What is the life expectancy after breast cancer?
Dec 03, 2018 · There is little research looking at the optimal time until treatment for metastatic breast cancer, though it appears that waiting more than 12 weeks has been linked with lower survival. In general, however, the goal of treatment with MBC is different than early stage disease.
What is the natural cure for breast cancer?
Breast cancer is treated in several ways. It depends on the kind of breast cancer and how far it has spread. People with breast cancer often get more than one kind of treatment. Surgery. An operation where doctors cut out cancer tissue. Chemotherapy. Using special medicines to shrink or kill the cancer cells.
How to cure breast cancer naturally?
Nov 14, 2021 · You usually have radiotherapy to the whole breast after having breast conserving surgery . You generally start it about 4 to 6 weeks after surgery. If you need to have chemotherapy you have this before your radiotherapy.
What is the percentage of survival for breast cancer?
The stage of your breast cancer is an important factor in making decisions about your treatment.. Most women with breast cancer in stages I, II, or III are treated with surgery, often followed by radiation therapy.Many women also get some kind of systemic drug therapy (medicine that travels to almost all areas of the body).
How long after breast cancer diagnosis does treatment start?
Waiting between 31 and 90 days to first treatment after diagnosis with breast cancer may be beneficial for doctors and patients who want a more extensive diagnostic plan and additional time to make decisions, according to the results of a new study.22 Feb 2020
How long is a cycle of chemo for breast cancer?
Chemo cycles are most often 2 or 3 weeks long. The schedule varies depending on the drugs used. For example, with some drugs, chemo is given only on the first day of the cycle. With others, it is given one day a week for a few weeks or every other week.27 Oct 2021
How many rounds of chemo is normal for breast cancer?
Typically, you receive chemotherapy in cycles. You may receive chemo every week or every two, three or even four weeks. Cycles are usually two to three treatments long. Each cycle includes a rest period to allow your body to recover.18 Aug 2021
Can breast cancer completely go away?
Metastatic breast cancer may never go away completely. But treatment can control its spread. Cancer may even go into remission at some points. This means you have fewer signs and symptoms of cancer.14 Apr 2021
Do you lose your hair with chemo for breast cancer?
Many people will lose either some or all of their hair as a result of treatment for breast cancer. People who have chemotherapy often experience hair loss. Some other treatments may cause hair loss or thinning.
Is chemo painful?
Chemotherapy is a drug-based treatment for cancer. It's commonly administered intravenously, although some chemotherapy drugs are injected or taken orally. While this treatment may cause discomfort, it isn't typically painful. Pain caused by nerve damage is a potential short-term effect of chemotherapy.14 Apr 2021
How fast can breast cancer Spread?
According to the Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center at Providence Portland Medical Center, breast cancer cells need to divide at least 30 times before they are detectable by physical exam. Each division takes about 1 to 2 months, so a detectable tumor has likely been growing in the body for 2 to 5 years.2 Apr 2021
At what stage of cancer is chemotherapy used?
Systemic drug treatments, such as targeted therapy or chemotherapy, are common for stage 4 cancers. Often, a clinical trial may be an option, offering new treatments to help you fight stage 4 cancer.11 Feb 2022
What is the 5 year pill for breast cancer?
Tamoxifen. Tamoxifen is usually taken daily in pill form. It's often used to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence in women who have been treated for early-stage breast cancer. In this situation, it's typically taken for five to 10 years.29 Dec 2020
Can you live a normal life after breast cancer?
Many people survive for years or even decades after getting a breast cancer diagnosis and receiving treatment. Typically, the earlier a doctor diagnoses and treats the condition, the better a person's outlook. Regular follow-up appointments are important for monitoring a person's health after breast cancer treatment.1 Dec 2021
How long can you live with untreated breast cancer?
Median survival time of the 250 patients followed to death was 2.7 years. Actuarial 5- and 10-year survival rates for these patients with untreated breast cancer was 18.4% and 3.6%, respectively. For the amalgamated 1,022 patients, median survival time was 2.3 years.
What is the longest someone has survived breast cancer?
Thelma Sutcliffe turned 114 years old in October. She now holds the record as the oldest living American, as the previous record holder died recently at age 116. Sutcliffe has survived breast cancer twice during her lifetime.7 May 2021
How soon after a diagnosis can you have surgery?
For women who are young (defined as 15 to 39), a 2013 study in JAMA Surgery suggested that young women should have surgery no more than six weeks after diagnosis and preferably earlier. This study of close to 9,000 women found 5-year survival rates as follows: 4
What is the goal of MBC?
With MBC, the goal is often to use the least amount of treatment necessary to control the disease .
Is it good to get a second opinion?
Getting a second opinion is almost always a good idea. Not only do doctors have different levels of experience and interest, but having a second opinion can be reassuring if you ever look back and question your choices. Make sure any medical conditions you have are under good control.
What is the Sage program?
Programs such as the SAGE program are available, as well as many other assistance programs that can help with anything from transportation to childcare.
