Breast cancer treatment

Treatment of breast cancer is aimed at possible preservation of the organ and prevention of the spread of the process in the body.

Malignant degeneration of mammary gland tissues occupy leading positions among oncological pathologies in women. Every year, more than a million cases of malignant breast lesions are diagnosed on the planet.

Standard of care for breast cancer

Treatment regimens for breast cancer are determined depending on the stage and extent of the malignant process, genetic and immunohistochemical studies, laboratory test results, and the presence of underlying diseases.

Therapy for breast cancer may be limited to local treatment: the first stage of the disease requires surgical intervention. The second stage is accompanied by a comprehensive approach that must correspond to the biological characteristics of the tumor. In such cases, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy and immunotherapy may be prescribed.

Local treatment involves surgery and radiation therapy. Today, there are many ways to use organ-preserving treatment of the mammary gland that can reduce the size of the tumor and control its development.

Treatment with hormones, targeted drugs, and polychemotherapy – systemic types of treatment – are used to destroy and prevent possible metastasis of the tumor throughout the body.

Breast Cancer Treatment Protocol

The basics of treating patients diagnosed with breast cancer are described in a protocol generally accepted in world medicine. Let's get acquainted with the program of the required protocol.

First of all, it is necessary to evaluate the processes occurring in the gland and trace the prevalence of pathology throughout the body. In this regard, the protocol begins with mandatory methods of thorough examination of the patient. The examination should include ultrasound, mammography, biochemistry, computed tomography, biopsy and some other methods.

If the detected tumor is not large and has no metastases, the following treatment option may be prescribed:

• sectoral or radical removal of the gland with elimination or excision of nearby lymph nodes;
• Simultaneous biopsy of the removed tumor and lymph nodes to more accurately determine the extent of the process.

If the infiltrative development of the tumor and its size are significant, if metastases have penetrated beyond the nearby lymph nodes, in such cases chemotherapy is prescribed.

Modern medical methods make it possible to influence affected organs and tissues with radiation, while causing minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissues.

If patients wish, after surgical intervention for mastectomy, plastic surgery of the gland can be performed. Such surgery is performed together with tumor removal, or 6 months after mastectomy.

Breast Cancer Treatment Methods

All methods of therapy used in breast cancer are divided into local (such as surgery and radiation) and systemic measures (hormonal treatment, chemotherapy, immunotherapy). Only a doctor can decide how radical the operation will be, based on the characteristics of the development and spread of the malignant process.

Hormonal treatment of breast cancer. More than a century has passed since the first time in the history of medicine in Scotland a connection between the functional capacity of the ovaries and lactation was noticed. Based on this assumption, a dozen patients with malignant breast disease underwent surgical removal of the ovaries. As a result, the development of the cancerous tumor regressed in some patients.

It was only much later after this incident that science discovered the existence of hormones of the ovaries, hypothalamus, adrenal glands and pituitary gland. It was found that all of them (especially estrogens) have a direct or indirect relation to the formation and development of cancerous tumors in the gland.

For a long time, ovarian removal surgery was one of the leading measures in breast cancer therapy. However, this method was able to achieve complete cure only in 30% of patients. This continued until the 1970s, when the nature of positive and negative hormone receptors was discovered. Since then, a new stage in the treatment of breast cancer has begun, testing of new groups of drugs began that would block hormone receptors (toremifene, tamoxifen, raloxifene) or suppress the production of estrogens in the body (femara, arimidex, aromasin).

A kind of alternative to surgical removal of the ovaries is one of the latest developed drugs, Zoladex (goserlin). This is an analogue of the luteinizing hormone of the hypothalamus, which successfully suppresses the synthesis of estrogens strictly for the required period. Such a decrease in the production of estrogens provokes all the symptoms of menopause, however, unlike ovariectomy, after the completion of treatment, the function of the ovaries is completely restored.

Tamoxifen is considered the number one drug for hormonal treatment of prostate cancer. However, given a number of complications that this drug can provoke (thromboembolism, malignant degeneration of the endometrium), the search for new therapeutic agents that inhibit aromatase continues. Among them are such drugs as letrazole, anastrozole, exemestane.

