> Treatment Options for Different Types of Breast Cancer
Treatment for ductal carcinoma in situ (a non-invasive breast cancer) involves surgery and possibly radiation therapy and/or tamoxifen. Treatment for invasive breast cancer usually involves a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and/or targeted therapy. However, depending on the characteristics of the tumor and how advanced the cancer is, the order of the therapies and the specific treatments used differ greatly. The following sections describe the recommended courses of treatment for different types of non-invasive and invasive breast cancer.
Treatment guidelines
Although the exact treatment for breast cancer varies from person to person, several organizations have general treatment guidelines to help ensure quality care. These guidelines are based on the latest research, and some are available online. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and National Comprehensive Care Network (NCCN) are two respected organizations that regularly update and post their guidelines and clinical overviews online.
You should ask your health care providers what guidelines they use as the basis of their practice. It is important to keep in mind that there is often a time lag between the latest research and updates of treatment guidelines. For this reason, most medical oncologists prefer to base their treatment on the latest research that ultimately drives these guidelines.
Updated 12/28/09
