About Breast Cancer Treatment and Side Effects

Incredible strides have been made in the field of breast cancer. Many more options are now available than ever before in the treatment of this disease. With these treatments, however, in many cases there are side effects that must be dealt with. It is helpful to know what treatments there are and the side effects in order to choose the right breast cancer treatment for you.

Surgery

Breast cancer surgery can be as simple as a lumpectomy in which just the tumor is removed from the breast, or as invasive as a mastectomy in which the whole breast is removed. The effects of breast cancer surgery are obvious and have only to do with the cosmetic appearance.  In many cases, women undergoing a radical mastectomy choose to have breast reconstructive surgery to help with the transition of losing their breast.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a process by which poisonous drugs are delivered to the body in the hopes that they will begin to kill the cancer cells. This is a form of systemic therapy, which means it affects the whole body by entering the blood stream. Side effects include:

• Hair loss


• Nausea


• Vomiting


• Anemia


• Fatigue


• Mouth and throat sores


• Diarrhea


• Memory loss

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is a targeted therapy. Radiation is aimed at the cancer in an effort to shrink or destroy the tumor. Side effects for this type of treatment are limited to the treated area. Side effects include:

• Armpit discomfort


• Chest pain


• Fatigue


• Heart problems


• Lung problems


• Lowered white blood cells

In addition, there may be effects to the skin at the point of radiation impact. Many times these effects include a sunburn-like reaction, itching, burning and possible peeling of the skin.

Drug Treatments

There has been a whole range of oral medications that have flooded the market in recent years, which are showing great promise in the treatment of breast cancer, even in the advanced stages.  One such drug is tamoxifen.  This particular drug can be taken for up to five years, although women with advanced stage breast cancer may take it for the rest of their lives as long as it continues to be effective. The side effects with this medication include hot flashes, mood swings, depression, weight gain and blood clots. Many of the oral agents used to treat breast cancer show similar side effects.