Treatment of hormone-dependent breast cancer can also be carried out with the drugs Aromasin or Femara, especially after five years of tamoxifen therapy.

Surgical treatment of breast cancer. The main and defining task facing the doctor is to restore the patient's health, even if in this case one of the mammary glands has to be sacrificed. After a mastectomy, plastic surgery and breast prosthetics can be done in six months, completely eliminating the visual defect.

At this time, if the tumor size does not exceed 25 mm, organ-preserving surgery is used. Even in cases where the spread of metastases is not detected, several nearby lymph nodes can be removed. This is done for prophylactic purposes, to prevent relapses of the disease.

The most frequently used types of surgical interventions are:

• lumpectomy method – removal of the tumor and small areas of surrounding breast tissue;
• simple mastectomy method – complete removal of the mammary gland without removal of the axillary lymph nodes;
• modified radical mastectomy method – complete removal of the mammary gland, including nearby lymph nodes;
• radical mastectomy method – complete removal of the gland, with resection of the chest muscles located under the gland;
• subcutaneous mastectomy method – all breast tissue is removed, leaving only the nipple for possible further breast reconstruction.

Radiation therapy for breast cancer. This treatment method is aimed primarily at inhibiting tumor growth (the primary tumor or metastatic areas). Gamma rays or a directed electron beam generated by an electron particle accelerator are used.

Irradiation, having a detrimental effect on malignant cells and slowing down their development, "prepares the ground" for surgical intervention, ensuring greater efficiency and success of the operation. In the postoperative period, radiation therapy is used to prevent relapse of the disease.

Patients who have undergone organ-preserving resection also undergo radiation procedures. This is done to reduce the risk of recurrence of the disease in the preserved part of the breast.

Modern radiation therapy using a CT scanner very rarely involves the development of complications of a cancerous tumor that could require stopping this method of treatment.

Treatment of invasive breast cancer

Invasive cancer is a malignant lesion of breast tissue without growth into the membrane of the lobule or ductal canal of the gland. This type of cancer can be treated by any known method: surgical, chemoradiation, hormonal or biological. The doctor can use any of these methods or use them in combination. The choice of therapeutic measures depends on:

• size of education;
• its localization;
• diagnostic and laboratory assessments;
• age and clinical indicators of the patient.

Therapeutic measures for invasive cancer can be systemic or local. Local therapy involves the use of surgical intervention and radioactive methods, which remove the tumor and destroy residual cancer cells. Systemic therapy consists of hormonal, biological and chemotherapy.

An integrated approach ensures tumor destruction and control over malignant cells and possible metastases.

Treatment of glandular breast cancer

Glandular cancer is a differentiated form of cancer that is formed from glandular cells and mucous membranes. The glandular tumor, along with functional cells, is capable of secretion production.

Treatment of glandular tumors is often performed with surgery. Sometimes, this treatment is combined with chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Different combinations and doses of chemotherapy drugs and different degrees of radiation may be used.

Cryotherapy, which is the treatment of tumors with cold, and brachytherapy, which is the introduction of radioactive particles into tissue, are highly effective in the treatment of glandular cancer. These types of treatment are popular abroad.

In the early stages of cancer, and when surgical intervention is impossible, radiosurgery can be used. This method involves treating the tumor with powerful ionizing radiation, which destroys degenerated cancer cells. Healthy cells are not damaged during this procedure.

Treatment of metastatic breast cancer

Breast cancer can metastasize almost anywhere, including the lungs, abdominal organs, skin, and skeletal system.

Treatment of metastases may depend on the following factors:

• the nature of the maternal tumor, its sensitivity to progesterone and estrogens;
• the period of time from the diagnosis of a tumor to the detection of metastases;
• the number of metastatic foci and their distribution throughout the body;
• age and physiological period of the patient.

The most effective drugs for metastases of breast tumors are considered to be cytotoxic agents. These are mitomycin, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin. The combined use of such drugs suggests even more successful treatment of the disease. Adding prednisone to the therapeutic regimen reduces the toxic effect of drugs on the digestive and hematopoietic systems, but increases the risk of secondary infection and thrombus formation.

