October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, is a great time to remind everyone of the importance of early detection and knowing all the available treatment options.
“With the exception of skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer found among women,” says Dr. Randy Heysek, founder of the Central Florida Cancer Institute. “Early detection is paramount. Women should perform a breast self-exam each month and see a physician if irregularities are found. Mammograms are also encouraged for women over the age of 40.”
Dr. Heysek says women should know their family history. The risk of developing breast cancer increases for women whose mother, sisters or daughters have had the disease. He says it is important to know how old the family member was when she was diagnosed.
Once breast cancer is diagnosed, Dr. Heysek says patients need to review all the treatment options available. “Cancer treatment varies from person to person,” he says. “What works for one person, may not work for another. The treatment should be specific to the individual.”
Breast Cancer Treatments:
Surgery can be used to both diagnose and treat breast cancer. A biopsy is a surgical procedure where a piece of the tissue from the tumor is removed for testing. If the tumor is malignant, physicians may choose to surgically remove all the tissue from the breast.
Radiation therapy uses high-energy waves or streams of radiation to penetrate a tumor. The radiation kills and hinders the growth of cancer cells. Radiation therapy is most commonly used to treat breast cancer that has spread to the bone.
Chemotherapy can be used if hormonal therapy will not work. Specific drugs are used to target and destroy rapidly dividing cancer cells. It can help shrink tumors in locally advanced breast cancer to allow for surgery.
Hormonal therapy can be used to slow the growth, spread and recurrence of breast cancer. In some cases, hormonal therapy can help keep estrogen from helping cancer cells grow and divide. The presence of estrogen receptors in cancerous tumors is the best way to predict a woman’s response to hormonal treatment.
Biologically targeted therapy covers a wide range of new treatment options. Types of treatment include monoclonal antibodies, which bind to cancer cells and slow growth; angiogenesis inhibitors, which prevent new blood vessel growth and cuts off the oxygen and nutrient supply to cancer cells; and transduction inhibitors, which can block the division of cancer cells.
