Your doctor will tell you without any doubt; cancer is real but curable. Breast cancer is among the common types affecting women. Some of the signs that can help diagnose breast cancer include a lump in the breast or armpit and certain parts of the breast swelling. Other signs include dimpling of the breast skin, nipple discharge, and redness of the skin around the nipple or the entire breast. After the diagnosis, your doctor will recommend the best treatment options depending on the cancer stage. Cancer treatment center Orange County has given many patients hope over the years. Below are things you should know about breast cancer treatment.
Local treatment
Some breast cancer treatments are local. Such treatment procedures help to treat the tumor without interfering with other body parts. The doctors remove the tumor through surgical operation. They might recommend other types of treatment before and after the surgery, like chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Systemic treatment
Here, drugs are used to manage breast cancer. The treatment is also known as systemic therapy since the drugs can reach cancerous cells in any part of the body. They are subjected to a patient orally or through an injection. The doctors will determine the type of drugs to use to treat cancer. Additional treatment procedures that can be used include immunotherapy, targeted drug therapy, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy for breast cancer.
Who treats breast cancer?
The type of specialist to help treat breast cancer will depend on the treatment option. A patient might need different types of specialists. Such specialists include:
- Abreast surgeon who handles the surgery.
- A radiation oncologist who uses radiation to cure breast cancer.
- A medical oncologist who treats cancer through chemotherapy and other types of drugs.
A patient might need a plastic surgeon who has specialized in repairing body parts if a doctor recommends it. Other specialists in the treatment team include nurses, psychologists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, social workers, and nutritionists, among other health experts.