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Clinical Trials

You said we have more treatment options when breast cancer is detected early. Will you please explain?

There are several treatment options. If the cancer tumor is very small a lumpectomy may be an option. In a lumpectomy, only the abnormal cells and a very small amount of normal cells surrounding the tumor are removed.. For larger tumors, the doctor can recommend a segmental mastectomy (graphic) in which a larger wedge of the breast tissue is removed. For larger cancers, the surgeon may feel that a mastectomy is needed. In this case the entire breast is removed. Sometimes also all of the lymph nodes from the armpit are removed as well to reduce the risk that cancer cells in the lymph nodes will grow and spread to other parts of the body. (Graphic) In the event that a mastectomy will be needed, women should also have a pre-surgical consultation with a plastic surgeon so that they have the option of breast reconstruction later.

In addition to surgery, there are other treatment options that may be recommended if the spread of the breast cancer is a possibility. These include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy. Radiation is used to kill any abnormal cells in the breast that are not yet visible on a mammogram. Chemotherapy is used to kill any cancer cells that may have spread to other parts of the body. Hormone therapy can help. Sometimes a woman's ovaries are also removed since they produce the natural hormones that help the cancer grow.