Types of Treatment for Breast Cancer

There are a few ways to treat breast cancer. These are listed from the most to the least common.

• Surgery.  Most people with breast cancer first have surgery to take out the tumor.

• Radiation treatment.  Radiation is not usually used alone to treat breast cancer. It’s usually used after surgery. The goal is to kill cancer cells still in the breast, chest wall, or under your arms. Less often, it’s used before surgery to shrink the tumor so that it’s easier to take out. You may also have chemotherapy if the cancer has spread to other parts of your body, such as to your bones.

• Chemotherapy.  Chemotherapy is not used unless the cancer has spread or is suspected to have spread. Then, it’s often given in addition to surgery and radiation. Chemotherapy is also often combined with hormone therapy.

• Hormone therapy.  Some tumors depend on hormones to grow. A test done to the cancer tissue can show if this is true. If it is, the tumor is called hormone-receptor positive. In those cases, hormone therapy is often used. The treatment blocks your hormones to keep the cancer from growing and keep it from coming back. Usually, you get it after surgery and radiation. If the cancer has spread, it may be your main treatment. And you may have it with chemotherapy.

• Targeted therapy.  Some breast tumors make too much of the protein human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2). Tests done to the cancer tissue show if this is true. If so, you may get a type of targeted therapy to help keep the cancer cells from growing. 

Your doctor may suggest that you get more than one type of treatment. Getting two or more treatments is called combination therapy.

Sometimes new treatments are available in a clinical trial. You can ask your doctor about them.

Some people also use complementary therapies. That means they get a traditional type of cancer treatment along with a less traditional one. You may talk about this option with your doctor.