Standard treatment for breast cancer is surgery, sentinel lymph node biopsy, followed by surgery, hormone therapy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy

Surgical Treatment Approach The main surgeries performed for breast cancer are:

a.) Breast Conservation Surgery-Only the breast lump is removed while the rest of the breast tissue is preserved.

b.) Modified Radical Mastectomy with Reconstruction – All breast tissue is removed, usually followed by reconstructive surgery.

c.) Lumpectomy – Removal of a cancerous mass along with surrounding breast tissue.

d) Auxiliary Node Dissection: Patients with aggressive malignancies usually undergo an axillary lymph node dissection, which is the surgical removal of the axillary (armpit) lymph nodes. Adjunct lymph nodes are often removed during lumpectomy, radical mastectomy, or modified radical mastectomy procedures.

Hormone Therapy  – Systemic treatment of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer using certain drugs. Hormone receptors are like ears for breast cells that hear signals from hormones. These signals “turn on” the growth of cells with receptors. So, if cancer cells have hormone receptors, certain drugs block those receptors and prevent the cancer from growing or spreading.

Chemotherapy-

Certain drugs are used to stop cancer cells from growing by either killing the cells or stopping the cells from dividing and growing. Many patients may require chemotherapy after breast cancer surgery. It can be administered as a neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and palliative chemotherapy.

Radiation Therapy –

High-energy x-rays or other types of radiation are used to kill cancer cells or stop them from growing. Radiation therapy is always given after breast-conserving surgery. The procedure is painless and the patient feels nothing during treatment.