Monday, March 28, 2011

Stage 3 Breast Cancer Treatment Options

In stage III of the breast cancer the cancer still hasn't spread far beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes.At this stage there are greater  numbers of lymph nodes involves  more than ten or the tumor is so large it extends to the chest wall or involves the skin of the breast.There is various options of treatment at this stag.At this stage Women mostly do well with a combination of treatments.These combination includes the following options.

Following are the treatment options of stage 3 breast cancer

Surgical procedure:Surgery for stage III breast cancers may consist of a mastectomy or lumpectomy..If the tumor is small so lumpectomy is effective for the removal of tumor.In this procedure tumor and some of the damage tissues are removed.For bigger tumor mastectomy is effective.In this procedure the entire breast is removed.At this stage after a mastectomy be there is also a need of breast reconstruction.

Chemotherapy:
Chemotherapy is a common treatment at this stage.This treatment can damage any remaining cancer cells that were missed in surgery.Chemotherapy can also used before surgery to minimize the size of tumor.You would still need chemotherapy after surgery.In some cases where surgery does not work chemotherapy may be the main treatment.

Hormonal Therapy:Hormonal therapy can help women with hormone receptor-positive cancers..Hormonal therapy is a cancer treatment that abolishes hormones or blocks their action and stops cancer cells from building.Hormones are substances produced by glands in the body and circulated in the bloodstream.These drugs include tamoxifen aromatase inhibitors like Arimidex, Aromasin, and Femara.



Few hormonal therapies for stage 2


Tamoxifen(In this therapy a pill named tamoxifen is use.Tamoxifen can be used in women of any age.Long-term use of this anti-estrogen drug has been found to reduce the chance of breast cancer re occurrence).

Aromatase Inhibitors(In this therapy aromatase inhibitors are use.Aromatase inhibitors are very  effective in treating breast cancer  both in early stage and advanced disease).

Arimidex (Chemical name anastrozole.Aromatase inhibitor used to treat estrogen receptor positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women).

Aromasin (Chemical name exemestane.It is used for women with early breast cancer after 2 to 3 years of tamoxifen treatment this medication is used to treat certain types of breast cancer like hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer).



Biological Therapy :Biological therapy is a new way of treating cancer.Biological therapy for breast cancer takes benefit of the body's own immune or hormonal system to act on cancer cells  while leaving healthy cells relatively intact.One strategy is to use antibodies to attack cancer cells or block their activities. An antibody is a protein that can attach to specific proteins in the body, called antigens. Antibodies can be natural or made artificially as well. It stops the harmful protein from making the cancer grow and makes chemotherapy more effective.

Radiation therapy(Radio therapy):Radiotherapy is standard for women with stage III breast cancer who get surgery. Radiation can destroy any of the cancer cells that were alive.

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