Can you have a child after breast cancer treatment?
For young women with breast cancer, time to see a fertility specialist to talk about fertility preservation. Chemotherapy often leads to infertility, but there are measures you can take beforehand if you wish to have a child after treatment. Time to get a second opinion.
How is breast cancer treated?
Breast cancer is treated in several ways. It depends on the kind of breast cancer and how far it has spread. People with breast cancer often get more than one kind of treatment. Surgery.
What is the best treatment for cancer?
Hormonal therapy. Blocks cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow. Biological therapy. Works with your body’s immune system to help it fight cancer cells or to control side effects from other cancer treatments. Radiation therapy. Using high-energy rays (similar to X-rays) to kill the cancer cells.
What is radiation therapy?
Radiation therapy. Using high-energy rays (similar to X-rays) to kill the cancer cells. Doctors from different specialties often work together to treat breast cancer. Surgeons are doctors who perform operations. Medical oncologists are doctors who treat cancer with medicine.
What is clinical trial?
Clinical Trials. Clinical trials use new treatment options to see if they are safe and effective. If you have cancer, you may want to take part. Visit the sites listed below for more information.
What is complementary medicine?
Complementary and alternative medicine are medicines and health practices that are not standard cancer treatments. Complementary medicine is used in addition to standard treatments, and alternative medicine is used instead of standard treatments. Meditation, yoga, and supplements like vitamins and herbs are some examples.
What is the treatment for stage 1 breast cancer?
Local therapy (surgery and radiation therapy) Surgery is the main treatment for stage I breast cancer. These cancers can be treated with either breast-conserving surgery (BCS; sometimes called lumpectomy or partial mastectomy) or mastectomy.
What are the stages of breast cancer?
Most women with breast cancer in stages I to III will get some kind of drug therapy as part of their treatment. This may include: 1 Chemotherapy 2 Hormone therapy (tamoxifen, an aromatase inhibitor, or one followed by the other) 3 HER2 targeted drugs, such as trastuzumab (Herceptin) and pertuzumab (Perjeta) 4 Some combination of these
How big is a stage 3 breast tumor?
In stage III breast cancer, the tumor is large (more than 5 cm or about 2 inches across) or growing into nearby tissues (the skin over the breast or the muscle underneath), or the cancer has spread to many nearby lymph nodes.
What is the treatment for BCS?
Women who have BCS are treated with radiation therapy after surgery. Women who have a mastectomy are typically treated with radiation if the cancer is found in the lymph nodes.
Can breast reconstruction be done at the same time as breast surgery?
In some cases, breast reconstruction can be done at the same time as the surgery to remove the cancer.
Can you get BCS without radiation?
If BCS is done, radiation therapy is usually given after surgery to lower the chance of the cancer coming back in the breast and to also help people live longer. In a separate group, women who are at least 70 years old may consider BCS without radiation therapy if ALL of the following are true:
Does radiation help with lymph nodes?
None of the lymph nodes removed contained cancer. The cancer is ER-positive or PR-positive, and hormone therapy is given. Radiation therapy in this set of women still lowers the chance of the cancer coming back, but it has not been shown to help them live longer.
What is adjuvant chemotherapy?
Adjuvant chemotherapy is chemotherapy given after surgery with the intent of decreasing the chance of tumor recurrence. It is standard of care for many kinds of breast cancer. For instance, in two of the kinds of breast cancer with poorer prognosis, triple negative breast cancer [PDF] and HER2 (+) breast cancer, ...
What is the Bleicher et al study?
Because I’m a surgeon I’ll take a look at Bleicher et al first. This study looks at two large cancer databases, the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare–linked database and the National Cancer Database (NCDB). The SEER-Medicare cohort included Medicare patients older than 65 years, and the NCDB cohort included patients cared for at Commission on Cancer –accredited facilities throughout the United States. Analyses performed assessed overall survival (OS) as a function of time between diagnosis and surgery and evaluated five intervals (≤30, 31-60, 61-90, 91-120, and 121-180 days). It also looked at disease-specific survival at 60 day intervals. The patient cohort included women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer that had not metastasized beyond axillary lymph nodes who were treated with surgery first. Patients with inflammatory breast cancer were excluded, which makes sense because inflammatory cancer is generally treated first with chemotherapy. The SEER-Medicare cohort included 94,544 patients 66 years or older diagnosed between 1992 and 2009, while the NCDB cohort included 115,970 patients 18 years or older diagnosed between 2003 and 2005.
Will big pharma take away a doctor's license?
Unfortunately, big pharma will take away a dr.'s license, call them quacks, raid their practice and even kill doctors who get in their way. The Rockefellers, Carnegie and others billionaires paid medical school big bucks, since 1910 - to have their medical students only prescribe their drugs, sad I know.
Is it safe to delay chemo for breast cancer?
