Drugs in the Taxol family are good treatments for metastatic, or spreading, breast cancer. But there is no proof yet that Taxol and related drugs are a good adjuvant therapy for localized breast cancer, and thus they shouldn't be used outside clinical trials. More study is needed before women select a specific chemotherapy based on newly discovered genetic risk factors. Alternative drugs such as raloxifene are not yet proven. Women who do not have hormone receptors should not get tamoxifen.
Radiation is necessary for all women who undergo a lumpectomy , where just the tumor is removed.