What are the treatment methods for breast cancer?

The battle to treat Breast Cancer is Multidisciplinary in approach, which means it involves different fields of specialization. The pathologist is tasked to make the histologic diagnosis of malignancy and it is only then that surgeons, medical oncologists and the radiation oncologists work hand in hand to proceed with the treatment. There are two major modalities of breast cancer treatment. The first is the Locoregional Treatment Modality which involves surgery (actual removal of the tumor in the breast or the whole breast itself) and Radiotherapy-teletherapy (cobalt, linear accelerator) subjecting the breast area and other adjacent fields to radiation to kill cancer cells. The second is the Systemic Treatment Modality which involves: 1) Cytotoxic Chemotherapy, which is given intravenously and orally, 2) Hormonal therapy which is taken orally for extended periods of time for hormone sensitive tumors, 3) Immunologic therapy--to administer tumor specific immune effector to patients. Chemotherapy can be given before surgery (neoadjuvant) to reduce tumor bulk or make the tumor operable and after surgey (adjuvant). For early breast cancer (Stage 1 and Stage II), treatment goal is to cure while palliation (improving the quality of life) for locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer (Stage III and Stage IV).