In recent times, there’s been an explosion of life-saving treatments for breast cancer. Instead of limited choices of options earlier, today there are numerous treatment choices that have not only become commonplace but also fight breast cancer effectively. Depending on the type of breast cancer and how far it has already spread, breast cancer can be treated in multiple ways. In fact, people suffering from breast cancer could often end up undergoing more than one kind of treatment. The decisions include everything from surgery to perhaps radiation, and even chemotherapy, anti-estrogen (hormonal) therapy. Clearly, the decision could feel overwhelming, which is why we’ve put together a list of the most common treatments for breast cancer.

Surgery
In the most basic of terms, breast cancer surgery is an operation performed to cut out cancer tissue. The tumor and some of the surrounding healthy tissue is surgically removed during the operation. Generally, the two types of surgeries are mastectomy and lumpectomy.

Chemotherapy

This is one of the most common treatments used for fighting breast cancer in which doctors use special medicines to kill/shrink the cancer cells. These medicines could be administered intravenously, orally, and sometimes even both. Chemotherapy uses medicines for destroying cancerous cells by typically keeping them from growing, dividing, and making more cells. Chemotherapy can be done both before and after the surgery for the removal of cancerous cells. A chemotherapy schedule or regimen usually comprises a combination of medicines administered in a set number of cycles over a specific period of time.

Hormonal therapy
This common treatment for breast cancer essentially blocks the cancerous cells from getting the hormones they need for growing. Also known as endocrine therapy, hormonal therapy is an effective treatment that could help prevent cancer remission and even death. Hormonal therapies are of two kinds – neoadjuvant and adjuvant. The former is given prior to surgery to lower remission, make the surgery easier, or to shrink a tumor. The latter is given after the surgery to lessen the risk of recurrence.

Biological therapy
Also known as immunotherapy, biological therapy works along with the immune system of the body. It helps the body control the side effects of other cancer treatments and fight cancer cells.

Radiation therapy
This treatment employs high-energy rays or rays similar to X-rays to kill the cancerous cells. There are three different kinds of radiation therapy – brachytherapy, intraoperative radiation therapy, and external–beam radiation therapy. Radiation therapy can be given both before and after the surgery.

So, how does one go about choosing the right treatment? Choosing an absolutely perfect, correct kind of treatment for patients could be quite difficult. The best thing to do is to talk to the cancer doctor about the various treatment options that are available and can be administered for the type and stage of cancer that one is at. The doctor could explain the risks and advantages of every kind of treatment as well as its side effects.