The use of new agents, such as biological modulators, should be carried out at the initial stages of metastasis, before chemotherapeutic measures. However, such drugs (interferon, monoclonal antibodies, interleukin, etc.) are not yet widely used.

Treatment of recurrent breast cancer is often systemic (hormonal + chemotherapy). If such therapy does not bring positive results, radiation therapy is used.

Postoperative treatment of breast cancer

After the surgical removal of a cancerous tumor, it is extremely important to visit the doctor for follow-up examinations. This is necessary to observe whether the tumor has spread, whether there are any complications or side effects of the therapy.

Doctor visits should initially be every 5 months; after five years of treatment, doctor visits should be made annually.

If the patient continues to take tamoxifen after the end of therapy, pelvic examinations should be performed every year. This is due to the fact that this drug increases the risk of developing malignant disease of the uterus.

If the patient continues to take aromatase inhibitors after surgery, bone structure should be checked periodically.

If a tumor is diagnosed to have recurred or metastases are detected, a repeat course of chemotherapy and radiation therapy is administered.

Alternative treatment for breast cancer

Alternative treatment is an independent type of therapy, quite popular nowadays. Such treatment cannot be classified as either standard or non-traditional.

Switching to an alternative treatment method means completely abandoning conservative methods: radiation and chemotherapy. The comprehensive approach of alternative medicine promotes long-standing healing traditions: the use of traditional Chinese medicine (acupuncture), Indian therapy (Ayurveda, including the use of medicinal herbs, massage procedures and yoga classes), as well as treatment with homeopathic and naturopathic remedies.

Sometimes alternative medicine methods also include the use of hypnosis, meditation, reading prayers, music therapy and visual images.

The biological method, which can also be considered alternative, is based on therapeutic nutrition, fasting, the use of dietary supplements, and vitamin complex preparations.

Among the methods of manual influence on certain areas of the body, chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation are distinguished.

The effectiveness of the listed methods does not yet have sufficient evidence, so the use of these methods is a certain risk for the patient. However, many patients switch to such treatment, citing the toxicity of most medical antitumor drugs and a large number of side effects. Nevertheless, there is no scientifically substantiated data on the benefits and, most importantly, the harmlessness of such treatment.

Traditional treatment of breast cancer

Traditional methods of treatment can be used against the background of traditional cancer therapy. This combination of treatment measures is especially effective in the first and second stages of pathology progression.

Here are some of the most popular folk medicine recipes for combating malignant diseases:

• grind watermelon roots in a blender and apply to the affected chest at night;
• apply belladonna leaves to the gland, you can use a compress;
• cucumber juice (apply to the affected area of skin);
• elderberry flowers and root are steamed with boiling water in a thermos, used externally for lubrication and internally as tea;
• juice and tea from lingonberries, drink in any quantities;
• Verbena officinalis - the leaves of the plant are ground into a pulp, a few drops of wine or apple cider vinegar are added and applied as a bandage;
• It is useful to drink freshly squeezed pear juice for any tumors, and compote from the root and fruits of wild pear has an even more pronounced effect;
• mix equal parts of walnut kernels, rue and honey, use to lubricate the affected area;
• gulaavnik seeds - a tablespoon of seeds is boiled for 10 minutes in 300 ml of water. The decoction is drunk before meals, a tablespoon 5 times a day;
• datura herb - the juice of the plant is taken drop by drop in two tablespoons of water up to three times a day;
• infusion of yellow plum - take three times a day, one tablespoon of infusion.

Herbal treatment of breast cancer is an effective method that has proven itself in complex therapy along with traditional methods of treatment.

[ 1 ], [ 2 ], [ 3 ], [ 4 ], [ 5 ], [ 6 ], [ 7 ]

Treatment of breast cancer with soda

The use of baking soda solution in the treatment of cancer is one of the most controversial methods of alternative medicine, proposed by the Italian Tulio Simoncini. This method has neither empirical evidence of its effectiveness nor scientific evidence of the harmlessness of such treatment. Therefore, when agreeing to such treatment, think about whether it is worth exposing your body to such a risk. Be sure to talk to your doctor about this method. From the point of view of traditional medicine, soda is a rather aggressive agent that is used in the chemical, light and food industries to reduce acid reactions in the manufacture of baked goods, household chemicals, chemical reagents, leatherette, sole materials, fabrics.

