Sometimes a few of the lymph nodes under the arm may be removed to check for spread of cancer beyond the breast. With radiation therapy, high energy rays are directed at the tumor site in order to dissolve or reduce the size of the tumor. Usually radiation is done 5 days a week for 5 to 6 weeks. A of radiation to the tumor site is then given following the 6th week of treatment. A boost is one or more extra doses of radiation directed at the place where the tumor used to be after the main course of radiation has been completed.
Chemotherapy uses a combination of drugs to kill the cancer cells.
Chemotherapy may be given in one of three ways, orally, which means by mouth intramuscularly, which means that it is injected into a muscle, or intravenously, which means that it is injected into a vein. Chemotherapy is usually given in cycles over a period of months and can be given in a doctor's office, an outpatient clinic or a hospital. Hormone therapy is a treatment option that is available to women and men with breast cancer if the tests of the tumor show that the cancerous cells' growth is stimulated by hormones. If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, be sure to discuss all of your treatment options with your doctor so that you can make informed choices about your treatment. For other information on breast cancer, please listen to other recordings listed under the breast cancer heading of the cancer section of your AudioHealth Library directory.