Breast Cancer: Treatment Plan & Process
By: Shania Ali
There are many kinds of treatments for breast cancer, and they primarily depend on the type of cancer and/or how far it has spread. In order to determine a patient’s treatment, doctors have to do the following procedures: breast exam, mammogram, breast ultrasound, biopsies, and MRI’s.
A patient usually goes through many different treatments depending on the severity of the cancer. A treatment plan is a summary of your cancer and the planned cancer treatment. These plans are determined by the biology and behavior of breast cancer in the particular patient and are therefore highly personalized. Examples of common treatments used are surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, biological therapy, and radiation therapy. Although treatment plans are often tailored towards the specific patient’s needs, there are general steps to be followed to treat early stage and advanced breast cancer.
Doctors usually recommend patients with early-stage invasive breast cancer to go through surgery first in order to remove the tumor. Before surgery is finalized, however, doctors may perform tests or even provide other treatments to gain more insight into the diagnoses. Sentinel lymph node biopsy and axillary lymph node dissection are commonly used to determine treatment and prognosis. During surgery, a small area of healthy tissue that surrounds the tumor, known as a margin, is removed. Common surgeries for early-stage invasive breast cancer include lumpectomies and mastectomies. Most doctors may have to perform an additional surgery–or multiple additional surgeries–to remove remaining cancer cells in the patient, often because the first attempt was not successful or the cancer grew back.
Many patients are often given adjuvant therapy in addition to surgery. Adjuvant therapies include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy and hormonal therapy. These treatments are meant to ensure that all the remaining cancer cells are treated. If the surgery is not successful or if it is impossible for all of the cancer to be removed, these therapies can aid in the shrinking of the cancer cells.
Lastly, supportive (palliative) care is medical care that focuses on the relief from pain and symptoms from a serious illness. This type of care is often used when undergoing aggressive treatments (such as adjuvant therapy), and it provides a layer of support throughout the breast cancer treatment plan. Palliative care teams work to maximize their patients’ quality of life during their treatment.
Breast Cancer: The Doctors Involved
By: Manisha Asrani
Breast cancer is a common type of cancer diagnosed in many women. Although it may not be fully curable, it can be treated and kept under control. There are many types of doctors involved in the process of helping someone diagnosed with breast cancer, and we will be covering some of them!
Medical Oncologist:
A medical oncologist is a doctor who specializes in the medical treatment of cancer. Medical oncologists have a thorough knowledge of how cancer behaves, grows, and how to treat it. They are able to figure out the risk of the breast cancer coming back and the possibility of needing treatments (such as chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, or radiation therapy). The medical oncologist manages a patient’s overall medical care for cancer and monitors their health during the treatment. They check progress frequently, review lab and X-ray results, as well as coordinate medical care before and after the treatment.
Surgical Oncologist:
A surgical oncologist is a doctor who specializes in the surgical treatment of cancer. These doctors are highly knowledgeable with the history and biology of cancer and are familiar with other oncologic specialities in their diagnosis and management. Surgical oncologists are often referred to as breast surgeons, and they specialize in the surgical removal of breast tumors and lymph nodes, ensuring that they save as much of the breast as possible. These doctors perform biopsies to diagnose cancer and remove the cancerous tumors and tissue. When that is complete, a plastic surgeon is then able to reconstruct the breast.
Other doctors that may be involved in the process of treating someone with breast cancer are radiologists and pathologists. A radiologist is a doctor who is trained in reading X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, and other forms of imaging that look closely into the body. On the other hand, a pathologist checks tissue samples under a microscope. They analyze the presence and growth of cancer, the effectiveness of past surgeries, and the amount of cancerous lymph nodes, if any.
These are only some of the doctors that specialize and help treat breast cancer. The doctors needed can depend on the severity of the condition, past treatments they may have had, and other possible accommodations. This makes the treatment plan personalized and effective. Even if a doctor does not specialize in breast cancer, they may also aid in the process of treating patients with breast cancer.
WORK CITED:
Breast Cancer: Treatment plan and process
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/breast-cancer/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20352475
https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/treatment.htm
https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/breast-cancer/types-treatment
https://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/breast-cancer-treatment
Breast Cancer: The Doctors Involved
“Choosing a Doctor.” Susan G. Komen®, ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/SelectingaPhysi cian.html.
“Health Professionals Associated with Cancer Care.” American Cancer Society,
Holland, James F. “The Surgical Oncologist.” Holland-Frei Cancer Medicine. 6th Edition., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. 1970, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK13388/
Medical Wonders 