However, the use of soda internally (especially regularly) can cause, first of all, a burn of the mucous membrane, gastritis, digestive problems, and digestive disorders.

Yes, the so-called "acidification of the body" is an unfavorable phenomenon that contributes to the development of inflammatory and other pathological processes in the body. This is due to the fact that, as a rule, the products of the inflammatory reaction are an acidic environment.

However, despite this, the use of sodium bicarbonate is not a scientifically proven method. When taken orally, soda ends up primarily in the stomach, and not in the focus of pathology (in this case, it is the mammary gland). Soda has a detrimental effect on the gastric mucosa, destroys the functional orientation of gastric juice, and disrupts the digestive process.

By the way, excessively acidic blood reaction can be combated by other accessible and safe means: drinking enough clean drinking water, vegetables, greens, fruits, berries, and also refusing sweets, flour, yeast. Switching to a healthy diet is very important in the treatment of any pathologies in the body.

Do not forget that the main principle of medicine is to do no harm: is your health worth experimenting on your own body?

Treatment of breast cancer with celandine

Medicinal plants sometimes prevent pathologies that cannot be overcome by official medicine. One of these plants is celandine - a healing herb that is successfully used for external treatment of skin diseases.

Many supporters of traditional medicine believe that celandine herb is capable of inhibiting the growth of cancer cells and destroying them in the early stages of the disease.

It is easy to prepare an infusion from this plant: pour a tablespoon of dry celandine raw material into a thermos, pour boiling water (0.5 l), leave for 1 hour, filter and drink a tablespoon before each meal (half an hour). This infusion is also recommended for external use, lubricating the affected area.

You can also make an ointment from celandine. To do this, grind the dry herb into powder (it is more convenient to do this in a coffee grinder), mix it with vaseline and lanolin oil. This ointment should be applied to the skin over the affected area several times a day.

To combat metastases, use an infusion of equal parts of a mixture of herbs - celandine, nettle and calendula. Brew a tablespoon of the mixture in a thermos, pouring 0.5 liters of boiling water. Drink this infusion 1 glass twice a day before meals.

Remember that celandine is a poisonous plant, and its use in large quantities can lead to poisoning of the body. Also, celandine is contraindicated during pregnancy, asthmatic bronchitis and epilepsy.

[ 8 ], [ 9 ]

Treatment of breast cancer with hemlock

Hemlock is a poisonous plant, but it is actively used in the treatment of oncological and precancerous conditions in strictly specified dosages.

Before purchasing an alcohol solution of hemlock from a pharmacy, you should familiarize yourself with the schemes for its use:

• Scheme I. The first day of taking - morning intake of 1 drop, daytime intake of 2 drops, evening intake of 3 drops; the second day - 4, 5 and 6 drops, respectively, and so on every day we bring it up to forty drops. Then in the same way, but in the opposite direction, reducing the number of drops. If during the treatment the patient feels unwell, he should stop at this number of drops and take them in the same amount until the symptoms of malaise subside. After this, continue taking according to the scheme. The entire course of treatment will require about 0.25 liters of tincture. For the best effect, it is recommended to take two or three courses.
• Scheme II. The first day of taking - one drop 3 times a day; on the second day - 2 drops 3 times a day, thus bringing it up to forty drops, then the opposite direction. The course will require 0.1 l of tincture. It is recommended to take two or three courses.
• Scheme III. Each patient has their own threshold of sensitivity to any drug, including hemlock. Accordingly, the therapeutic dose at which treatment of the disease begins may differ for each person. Therefore, some traditional healers recommend not limiting yourself to forty drops, but increasing the number of drops to the level at which the patient begins to feel unwell. For one person, this threshold may be 80 drops, for another 100 - this is individual. After reaching your threshold, the dose is reduced daily in the reverse order, as in the previous schemes.

If you don’t want to buy the tincture at the pharmacy, but want to prepare it yourself, we offer you the following recipe:

• flowers or seeds of hemlock (two parts) pour good vodka 40% (1 part), insist in a sealed container in a dark cool place. In a month the tincture is ready.

The most effective treatment for cancerous tumors consists of a combination of internal administration of the tincture with its external use.

