Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer that is experienced by female patients worldwide. Even though breast cancer awareness is increasing, still breast cancer is the reason for thousands of deaths. Just like in any other type of cancer, the probability of the treatment is depended on the breast cancer stages. Therefore, there is a continued effort that aims to increase breast cancer awareness.
Fortunately, for many female patients with symptoms of breast cancer, several treatment alternatives include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. As medicine progress, these procedures become increasingly sophisticated and bring better outcomes in treating cancer.
All patients with breast cancer symptoms and diagnoses are candidates for breast cancer treatment. However, for patients with stage 4 breast cancer, sometimes it is recommended not to undergo chemotherapy or other cancer treatment since there are more disadvantages than advantages at the advanced stage.
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If the patient is suffering from breast cancer symptoms and is diagnosed by an oncologist, the patient is suitable for breast cancer treatment. However, the doctor would decide on the exact type of treatment.
There is no certain preparation needed for both chemotherapy treatment and radiation therapy. It is generally advised to undergo any scheduled medical procedures (such as a visit in the dentist’s office) before deciding on them – during breast cancer treatment and for some time after it, it may be impossible to undergo other medical treatments. In the case of other types of treatment, such as breast cancer surgery, it is advised to talk to your oncologist to get suggestions about the proper preparation.
For patients with early stages of breast cancer, local, less invasive treatments are performed, such as radiation therapy and breast cancer surgery. Performing radiation therapy as a breast cancer treatment might require a few sessions while breast cancer surgery may be a one-time procedure. Still, it is subjected to cancer diagnosis and developments during and after the treatment.
For patients who are suffering from advanced stages of breast cancer, holistic procedures are performed. During chemotherapy treatment, drugs are injected into the patient’s body. However, during chemotherapy, healthy cells get harmed as well. Therefore there is a need for a long recovery period. Other alternative treatment methods include targeted therapy and hormone therapy, which harm the patient’s body less. Depending on the patient’s condition, these treatments may take one or several sessions.
The recovery period of breast cancer treatment depends on the type of treatment performed. For instance, performing radiation therapy for breast cancer might be related to the recovery period that lasts for months because of the side effects of radiation. The patient might experience the effects of chemotherapy treatment for years, but most of the time, patients return to their regular life during the first months of the recovery process.
Even though all kinds of breast cancer treatments involve certain risks and complications, these are not very significant since breast cancer treatment’s main goal is to save the patient’s life. However, breast cancer treatment risks involve damage to vital organs such as the lungs or liver as well as pain, either real or phantom (in the case of performed breast cancer surgery – mastectomy).
• General weakness
• Damage to organs and probable complications associated with this situation
• Sweating
• Swelling
• Vomiting
As medicine progresses, the results of breast cancer treatment improve. It was found that the 5-year survival rate of breast cancer treatment is 89% while the 10-year survival rate is around 83%, and the 15-year survival rate is around 78%.
Patients who are suffering from breast cancer and had breast cancer treatment experiences changes in their lives. The patients might experience the side effects of chemotherapy, radiation treatment, or targeted therapy for months or years. Also, it is possible that the patient’s general life quality might never be as good as it was before cancer treatment. Additionally, patients who had breast cancer surgery might experience problems with the social stigma associated with mastectomy. However, rising awareness of breast cancer makes this problem increasingly irrelevant.
Which Treatment is the Best for Breast Cancer?
There is no certain answer for “the best” breast cancer treatment. The type of breast cancer therapy depends on cancer diagnosis, stage of breast cancer as well as patient’s condition. Therefore, the doctor might recommend breast cancer surgery for one patient and chemotherapy treatment for another.
Is there such a Thing as Male Breast Cancer?
Yes. Even though it is thought that breast cancer is a female disease, male patients can also suffer from it. Yet, many patients who are suffering from breast cancer treatment are females.
Aren’t the Side Effects of Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy More Damaging than Breast Cancer?
Even though there are several severe side effects of radiation therapy or chemotherapy treatment, it is not worth risking your life to avoid them.