| For women the diagnosis of breast cancer is a | | | | of tissue surrounding it. This procedure assures that |
| devastating one. Knowing the type and stage of | | | | all of the cancerous cells are indeed removed. The |
| cancer gives a patient a chance to look at the | | | | surgeon may also elect to remove one or more |
| prognosis and all of the available options. Your doctor | | | | lymph nodes that are associated with the area. |
| will be able to discuss each of the therapy modalities | | | | These lymph nodes are generally located in the |
| in great details with you and offer you his opinion but | | | | armpit. |
| the final decision rests with the patient and her | | | | With a cancer that is a bit more invasive or appears |
| family. | | | | to have spread to more areas of the breast or |
| Stage 2 breast cancer is often caught through | | | | lymph nodes the approach recommended is almost |
| mammograms or routine office visits or in some | | | | always a mastectomy. The mastectomy can be |
| cases by the patient herself while performing regular, | | | | modified or radical. A modified mastectomy leaves |
| monthly breast exams. In this stage of development | | | | some breast tissue if possible. A radical mastectomy |
| all of the cancerous cells are still localized within the | | | | is a drastic choice and involves the removal of all |
| breast tissue although there may be minimal invasion | | | | breast tissue and underlying tissue in addition to |
| and attachment to local lymph nodes. | | | | removal of lymph nodes. Women often choose |
| The survival rate and the prognosis for women with | | | | breast reconstruction surgery after their ordeal with |
| stage 2 breast cancer are quite positive. The five | | | | cancer is over. |
| year survival rate is close to 90%. There are many | | | | With a lumpectomy or a mastectomy some form of |
| treatment options that a woman can elect to choose | | | | radiation therapy is given to make sure of killing any |
| for this type of treatment. The more knowledgeable | | | | stray or missed cancer cells. This is localized radiation |
| she and her family are the better choice she will be | | | | to the breast and lymph node areas and generally |
| able to make. | | | | involves six weeks of treatment. Chemotherapy |
| The treatment plans that are used by the medical | | | | treatments are also used and this may be done |
| community in treating breast cancers at different | | | | before or after surgery, or both. There are many |
| stages all have approved protocols and procedures | | | | newer therapies offered today. One involves the use |
| but they may be used individually or in combinations | | | | of Tamoxifen or Arimidex which are both known to |
| of one or more treatments. Some patients and | | | | be inhibiting to breast cancer cells. They function best |
| doctors also elect to become involved in various test | | | | in the women who have cancers that are hormone |
| studies to see which, if any treatments, offer a | | | | receptor positive. These medicines inhibit the |
| better cure and survival rate. | | | | hormone from triggering the wild growth and |
| The most common treatment of course is surgical | | | | transformation of the cells. |
| excision of the cancerous portion of the breast. This | | | | Herceptin is another drug that intercepts the protein |
| can be done in two ways. If the cancer is very small | | | | which is named HER2. This protein makes cancer cells |
| and still encapsulated or much localized to one | | | | grow and spread rapidly. The Herceptin blocks the |
| immediate are the doctor will offer a choice of | | | | protein from triggering the cells. This is given along |
| lumpectomy or mastectomy. | | | | with chemo and radiation to those patients who have |
| With a lumpectomy only a small portion of the breast | | | | metastatic cancers and it is now being used in early |
| tissue is removed. The surgeon removes the | | | | cancer treatments as well and is one of the newest |
| cancerous portion of the breast and a certain amount | | | | treatments out on the market. |