I realize that these two studies are about as close to “Well, duh!” studies as there are. Of course, delaying surgery for breast cancer is not a good thing. Of course, delaying chemotherapy when it’s indicated is also not a good thing. These are results that are not unexpected. However, these studies are still very important because they give us estimates of how much of a delay is safe and at what point delaying care starts to have a measurable impact on patient outcomes. Putting the results of these studies together suggests that it’s best to do surgery within about 60 days in patients not needing chemotherapy first, and that for patients with disease lacking the estrogen and progesterone receptor it’s best to start chemotherapy within 90 days of surgery.
How long does it take to recover from breast cancer?
Typically, if you have early-stage breast cancer, you'll undergo chemotherapy treatments for three to six months, but your doctor will adjust the timing to your circumstances. If you have advanced breast cancer, treatment may continue beyond six months.
What is the best treatment for advanced breast cancer?
Chemotherapy as the primary treatment for advanced breast cancer. If breast cancer has spread to other parts of your body and surgery isn't an option, chemotherapy can be used as the primary treatment. It may be used in combination with targeted therapy.
How to remove cancer from breast?
Allow the surgeon the best chance of removing the cancer completely. Enable the surgeon to remove only the cancer, rather than the entire breast. Decrease the extent of disease in lymph nodes, allowing for less invasive lymph node surgery. Decrease the chance the cancer will return.
Can you have chemotherapy after surgery?
Your doctor may recommend adjuvant chemotherapy if you have a high risk of the cancer recurring or spreading to other parts of your body (metastasizing), even if there is no evidence of cancer after surgery.
Does chemotherapy affect hair growth?
In the process of targeting fast-growing cancer cells, chemotherapy drugs can also damage other fast-growing healthy cells, such as those in the hair follicles, bone marrow and digestive tract. These side effects often go away after treatment is finished or within a year after completing chemotherapy.
Can chemo cause cancer?
Certain chemotherapy medications are associated with a higher risk of future heart problems. Leukemia. Rarely, chemotherapy for breast cancer can trigger a secondary cancer, such as cancer of the blood cells (leukemia), several years after the chemotherapy is completed.
Can chemotherapy cause isolation?
Feelings of fear, sadness and isolation can compound the physical side effects of chemotherapy, both during and after treatment. During chemotherapy, you have regular contact with and support from oncologists and nurses. Everyone involved is working toward the same goal — completion of treatment with the best possible outcome. When it's over, you can feel as if you're alone, with no one to help you return to normal life or deal with fears of breast cancer recurrence.
Ask the experts
My mother is fairly young (early 50s), and she was just diagnosed with breast cancer. I'm trying to figure out what I should expect going forward. How long can breast cancer patients live?
Doctor's response
Survival rates are a way for health care professionals to discuss the prognosis and outlook of a cancer diagnosis with their patients. The number most frequently discussed is five-year survival. It is the percentage of patients who live at least five years after they are diagnosed with cancer.
How long does it take to get breast cancer treatment?
The treatment takes a week to complete. If you’ve had breast-saving surgery, a doctor may treat you with both internal and external radiation to increase the boost of radiation. Doctors may only perform internal radiation as a form of accelerated partial breast radiation to speed up treatment.
What is the best treatment for breast cancer?
External beam radiation is the most common kind of radiation treatment for breast cancer. It’s a painless treatment, like getting an X-ray. A doctor will place a machine on the outside of your body and aim the radiation beams at the area of the cancer.
How long does radiation treatment last?
Radiation can start after two weeks, to a month or later. Radiation treatment often lasts more than a month. The number of sessions depends on the type of radiation treatment you have.
What is internal radiation?
You doctor will place a device that contains radioactive seeds in the area of the breast where the cancer was found. For a short time, internal radiation targets only the area where breast cancer is most likely to return. This causes fewer side effects.
Can breast cancer patients have radiation?
Sometimes, a person with advanced breast cancer will have internal radiation. Intraoperative radiation works best: during early stage breast cancer. when the tumor is too close to healthy tissue for external radiation to be possible. Not everyone can have intraoperative radiation or internal beam radiation.
What is the most common type of radiation for breast cancer?
Intracavitary brachytherapy is the most common type of internal breast cancer radiation. Your doctor will place a tube-like device into your breast to send radiation to the location of the cancer. The end of the device expands in the breast to keep it in place, while the other end sticks out of the breast.
How long does it take to get a linear accelerator?
A linear accelerator, which takes two minutes. A small device that brings a high dose of radiation to the cancer area. This technique takes up to 10 minutes. Side effects of intraoperative radiation include: red, dark, dry, or irritated skin. changes in breast appearance and density.
Why is triple negative breast cancer the most aggressive?
Probably not long.: Triple negative breast cancer is the most aggressive breast cancer, because it grows and spreads fast and there are fewer options for treatment. If n ... Read More
How long does it take for a doctor to answer a question?
Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers — it's anonymous and free! Doctors typically provide answers within 24 hours.
Do women die from breast cancer?
It depends.: The reality is that more than half of all women diagnosed with breast cancer will not die from breast cancer. While it is impossible to predict the t ... Read More