Breast Cancer Treatment in Israel

Outstanding successes in the treatment of severe oncological diseases have made Israeli medicine widely known far beyond the borders of this country. Israeli clinics accept patients from all over the world. We will list the most popular Israeli clinics specializing in oncological diseases. Here you can turn to qualified help, which will be provided to you by the best world specialists.

• Assuta Medical Center is a clinic with eighty years of experience, offering successful cancer treatment using the most modern technologies, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, nuclear and biological treatment, and highly qualified surgery.
• Ichilov Medical Center is a medical complex in Tel Aviv, one of the best oncology centers in the country. The main criterion for the successful work of the clinic is a multidisciplinary approach - the joint activity of several medical specialties at the same time: surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, hematologists and diagnosticians. In addition to surgical treatment, the center specializes in cell and radiation therapy, as well as chemotherapy.
• The Assaf HaRofeh Oncology Center is a research and educational base of Tel Aviv University, which conducts not only diagnostics and treatment, but also world scientific research in oncology. As therapeutic measures, the center uses all known types of oncotherapy, including an innovative development of oncologists - the use of laser radiation to combat cancer cells.
• The Chaim Sheba Medical Center is a comprehensive oncology center equipped with the latest linear acceleration devices, MRI and CT installations, PET scanners, which are used in molecular oncology. Research into new medical drugs, including biological ones, is conducted here. An alternative medicine department has also been opened: specialists do everything possible to provide individual treatment to each patient.
• Herzliya Medical Center is a world-class oncology center, represented by 120 departments of various specializations. Among the many therapeutic measures, specialists use drug therapy with the latest means, local or distant irradiation, transplantation, oncosurgery. Surgical methods are represented by microsurgery, radiosurgery, endoscopy and laser surgery.
• Hadassah Center is a university clinic, one of the best centers in the country. It treats all types of malignant tumors using cytostatic drugs, immunological and hormonal methods, radiotherapy, chemotherapy. The clinic successfully practices the latest innovative methods and technologies.

Many centers have a patient transportation service from anywhere in the world, and offer excellent care and treatment from the world's best oncology professors.

Cost of breast cancer treatment in Israel:

• laboratory tests, determination of tumor markers – from $500;
• mammography, ultrasound with consultation with a mammologist - from $650;
• analysis of a previously taken biopsy – from $400;
• on-site biopsy, its analysis – from $2000;
• diagnostic tomography – from $1600;
• incomplete resection of the mammary gland with tumor removal – from $10,000;
• radical mastectomy surgery – from $12,000.

Prices for chemotherapy depend on the size of the formation, the presence of hormone receptors. If desired, the patient can undergo chemotherapy in his home country with subsequent follow-up examination at the treating clinic.

Subsequent breast reconstruction (plastic surgery), depending on the stage of the procedure, can cost from 30 to 50 thousand dollars.

All prices are approximate. For more accurate information, please contact the representatives of the specific medical center.

Nutrition for Breast Cancer

It is no secret that the use of chemotherapy and radiation can provoke many side effects, such as bowel disorders, appetite disorders, digestion, dyspeptic phenomena. To reduce the impact of treatment on the digestive tract, doctors recommend following certain dietary rules.

Often, when a patient feels unwell, diet No. 0 is prescribed. In medical practice, this diet is used in the postoperative period and when the patient's consciousness is impaired. However, in situations of oncology treatment, such a diet can be irreplaceable.

Table No. 0 allows the consumption of only liquid dishes. This can be milk, tea, fruit and berry compotes and jelly, freshly squeezed juices, broths, decoctions. The intake of solid and dense products, salt is excluded.

Meals are taken frequently and in small amounts. After a few days, after the patient's condition has normalized, he is transferred to a more extensive diet.

Food during cancer treatment should contain sufficient vitamins and microelements that support the patient's immunity. Meals should be freshly prepared, include sufficient vegetables, greens and fruits. It is recommended to avoid sugar, simple carbohydrates, large amounts of salt and seasonings.

Breast cancer treatment is a complex process. But, as they say, nothing is impossible. A comprehensive approach to the problem will allow it to be solved with maximum efficiency.