TREATMENT+by+melissa+and+michelle

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There are often more than one treatment option for breast cancer. You might choose to go through surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy,and hormonal therapy. __Surgery: __ There are two main kinds of surgery treatment: Lumpectomy and Mastectomy. Lumpectomy is when the cancer and some surrounding normal tissue are removed. If choose lumpectomy, you usually also have to go through radiation therapy. Surgeon may also do a sentinel node analysis to see if the cancer have spread to other areas of the body. Not all women choose lumpectomy as their option because there are some harmful side effects.

Mastectomy can be divided into two kinds of surgery. Partial mastectomy and simple mastectomy. Partial mastectomy removes the tumor, surrounding tissues, and lining of chest muscles. Patient may also go through sentinel node analysis and followed by radiation therapy. Simple mastectomyis when all breast tissue is removed. (All lobules, ducts and fatty tissue are removed, as well as a strip of skin with the nipple and areola. EVEYRTHING!) The patient is also likely to do a sentinel node analysis after this surgery. In simple mastectomy, chest muscles are left intact which makes it less complicated for breast reconstruction later on. Radiation, chemotherapy or hormone therapy may also be needed, depending on the results of the surgery and follow-up tests. __Radiation Therapy: __ External radiation is when high-energy x-rays are used to kill cancer cells that may be left in the breast or lymph nodes after surgery. Treatments usually occur five days per week for six or seven weeks. This therapy is painless and lasts around 30 minutes. It usually begins three to four weeks after surgery. __Chemotherapy: __ Chemotherapy is when anti-cancer drugs are given by IV or pills to kill cancer cells that have escaped to other parts of the body. More than one drug is usually used together. Chemotherapy can be used after suergery, before surgery, or as the main treatment for women whose breast cancer have already spread past the breast and lymph nodes. If it is used before surgery, it helps to reduce the size of a tumor and make it easier to remove. If used after surgery, it helps reduce the chance of the breast cancer returning. Unfortunately, chemotherapy drugs damage healthy cells in your body, which can lead to side effects; but these side effects vary depending on the drugs used. Many people suffer from hair loss, nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, changes in menstruation, and fatigue. Luckily, most side effects go away after the treatment is over. Chemotherapy is done in cycles with breaks in between. Total course of treatment may take up to six months. __Hormonal therapy: __ Hormone treatments reduce the amount of estrogen engaging with the cancer cells, therefore slowing or preventing their growth. The two most common drugs used for hormone therapy are tamoxifen and aromatase inhabitors. Tamoxifen is used to treat women with metastatic breast cancer to slow the growth of the breast cancer cells that are already at other parts of their body. It is also used to prevent the recurrence of cancer in women with early stage breast cancer, and also used as a treatment for high-risk women to prevent the development of breast cancer. This drug is less toxic than other cancer medications, but can cause side effects: Menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, irregular menstruation, fatigue and fluid retention. In both men and women, it may cause headaches, nausea, skin rash, and sexual side effects. Serious complications are possible, but uncommom Aromatase Inhibitors prevents the body from making estrogen. It is used to treat metastatic breast cancer (secondary cacerous growth) and to prevent the of early stage breast cancer to reoccur, but only in post-menopausal women (women whose menstruation have not permanently stopped yet). This drug may be used after or instead of tamoxifen to decrease the possibility of breast cancer coming back. <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 宋体;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 宋体;">Quiz Question: What is the difference between partial mastectomy and simple mastectomy?