What are the treatments for breast cancer?

In recent years, the incidence of breast cancer has been getting higher and higher, which is inseparable from some bad living habits and excessive mental stress of modern people. Moreover, the treatment of breast cancer has become increasingly important. Now that medicine is so developed, what are the treatments for breast cancer? Let us find out.

With the deepening of understanding of the biological behavior of breast cancer and the transformation and updating of treatment concepts, the treatment of breast cancer has entered an era of comprehensive treatment, forming a treatment model that emphasizes both local and systemic treatment of breast cancer. Doctors will use a variety of methods, including surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, biological targeted therapy, and auxiliary treatment with traditional Chinese medicine, depending on the stage of the tumor and the patient's physical condition.

Surgery plays an important role in the diagnosis, staging and comprehensive treatment of breast cancer. Radiotherapy uses radiation to destroy the growth and reproduction of cancer cells, thereby controlling and eliminating cancer cells. Surgery and radiotherapy are both local treatments. Chemotherapy is a treatment method that uses anti-cancer drugs to inhibit the division of cancer cells and destroy cancer cells. It is referred to as chemotherapy.

Endocrine therapy uses drugs or removes endocrine glands to regulate the body's endocrine function and reduce the secretion of endocrine hormones, thereby achieving the purpose of treating breast cancer. Molecular targeted therapy is one of the most active research fields in recent years. Compared with chemotherapy drugs, it is a new type of anti-tumor therapeutic drug with a multi-link mechanism of action.

Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes the principles of regulation and balance in treating tumors, restoring and enhancing the body's internal disease resistance, thereby achieving the goal of treating tumors with a balance of yin and yang. Chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, targeted therapy and traditional Chinese medicine treatment are all systemic treatments. During the treatment process, doctors will take into account both local and systemic treatments for patients, strive to cure patients with early and middle-stage breast cancer, and prolong the life of patients with advanced stages and improve their quality of life.

Breast cancer surgery involves both the breast and axillary lymph nodes. Breast surgery includes breast-conserving surgery (breast-conserving surgery) and total mastectomy. Axillary lymph node surgery includes sentinel lymph node biopsy and axillary lymph node dissection. Sentinel lymph node biopsy is to remove only the sentinel lymph nodes, and then perform axillary lymph node dissection after detecting sentinel lymph node metastasis. Some people also call it axillary-preserving surgery.

Breast-conserving surgery has strict surgical indications, and currently it is not possible for all breast cancer patients to undergo breast-conserving surgery. For breast cancer patients who are not suitable for breast-conserving surgery, breast removal is still required, and doctors can use plastic surgery techniques to reconstruct the breast. Breast reconstruction can be done with either autologous tissue or prosthesis. Breast reconstruction can be performed at the same time as tumor removal surgery, or it can be performed after treatment is completed if all follow-up examination results are normal. Having breast reconstruction does not affect your overall breast cancer treatment.

The above are some common methods for treating breast cancer at home and abroad. After suffering from mastitis, don’t be too psychologically burdened and actively cooperate with the treatment. There is still hope of cure. In addition, we must also pay attention to prevention and maintain good living and eating habits, which are very important.