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In the United States women each year develop breast cancer. Although these statistics are alarming, there are a number of treatment options available for those that are diagnosed with breast cancer. The best way to treat any disease is to prevent it. Since little is known about breast cancer, there are no established rules for prevention. women age twenty and older perform monthly breast self-exams, and it also suggests clinical examinations every three years. Mammography is also a wonderful tool for detecting tumors; however, there is conflicting data on when and how often women should have mammograms.
It is known that mammography is the best way to determine if a palpable lump is actually cancerous or not. Treatment methods for breast cancer can be lumped in two major categories local or systemic. Local treatments are used to destroy or control the cancer cells in a specific area of the body. Surgery and radiation therapy are considered local treatments.
Systemic treatments are used to destroy or control cancer cells anywhere in the body. Chemotherapy and hormonal therapy are considered systemic treatments. Surgery is the most common treatment for breast cancer. Although there are many different types of breast cancer surgery, they all fit into a few basic categories. An operation that aims to remove most or the entire breast is called a mastectomy. If at all possible, doctors shy away from mastectomies due to the side effects, which include loss of strength in the closest arm, swelling of the arm, and limitation of shoulder movement.
If a mastectomy must be performed, the physician will often suggest post surgical reconstruction of the breast. Another type of breast cancer surgery is called breast-sparing surgery. This category would include lumpectomies and segmental mastectomies. In this situation, doctors remove only the tumor and make an attempt at sparing the rest of the breast tissue. These procedures are often followed by radiation therapy to destroy any cancer cells that may remain in the area.
In most cases, the surgeon also removes lymph nodes under the arm to help determine whether cancer cells have entered the lymphatic system. However, radiation therapy is another common treatment for breast cancer. Radiation involves the use of high-energy x-rays to damage cancer cells and retard further growth. The radiation may come from a radioactive source outside the body, or it can come from radioactive pellets placed directly in the breasts. It is not uncommon for a patient to receive both internal and external radiation. For external radiation, patients must visit the hospital or clinic each day.
When this regimen follows breast sparing surgery, the treatments are given five days a week for five to six weeks. At the end of that time, an extra boost of radiation is often given to the place where the tumor was removed. The systemic therapies doctors use to fight breast cancer are called Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells, and it usually involves a combination of those drugs. Traditional chemotherapy is administered in cycles; a treatment period followed by a recovery period, then another treatment, and so on.
Like radiation therapy, chemotherapy can be administered on an outpatient basis. Although chemotherapy works to kill cancer cells, some of the side effects almost make treatment unbearable. Common side effects include nausea, decrease of appetite, hair loss, vaginal sores, infertility, and fatigue. Most of these effects, except infertility, cease when the treatment is over. There are many other possible treatments for breast cancer that are currently under study.
One of the biggest clinical trials involves hormone therapy. This treatment uses medication to prevent the tumors from getting the hormones, such as estrogen, that they need to thrive. Removal of the ovaries and other hormone producing glands may also be prescribed. Another treatment option being studied is bone marrow transplantation. The bone marrow can be taken from healthy parts of the patient's own body or from other donors. Although this treatment idea is still in its early stages, the results seem promising.
Since there are so many varied treatment options, treatment decisions are complex. A patient's treatment options depend on a number of factors. These factors include age, menopausal status, general health, the location of the tumor, and the size of the breasts. Certain features of the tumor cells, such as whether they depend on hormones to grow, are also considered. The most important factor is in determining treatment is the stage of the disease. Stages are based on the size of the tumor and whether it has spread to other tissues.
Contrary to the negative press commonly attributed to breast cancer, there are viable treatment options for those diagnosed with this terrible affliction. The push for increased research in breast cancer is even coming from the White House. President Bill Clinton mentioned his support for increased funding for research and prevention in his recent State of the Union Address, and he urged insurance companies to pay for more mammograms. Hopefully, with the support from the White House, new treatments can be found for breast cancer, and maybe with a little luck we will have a cure by the turn of the century.
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Research essay sample on Kill Cancer Cells Breast Cancer
