If an area in the breast is considered suspicious, a biopsy should be performed. Only a tissue analysis can determine the true nature of a suspicious area of the breast. Check with your physician to see what types of biopsy are available in your community. Treatment of breast cancer has evolved dramatically in recent years and offers choices based on the type of tumor, whether it has metastasized, and the woman's age, health and preferences. Breast conservation treatments are considered preferable, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Mastectomy removes much of the breast tissue.
It is used when a tumor cannot be easily removed by a lumpectomy or the patient prefers it to lumpectomy. Radiation therapy is used in conjunction with lumpectomy to treat the remaining breast tissue. It sometimes supplements mastectomy when the tumor is large or aggressive. Adjuvant therapy with chemo-therapeutic agents or hormones is often recommended if there is suspicion that there are microscopic cancer cells elsewhere in the body. One agent, tamoxifen, is an estrogen blocker and may be used in tumors sensitive to estrogen.