Treatment
Chapter: 6 - Treatment
Subchapter: 2 - Standard Treatment & Clinical Trials
Before selecting your treatment plan, you should first understand the difference between standard treatment and clinical trials.
Standard treatments are methods that experts agree are appropriate, accepted and widely used. These standard procedures have proven useful in fighting breast cancer in the past. A clinical trial, on the other hand, is an approved research study that some doctors believe has a strong potential to improve standard treatments. When clinical trials demonstrate better results than the standard, that new treatment becomes the standard. Remember, all our current standards were clinical trials at one time.
If a clinical trial is an option for you, your doctor will explain the possible trade-offs with the trial treatment versus standard treatment. Together with your medical team, you will need to decide what treatment method is the best for you and your health.
Let’s look more closely at the standard treatments your doctors may recommend.
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Sub Chapters
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Introduction 02:03
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Surgery 02:03
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Breast Reconstruction 02:08
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Lymph Node Removal 02:35
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Radiation Therapy 02:43
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Chemotherapy 01:44
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Hormone Therapy 02:03
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Targeted Therapy 01:52
Related Questions
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I had a lump removed and went through radiation. Now the doctor wants me to take a cancer pill. I am not sure about this. You must take the pill for five years and there are a lot of side effects! Any suggestions?
Asked by anonymous
Learning About Breast Cancer- View all 12 answers
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anonymous
Learning About Breast Cancer
A cancer pill?? Is it an estrogen blocker??
3 comments 4 -
anonymous
Learning About Breast Cancer
I have been on tamoxifen for two years. There are side effects but that is true for any medicine. For me it gives me the comfort that I am doing something to prevent a recurrence of the cancer.
Comment 3
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How will smoking affect breat cancer's development, growth, and treatment?
Asked by anonymous
Learning About Breast Cancer-
anonymous
Survivor since 2007
It probably depends on an individuals genetics how smoking would affect the human body.
We all look for ways of twisting statistics whether it is eating a pound of candy each day to smoking.... etc. "It won't affect me.....because." We all know smoking isn't good for the human body. I had none...Comment 2It probably depends on an individuals genetics how smoking would affect the human body.
We all look for ways of twisting statistics whether it is eating a pound of candy each day to smoking.... etc. "It won't affect me.....because." We all know smoking isn't good for the human body. I had none of the factors for suspecting I would be a breast cancer victim. I have never smoked, never drank, no breast cancer in my family on either side, lived an active life, my weight always under normal and still got breast cancer. Go figure.....?
The thing I personally witnessed working in a Periodontist's office (gum disease). When a patient would come back in for their one week post-op check, the smokers had more problems, their mouth tissue looked more swollen and purple, not well oxygenated. They took a much longer time to heal. People who did not smoke, tissues just looked healthier. Much less problems with healing and quicker to heal too. Try to quit smoking. You will have a lot more money to spend, and will feel better in the long run. I have heard it is very, very, difficult to quit but there are ways to help people to their goal of being smoke free. Take care, Sharon
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Has anyone read anywhere of removing a host site and the effects it has on other metastasis?
Asked by anonymous
Stage 4 Patient -
Does any one have experience with dcis and breast implants? How does this affect surgery and treatment? My tumor is on pectoral muscle so they need to take part of the muscle. How did radiation affect implants? Any advice?
Asked by anonymous
Learning About Breast Cancer- View all 4 answers
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anonymous
Survivor since 2011
I had DCIS cancer. Noninvasive . I had a bilateral mastectomy with saline implants. No chemo or radiation. The mastectomy was the only treatment I had. Have they already told you you have to have radiation?
Comment 2 -
anonymous
Survivor since 2011
I have heard you have reconstruction after radiation. Radiation makes your skin pretty thin so that may affect reconstruction.
Comment 0
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