There are five standard types of care (mainstream treatment) used to treat breast cancer:
surgery
radiation therapy
chemotherapy
hormone therapy
targeted therapy
Surgery and radiation therapy are considered local therapies because they treat cancer cells without affecting the rest of your body. Local therapies are most effective in the earlier stages of breast cancer.
Chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy are known as systemic therapies. Systemic therapies use drugs to treat breast cancer. Those drugs enter your bloodstream by either oral use or injection and reach tumors that have spread throughout your body. Systemic therapies are more effective in advanced stages of breast cancer.
Some breast cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, may cause side effects that last months or even years after therapy has ended. Some treatment plans may require multiple remedies at once, or one after the other.
The stage and type of breast cancer will determine the type of treatment plan you’re on. Advanced stages of breast cancer typically require a combination of local and systemic therapies. Early on, localized or operable breast cancer may only require surgery. However, your doctor may want you on postoperative treatment to reduce the chances of tumors reappearing.
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