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What Are the 6 Different Types of Treatments for Breast Cancer?

Reviewed on 11/30/2021
The six different types of treatments for breast cancer include surgery (mastectomy, lumpectomy, lymph node removal), radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy.
The six different types of treatments for breast cancer include surgery (mastectomy, lumpectomy, lymph node removal), radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy.

Breast cancer occurs when abnormal cells in the breast grow out of control. Breast cancer is the most common female cancer in the U.S., and the second-leading cause of cancer death in women (lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths). Breast cancer is more common in women, but men can get it too. 

Treatment for breast cancer depends on the extent of the tumor and may involve several different types of treatment. The six different types of treatments for breast cancer include: 

  • Surgery
  • Radiation therapy 
    • External radiation therapy: a machine outside the body delivers radiation to the part of the body with cancer
    • Internal radiation therapy: uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters placed directly into or near the cancer
  • Chemotherapy 
    • Uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing
    • There are dozens of chemotherapeutic drugs used to treat breast cancer
    • Chemotherapy used to prevent breast cancer includes:
  • Hormone therapy 
    • Removes hormones or blocks their action to stop cancer cells from growing
    • Ovarian ablation is used to stop the ovaries from making estrogen
    • Tamoxifen is used for patients with early localized breast cancer that can be removed by surgery and those with metastatic breast cancer (cancer that has spread to other parts of the body).
    • Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist is used in premenopausal women who have just been diagnosed with hormone receptor positive breast cancer
    • Aromatase inhibitors such as anastrozole, letrozole, and exemestane are used in postmenopausal women who have hormone receptor positive breast cancer
    • Other hormone therapies include megestrol acetate or anti-estrogen therapy such as fulvestrant (Faslodex)
  • Targeted therapy
    • Uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells. 
      • Monoclonal antibodies
      • Tyrosine kinase inhibitors
      • Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors
        • Palbociclib (Ibrance), used with letrozole (Femara) or fulvestrant (Faslodex)
        • Ribociclib (Kisqali), used with letrozole (Femara) or fulvestrant (Faslodex)
        • Abemaciclib (Verzenio)
        • Alpelisib (Piqray), used with fulvestrant (Faslodex)
      • Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors
      • PARP inhibitors 
        • Olaparib (Lynparza)
        • Talazoparib (Talzenna)
  • Immunotherapy
    • A type of biologic therapy that uses the patient’s immune system to fight cancer
    • Types of immunotherapies include PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitor therapy
      • Atezolizumab (Tecentriq)

What Are Symptoms of Breast Cancer?

Symptoms of breast cancer include:

  • New lump in the breast 
  • Breast pain
  • Swelling of all or part of the breast
  • Skin irritation or dimpling
  • Nipple turning inward
  • Nipple pain 
  • Nipple discharge that is not breast milk
  • Redness, scaling, flaking, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin
  • A lump in the armpit 
  • A change in the size or the shape of the breast

What Causes Breast Cancer?

The cause of breast cancer is unknown, but it results from damage to a cell’s DNA. 

Risk factors for developing breast cancer include:

  • Age over 50 years
  • Family history of breast cancer, especially a first-degree relative (mother, sister, or daughter)
  • Personal history of breast cancer or noncancerous breast disease 
  • Inherited genetic mutations, such as mutation in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes
  • Previous radiation therapy treatment to the chest or breasts
  • Dense breasts
  • Early onset of menstrual periods (before age 12) or late menopause (after age 55)
  • History of use of the drug diethylstilbestrol (DES)
  • Physical inactivity/sedentary lifestyle

How Is Breast Cancer Diagnosed?

I addition to a patient history and physical examination tests used to confirm a diagnosis of breast cancer include: 

If breast cancer is suspected of metastasizing (spreading), imaging studies may be indicated to determine if cancer has spread:

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Reviewed on 11/30/2021
References
Image Source: iStock Images

https://www.uptodate.com/contents/breast-cancer-guide-to-diagnosis-and-treatment-beyond-the-basics?search=breast%20cancer&source=search_result&selectedTitle=8~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=8

https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/index.htm

https://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-treatment-pdq#_185