If you have breast cancer, you should be assigned a multidisciplinary team (MDT), which is a group of specialists who work together to provide the best treatment and care.
The main treatments for breast cancer are:
- surgery
- radiotherapy
- chemotherapy
- hormone therapy
- targeted therapy
You may have one of these treatments, or a combination. The type or combination of treatments you have will depend on how the cancer was diagnosed and the stage it's at.
Breast cancer diagnosed at routine screening may be at an early stage, but breast cancer diagnosed when you have symptoms may be at a later stage and require a different treatment.
Your MTD should discuss with you which treatments are most suitable.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT TREATMENT FOR YOU
When deciding what treatment is best for you, your doctors will consider:
- the stage and grade of the cancer (how big it is and how far it has spread)
- your general health
- whether you have experienced the menopause
You should be able to discuss your treatment with your care team at any time and ask questions.
Want to know more?
The online tool Predict helps you see how different treatments for early invasive breast cancer might affect you.
TREATMENT OVERVIEW
Surgery is usually the first type of treatment for breast cancer. The type of surgery you have will depend on the type of breast cancer you have.
Surgery is usually followed by chemotherapy or radiotherapy or, in some cases, hormone or targeted therapies.
Again, the treatment you'll have will depend on the type of breast cancer.
Your doctor will discuss the most suitable treatment plan with you. Chemotherapy or hormone therapy will sometimes be the first treatment.
We will talk about each of these treatments in our upcoming blogs.
For more information click through the the NHS website and if you notice any changes in your breasts or are worried at all please contact your GP.