When dealing with breast cancer the first thing that the
patient feels is fear. The fear comes primarily from the survival rates,
possibility for major invasive procedures, and the fears of side effects from
treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation treatment and so on. To many
patients the fears center on quality of life and how it can be affected.
One way to look at breast cancer is in stages and
understanding the treatment on each stage. Let’s start with stage 0 breast cancer
and what we know:
- It’s a non invasive cancer.
- It describes a growth of abnormal, non invasive cells.
- It means a woman may be at risk for actually developing the cancer.
Stage 0 breast cancers are easy to treat, it has carcinoma
on the name but to be optimistic it’s not really as dangerous. Stage 0 has a
treatment option of specific hormone therapy that helps prevent cancer cell
growth. Surgery and radiation are often called for but chemo is not something
that’s used. To deal with an issue like this the mammogram is a gold standard
as is a clinical breast exam.
If the cancer is further developed and it’s stage 1 the
issue becomes a little greater. Stage 1 breast cancer is a lot more serious
because the cancer is actually there and, while it can be treated effectively,
it’s still a danger. The tumor may be small to where it’s barely detectable.
Chemotherapy is not often used for these cancers but if the cancer is more
advanced, chemo does begin playing to the equation.
When the stages increase it means that the cancer is growing
and it can be a far more difficult problem requiring a more complex form of
treatment. More difficult forms of treatment include more aggressive treatment
altogether. When the treatment is more complex it may depend on the physician
how it’s administered. Often times it’s the patient’s history that helps
determine what’s right and wrong in terms of treatment.
Always ask your physician about the pluses and minuses of
different treatments such as:
- Chemotherapy
- Invasive surgery
- Radiation therapy
It’s important to know what each manner of treatment can and
cannot do and what each manner of therapy can mean for the short and long term.
If you have any questions about diagnostic imaging procedures, please
feel free to give us a call. Our team of dedicated professionals here at Clermont
Radiology looks forward to answering all your questions and aiding you in all
your imaging needs.
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