People suffering from cancer need both support and information no matter which stage of cancer they are in. Breast cancer is a very delicate issue which happened due to the abnormal growth of cells in the chest region. You need to acquire all sorts of options available for treatment and then collecting the resources which are required, is going to help you for making some informed decisions about your treatment. This article is definitely going to help you to gain some knowledge regarding your treatment options related to breast cancer.
Importance of breast cancer treatments
The treatment procedures and options for breast cancer are becoming better every year and the patients have a variety of options today than they ever had. Having so many options around you is always beneficial for you to know and keep yourself informed as much as possible about the treatments which can be most helpful to you. But, every treatment options have some common and main significant aims, they are:
- To rid the body of the patient of the cancer as much as possible
- To prevent the disease from coming back again
Identifying the perfect breast cancer treatment for you
Before recommending you a treatment, your doctor would be considering some factors which are:
- The size of the tumor grown
- The type of breast cancer you possess
- The stage of your breast cancer that is how far this disease has provided in your body
- Your age and if you are in your menopause.
- If your tumor causes the things which are named as receptors of the HER2 protein, progesterone, estrogen or any such other particular features.
- Lastly, the other health conditions of you besides your personal preferences also place to be a very important role for this decision making procedure.
Types of breast cancer treatment
Some treatment procedures helps the breast cancer by destroying or removing the disease within the breast itself and its nearby tissues like the lymph nodes and the options are:
Radiation therapy: The radiation therapy is being used along with high energy waves for killing the cells of cancer. Studies say that various women under the age of 70 who are passing lumpectomy are able to get radiations too. The doctors are also going to recommend the method of radiation therapy when the disease spreads thoroughly. It is able to destroy the cancer cells which are unable to be removed by the surgeon . The radiation can be given either from a machine from the outer region of your body or you might be provided with tiny seeds which gives off the radiation after being placed inside the breast where the tumor was previously.
Surgery: 86% of the women choose surgery as the first option for checking out their tumor. The operation named as lumpectomy helps in removing the part of your breast only which carries the cancer. It is also known as breast-conserving surgery. But in some severe cases, sometimes the whole breast needs to be removed and they are known as mastectomy. There are several types of mastectomy and lumpectomy.
The following treatment options will be controlling the cancer cells or destroying the cancer cells all throughout your body:
- Hormone therapy: Drugs are used in this therapy for preventing hormones like estrogen so that it stops producing the fuel for the growth of breast cancer cells. There are several types of this therapy and some of them work by restricting the ovaries from secreting the hormones either through medication or surgery.
- Chemotherapy: In chemotherapy, some particular drugs are being used for killing the cancer cells through an IV and some medicines are being taken as pills. 62% of the patients receive chemotherapy after the surgery in order to kill any cancer cells which are left Behind . Chemotherapy is also prescribed for 43% of the women before their surgery in order to make the size of the tumor smaller. Although chemotherapy is an effective way for fighting cancer, it also harms the healthy cells.
- Immunotherapy: This process works by using your own immune system for targeting the cancer. The drugs which are approved for treating breast cancer are used over here.
- Targeted therapy: The targeted therapy is used for triggering the patient's body’s immune system in order to kill the cancer cells. The medicines which are being used for targeted therapy concepts of high levels of protein and they are usually used in the advanced stages. 21% of women who have already been provided treatment with hormonal therapy and chemotherapy need targeted therapy. The woman who possesses a certain change in gene which resulted from treatment by the hormonal therapy needs to undergo this targeted therapy for blocking the cells of cancer from getting the signals of growth.
You might be provided with any one or a combination of the therapies mentioned above for treating your breast cancer.
Side effects of breast cancer treatments
Maximum treatment options of breast cancer consists of side effects. Some symptoms might come later on, while some start from the treatment time and go away after the treatments stop. Some of the common side effects are:
- Hair loss
- Tiredness or fatigue
- Weight loss or weight gain
- Depression
- Nausea
- Getting trouble while sleeping
- Problems might be faced while getting pregnant
- Skin and nail changes, like dry skins or brittle nails
Tips to make yourself feel better during the treatment
As the treatment options are more or less time taking, so while experiencing breast cancer it is definitely going to have a toll over your emotions. Depression is one of the very common factors which comes along with the experience of breast cancer. The hormonal therapy, painkillers and chemotherapy will be making your feelings to worsen over time. So you can follow these tips to feel good.
- Tip 1. Always eat healthy yet tasty foods which are full of protein but remember to limit the intake of sugar, salt, alcohol and saturated fat.
- Tip 2. Doing some light exercises after counselling with your doctor is helpful for maintaining your weight and to keep up with your appetite . Exercise also helps to deal with some other side effects like fatigue and bad thoughts. But remember to understand the perfect activity level for you from a professional.
- Tip3. If possible join some exercise or yoga class to find a partner who would be helping you to stick with an exercise routine. Doing exercise for a few minutes will also help to create a positive difference in your feelings.
- Tip4. Spend more time with your family, loved ones or friends and find a person with whom you can talk your heart out even if it can be your therapist too.
- Tip 5. Start doing the things which will make you feel better and will relax you like watching a favorite show, taking a walk or even joining your hobby classes.
Conclusion
Cancer is definitely one of the life threatening issues, but with the development of several new treatment options breast cancer gets fully treated in maximum of the women. If you observe any symptom of breast cancer in your body then visit an oncologist as early as you can because the early stages of breast cancer have a faster recovery rate.
Reference List:
https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/treatment.htm
https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/breast-cancer/types-treatment
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/treatment.html
https://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/breast-cancer-treatment