Treatment for breast cancer There are two main treatments: one is the local treatment of the other is systemic therapy. The most common means of local treatment is surgery and radiation therapy. Treatment principle is: as much as possible for patients to surgical excision and elimination of the primary site of tumor cells to prevent recurrence.
Systemic treatment relies mainly on the drugs such as anticancer drugs and endocrine drugs mainly used for surgery before and after surgery to prevent the transfer. For patients with advanced inoperable, but also mainly to systemic therapy.
(A) Surgery
The treatment of breast cancer present, the main method of surgical methods are conserving surgery, local wide excision, partial mastectomy, total mastectomy plus axillary lymph node dissection, radical mastectomy. Breast-conserving surgery for early borderline tumor in the breast cancer within 3cm of the whole breast radiation therapy to be OK, systemic adjuvant therapy, efficacy was similar with the modified radical mastectomy. After surgery patients often feel like there is no surgery, as no change in shape, living with the normal person. Therefore, as far as possible to make reservations for sparing surgery. There are still breast reconstruction in a way which can be taken.
(B) radiation therapy is the use of high doses of radiation has damaged the ability of cell growth and proliferation. Normal cells and cancer cells are affected by radiation therapy, normal cells even though the role by the radiation, but also the ability to recover quickly, but the abnormal cells, rapid proliferation of cancer cells will be destroyed. Postoperative radiation therapy is mainly used as adjuvant therapy for patients with lymph node metastasis, and some need to do radiation therapy. Meanwhile, during breast-conserving surgery after radiation therapy is to do a more important means of conserving surgery treatment of radiation therapy did significantly lower rate of local recurrence.
Breast cancer treatment (c) chemotherapy
Referred to chemotherapy is the use of drugs, the so-called cytotoxic (cell killing) drugs to destroy cancer cells. The purpose of chemotherapy is to kill the principles of anti-cancer drugs is a particular concentration in a certain period of time to kill a certain proportion of cells. Chemotherapy in patients with hormone receptor-negative more than can be used as adjuvant therapy after surgery, patients can be treated as a late present for Phase II and III A patients in advance of chemotherapy, reduced lesions, further surgery. Chemotherapy drugs directly depends on the dose and treatment to the degree of repetition.
(D) endocrine therapy
For patients with hormone receptor-positive primary principle is that some of the better efficacy of the growth of breast cancer need estrogen, through the use of chemical drugs that inhibit the binding of estrogen receptor, or block estrogen synthesis, so that the growth of tumor cells by slow or even stop. The commonly used drugs for the endocrine therapy of estrogen receptor modulation agent (such as the three phenoxy plastic, etc.), a new generation of aromatase inhibitors (furlongs) and pituitary RH-LH analogues. Served three years in patients with 5-phenoxy adhesive available furlongs to do to continue to strengthen treatment to reduce recurrence risk. Endocrine therapy for older patients than younger patients with good results. Of course, if patients with hormone receptor-negative, endocrine therapy is largely ineffective.
Breast cancer treatment (e) targeted therapy in recent years the rise of new therapies. Some of the previous chemotherapy is "the enemy", regardless of the killing effect of normal cells also. But the purpose of targeted therapy have a role only in tumor cells, but no effect on normal cells. Targeted therapy refers to the different specific according to the tumor site, so its selective anticancer drugs play a role, with high efficiency, low toxicity characteristics.