BREAST CANCER TREATMENT 1

Breast Cancer Treatment

Vicki Cesar

Practical Nursing, Term 1

4313750

COMM1160, Niagara College

April 26, 2018

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Introduction

In 2008 a study done by scientists show that breast cancer is one of the highest growing

“diseases among women worldwide” (Yu & Meng, 2016, p. 3465). “Since 2008 incidences of

breast cancer has increased 20% with nearly 1.7 million new breast cancer cases are newly

diagnosed in 2012” (Yu & Meng, 2016, p. 3465). They expect “29% of new diagnoses” are to be

expected “in 2015” (Yu & Meng, 2016, p. 3465). In the stages of breast cancer there is a “factor

when evaluating treatment options” (Yu & Meng, 2016, p. 3465). Women that have been

diagnosed with this disease at their “first presentation” to the cancer usually it has “metastasis

and the growth of the cancer is now in stage four”, which is considered the “advanced” stages of

cancer (Yu & Meng, 2016, p. 3465). Although early detection is an “important factor” it rarely

happens (Yu & Meng, 2016, p. 3465). Breast cancer can be more effectively when using a

“combination of medications such as Chemotherapy, Radiation therapy and Hormonal therapy it

is tolerable at therapeutic effective doses” (Mahdiyeh & Jalil, 2016, p. 45).

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Amazing progress has been made when using chemotherapy, it is the “opposed drug” to

use in therapy treatments (Mahdiyeh & Jalil, 2016, p. 46). Once you have been diagnosis with

breast cancer the specialist “determines where it is located and the size of the tumor” before

beginning any treatment options (Yu & Meng, 2016). Chemotherapy is used before and after

surgery (Mahdiyeh & Jalil, 2016). Many types of “chemotherapy drugs are used to treat breast

cancer that works in different ways and can be given in different combinations” (Mahdiyeh &

Jalil, 2016, p. 45). Some medications that the specialist may use together in combinations can

include “Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Methotrexate and 2-deoxy-D-glucose (DR2)”

(Mahdiyeh & Jalil, 2016, p. 45). When chemotherapy is used in a “combination” with other

medication it has a great striking impact in “killing cancer cells” (Mahdiyeh & Jalil, 2016, p. 46).

There are down falls that women have from the mediation when using combinations with in

causing “severe side effects” (Mahdiyeh & Jalil, 2016, p. 46).

Cancer treatments are arranged by a team of specialist, radiation as one of the treatments

options being offered pending on your “stage of breast cancer” (Peart, 2015, p. 546). Radiation

therapy is “a part of cancer treatment” (Peart, 2015, p. 546). Radiation therapy is “used two ways

in treating breast cancer primary and adjuvant” (Peart, 2015, p. 546). “Primary radiation is the

use of radiation alone to treat the cancer” (Peart, 2015, p. 546). “Adjuvant radiation uses

radiation with surgery, chemotherapy or both to treat possible residual cancer” (Peart, 2015, p.

546). With “delaying or incomplete treatment”, it can influence your survival rate (Peart, 2015,

p. 543). Once radiation begins you should really consider “finishing the treatments” as the cancer

will spread if you do not (Peart, 2015, p. 543). “The rational is that chemotherapy and radiation

therapy are both designed to kill cancer cells” in combination together generally are more

effective and curative if you have been diagnosed with “early breast cancer stage 1 or 11” (Peart,
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2015, p. 546). When receiving treatment through “radiation therapy it can be administered

externally or internally” (Peart, 2015, p. 546). If one of your options is “external-beam radiation

therapy it is usually given once a day for six to seven weeks” if you are having internal radiation,

or brachytherapy” (high doses of radiation to small areas) you will have treatments between “one

to five days” (Peart, 2015, p. 546). With the different types of treatments your oncologist will

inform you of which treatment be suits you best. You may have to get a “mastectomy” in which

there are different types (Peart, 2015, p. 544). “A radical mastectomy” which surgery is preform

and “the entire breast, lymph nodes, and chest wall muscles under the breast are removed”

completely this procedure is not commonly recommended as it is “disfiguring and deforming”

(Peart, 2015, p. 544). Another choice you may have is a “modified radical mastectomy this

procedure also removes the entire breast also including the nipple and areolar region and only

some of the underarm lymph nodes” this is one of the “most common” choices females make

(Peart, 2015, p. 544). The “quadrantectomy or partial mastectomy” is another option for women

“this surgery removes a quarter of the breast including the tumor” (Peart, 2015, p. 544).

Although “there can be complications” with any surgery it is one of the best options available

(Peart, 2015, p. 544).

Hormone treatment is another option you may have, “this involves addressing each

patient’s unique biology and disease structure” this will lead to a to treatment “efficiency” and a

higher curative rate (Peart, 2015, p. 550). The ideal is to determine the “exact genetic profile of

the altered cancer cells and design a treatment plan based on the nature of these calls or sub

cells” (Peart, 2015 p. 550). “Tamoxifen has been around” and used for decades to “treat patients

with estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer” (Peart, 2015, p. 550). These are “drugs that block

estrogen and can lower the risk of breast cancer recurrence in postmenopausal women after
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surgery” (Peart, 2015, p. 550). Tamoxifen “slows or stops” the growth of cancer cells in the body

(Peart, 2015, p. 550). This can be used “after surgery” it can help with the prevention of “new

cancers” for “women who already been treated with breast cancer” (Peart, 2015, p. 550). This

medication is “recommended for older females at a high risk for breast cancer” (Peart, 2015, p.

550). Tamoxifen has a lot of side effects like “depression, fatigue and dizziness” (Peart, 2015, p.

550). This “drug does not cause women to have early menopause even though it can have the

symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings” (Peart, 2015, p. 550). Tamoxifen

can “cause birth defects” if taken at the time of “conception or during pregnancy” (Peart, 2015,

p. 550).

In clinical studies when medications used in combinations with chemotherapy or

radiation has more of a potent curative effect and diminishes cancer rates compared when using

only one treatment. Women have a better chance of survival. Early detection of breast cancer is

important, so it does not spread if women are unsure on how to preform self-beast examines they

can look on web sites or visit their physician for more information. Preforming self- breast

exams could help with early detection so if needing treatment, you will have a better chance to

start with your treatment options as soon as possible.

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Reference

Peart, O. (2015). Directed Reading. Breast Intervention and Breast Cancer Treatment

Options. Radiologic Technology, 86(5), 535M-558.

Shamsi, M., & Pirayesh Islamian, J. (2017). Breast cancer: early diagnosis and effective

treatment by drug delivery tracing. Nuclear Medicine Review. Central & Eastern Europe, 20(1), 45-48.

doi:10.5603/NMR.2017.0002

Yu, T., & Meng, B. (2016). Treatment of advanced breast cancer with a combination of highly

agglutinative staphylococcin and vinorelbine-based chemotherapy. European Review for Medical and

Pharmacological Sciences, 20(16), 3465-3468.