describe the recommended treatments for different types of non-invasive and invasive breast cancer.
Your breast cancer treatment plan
Your breast cancer treatment plan is based on both medical and personal choices. It is tailored to:
- Your specific type of breast cancer (the biology of the tumor)
- The stage of the breast cancer
- Other medical issues
- Your personal preferences
Because of the differences between tumors and between people, your treatment plan may differ from another person’s, even though you both have breast cancer. Each treatment option has risks and benefits that you must consider with your own values and lifestyle.
Treatment for breast cancer can be thought of in two areas: local therapy and systemic therapy.
Local therapy
Local therapy is designed to remove the cancer from a limited (local) area, such as the breast, chest wall and lymph nodes in the armpit (axillary nodes), and make sure it does not recur (come back) in that area. It usually involves surgery, with or without radiation therapy to the breast area.
Systemic therapy (adjuvant therapy)
Systemic therapy aims to get rid of cancer cells that may have spread from the breast to other parts of the body. This usually means drug therapy, which travels throughout the body to get rid of cancer cells that may have spread from the breast to other parts of the body. Systemic therapy includes chemotherapy, hormone therapy and targeted therapy. Because systemic therapy is an adjunct (or in addition to) breast surgery, these therapies are often called adjuvant therapy.
Learn about factors that affect treatment options.
Find information about financial issues related to treatment.
How does your age affect your treatment plan?
No matter your age, your treatment plan depends on many factors, such as the type of breast cancer you have and the characteristics of the tumor. Your overall health and health conditions also play a role in your treatment plan. For example, if you have heart disease, some medicines can cause more harm than good. All of these factors help tailor your treatment plan.
Young women with breast cancer also have special concerns about early menopause and loss of fertility due to treatment. Learn about these issues for young women with breast cancer.
Treatment guidelines
Although the exact treatment for breast cancer varies from person to person, some organizations have treatment guidelines to help ensure quality care. These guidelines are based on the latest research and the consensus of experts. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and National Comprehensive Care Network (NCCN) are two respected organizations that regularly update and post their guidelines online.
You should ask your health care providers what treatment guidelines they use as the basis of their practice. Since there is often a time lag between the latest research and updates of guidelines, most medical oncologists prefer to base their treatment on the latest research that ultimately drives these guidelines.
Updated 09/14/11
