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Discover HER connection
A program designed to support patients with knowledge and information about breast cancer.
You are not alone in your journey. When you connect with other women fighting breast cancer with the HERStory community, you share the journey and may find support.

Breast Cancer Treatment Options

Depending on your risk factors and the stage of the tumor, your doctor will select the appropriate breast cancer treatment plan for you. Most women with early breast cancer will have surgery to get rid of as much of the cancer as possible. The surgery will be one of two types:

Mastectomy

Surgery to remove the entire breast.

Lumpectomy, or breast-conserving surgery

Surgery to remove only the tumor plus some normal tissue around it.

Breast cancer treatment may also include the following:

Radiation therapy

Treatment with high-energy rays aimed at the area around the tumor.

Chemotherapy

A drug that kills cancer cells.

Hormonal Therapy

A drug that reduces the amount of estrogen in the body or blocks the effect of estrogen (estrogen causes some tumors to grow).

Targeted Therapy

Antibodies, produced by specialized immune cells, are part of the body's normal defense against bacteria, viruses, and abnormal cells, such as cancer cells. Monoclonal antibodies are produced in a laboratory by making multiple copies of a single cell. Monoclonal antibodies are designed to recognize a specific protein on certain cells and signal the body's immune system to destroy the cell. Monoclonal antibodies are generally a more targeted therapy than chemotherapy.^{1, 2}
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors, or TKIs, are small molecule chemical compounds. They work inside cells by interfering with the cell communication and growth.

References:
1. American Cancer Society Website. Monoclonal antibody therapy. Available at: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_1_4X_Monoclonal_Antibody_Therapy_Passive_Immunotherapy.asp?sitearea=ETO. Accessed November 17, 2006.
2. American Cancer Society Website. How does chemotherapy work? Available at: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_1_4X_How_Does_Chemotherapy_Work.asp?sitearea=ETO. Accessed November 17, 2006.

Herceptin® (trastuzumab)

Información En Español

What do Adjuvant and Metastatic mean? X Close

Adjuvant Care Is defined as additional treatment given after the main treatment plan to decrease the chance of recurrence. Adjuvant therapy for breast cancer can include chemotherapy, hormone therapy, radiation therapy, or biological therapy

Metastatic Breast Cancer Breast cancer that has spread to other sites in the body; also referred to as invasive or infiltrating