Breast Cancer: Standard Therapy
Stay up to date on research and information
Sign Up for FORCE NewslettersTypes of Treatment for Breast Cancer
Doctors base treatment recommendations for breast cancer on several factors, including:
- of cancer
- Subtype based on pathology
- Additional testing, including biomarkers and other tests
- How fast the cancer is growing or how likely it is to spread
- Whether the cancer is newly-diagnosed or has recurred after one or more treatments
Most breast cancer is treated with one or more of the following treatments:
Every treatment has potential risks and side effects. Before any new treatment or surgery, make sure your healthcare team tells you about what to expect.
Surgery
Most breast cancers are treated with one of the following types of surgery.
- (surgery to remove the cancer but not the entire breast). is often followed by radiation.
- Mastectomy (removal of the entire breast).
- are removed to see whether, and how much the cancer has spread.
Radiation therapy
- Radiation therapy is used in early breast cancer to treat the breast and surrounding tissue after surgery to prevent recurrence.
- In people with breast cancer which has spread to their bones, brain or other sites, radiation may be given to reduce the size of the tumor and manage pain or other symptoms.
Hormone therapy (endocrine therapy)
Most people with cancers receive hormone therapy after surgery. The most common types of hormone therapies are:
- SERMs (selective receptor modulators) block cells from using . Example of common SERMs include tamoxifen and raloxifene.
- SERDs (selective receptor degraders) damage the receptors that allow cancer cells use to feed on . The SERDs with approval include Faslodex (fulvestrant) and Oserdu (elacestrant).
- Aromatase inhibitors block cells from making . Examples of aromatase inhibitors include Arimidex (anastrozole), Femara (letrozole) and Aromasin (exemestane).
Chemotherapy
- For early breast cancer, chemotherapy may be given before surgery to shrink the size of the cancer and number of affected. This is known as therapy.
- For early breast cancer, chemotherapy may be given after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells that may have escaped the breast area. This is known as therapy.
- For people with breast cancer, chemotherapy may be given to keep the cancer from growing.
Targeted therapies and immunotherapies
Other therapies such as , PARP inhibitors and other targeted therapies may be used to treat invasive breast cancer. Additional or genetic testing is often needed to help choose the patients most likely to respond to these treatments.
Anti-HER2 therapy
breast cancer is usually treated with medications that target the protein.
Treatment side effects
Your healthcare team should explain what you should expect from all treatments, including:
- all of the possible risks and side effects of each treatment.
- which side effects may be serious and how to tell.
- when and who you should call if you experience a side effect.
- what can be done to treat or alleviate each side effect.
Make sure you let your healthcare team know if you experience any side effects of your treatment. For more information about possible treatment side effects, see our section on Cancer Treatment by Treatment Type.
In the News
Learn from Other Experts
