Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer Treatment
Treatment for breast cancer depends on the type. Usually the main treatments are surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and targeted therapies.
Watch video: What is breast cancer?
How is breast cancer treated?
The best treatment for you will depend on:
- The size and grade of your tumour.
- The type of breast cancer you have.
- What protein / hormone receptors are on your cancer cells.
- If the cancer has spread − to lymph nodes or elsewhere in your body.
- Your age and general health.
- Whether or not you have been through the menopause.
- The results of your oncotype test if you have one.
Surgery for breast cancer
Most people with breast cancer have some type of surgery. There are 2 main types of surgery:
- Breast-conserving surgery: Part of the breast is removed.
- Mastectomy: The whole breast is removed.
You may also have surgery to remove some or all of your lymph nodes.
The type of surgery you need usually depends on:
- The size of the cancer relative to your breast size
- Where the cancer is in your breast
- If there are any more areas of disease in your breast (multi-focal disease).
Radiotherapy for breast cancer
There are 2 main types of radiotherapy.
- External radiotherapy. This involves using high energy rays to kill the cancer cells. It can be given after surgery to destroy any cancer cells that may be left. It can also be given to control and relieve the symptoms of advanced cancer (palliative radiotherapy).
- Internal radiotherapy (brachytherapy). The radiation source is placed in or near your tumour for a short time to kill the cancer cells.
Most radiotherapy treatment for breast cancer is external beam radiotherapy. You may have both external and internal radiotherapy.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a treatment using drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy for breast cancer may be given:
- Before surgery or radiotherapy to shrink the cancer. This can mean having less surgery, and you might be able to have just the tumour removed (a lumpectomy) instead of the whole breast (mastectomy). Chemotherapy also reduces the risk of the cancer coming back.
- After surgery to reduce the risk of it coming back.
- As a treatment on its own for breast cancer that has spread (metastatic breast cancer) or come back (recurrent breast cancer).
- As the first treatment for inflammatory breast cancer.
The drugs are usually given into a vein as an injection or through an infusion or drip.
Understanding Chemotherapy
See our chemotherapy page for more information on how treatment is given and possible side-effects.
Continue reading about Breast Cancer
Frequently Asked Questions
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Online Breast
Health Checker
Take this short quiz and find out more about staying healthy and the signs of breast cancer.
Our Survivor Support programme we can match you with a volunteer who has gone through a similar experience.
Discover of you are enrolled for breast screening
If you’re finding it difficult to get to and from treatments, we may be able to ease some of the strain of travelling to and from your appointments.
