Breast Cancer Treatment

Breast cancer treatment is for those who have been diagnosed with some form of the disease involving the breasts, through test and analyses over several weeks to confirm the status. Symptoms can be recognized by doing a daily self-breast examination, especially for at-risk women over the age of 40. Yearly mammograms also detect cancer and allow for effective breast cancer treatment methods earlier on. There are many types of this this one form that require a variety of healing techniques. First and foremost, though, the sufferer should go to God for his healing power. "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds" (Psalm 147:3).

Tumors can be small, requiring non-invasive surgery. More invasive breast cancer treatment results from the larger tumors that are either localized or have spread throughout the entire body. Most all types of cancer treatment are dependent on the size of the tumor, the tumor grade, hormone receptor status, HER2 over expression, and margins of resection. Taking a tissue sample will determine the type of tumor to develop a plan of attack that can be the most effective. There are four types of methods that are widely practiced when a patient is diagnosed with the disease. They are: surgery, radiation, herceptin, and chemotherapy.

Surgery is used in two ways: lumpectomy and mastectomy. A cancer treatment for lumpectomy is when only the tumor is removed, which is followed by radiation treatment to get the last stragglers of cancerous cells out of the body. A mastectomy is a surgery where the entire breast is removed, and radiation may or may not follow to eliminate any other cancerous cells. Herceptin is a chemical that is very effective against cancerous tumors in the early stages. It is given intravenously into the bloodstream every week, two weeks or three weeks depending on the specific breast cancer treatment plan. It targets the cancerous cells and destroys them.

Radiation therapy is highly targeted and a highly effective way to destroy cancerous cells that linger after surgery. Radiation cancer treatment reduces the risk of recurrence. Chemotherapy is perhaps the most well-known option. It affects the whole body by being administered through the bloodstream. The purpose of chemotherapy is to get rid of cancer cells that have spread elsewhere in the body. It interferes with cancer cells that are rapidly dividing. Unfortunately other normal cells in the mouth, blood, intestinal tract, nose, nails and hair divide rapidly as well and are also affected by chemotherapy. Choosing the right way to treat the disease is discussed between the patient and their doctor.

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