Local treatments are procedures performed on the breast and surrounding areas, such as surgery and radiation therapy. Systemic treatments, such as chemotherapy and hormone therapy, are used to treat breast cancer cells that may have spread to other parts of the body. Local and systemic treatments are often combined to ensure the best outcome possible, and your priorities are an essential part of making the best treatment choice. The first step in treating the most common types of breast cancer is surgery, and your first decision will probably include a fundamental choice between breast conservation and removal of the breast. Lumpectomy is considered a partial mastectomy and conserves varying degrees of breast tissue.
Total mastectomy removes the entire breast.
Before surgery, tests such as a chest X-ray, a complete blood chemistry, and a urinalysis must be performed to determine your body's ability to tolerate surgery and anesthesia. If your cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, a lumpectomy or wide excision with axillary lymph node dissection may be offered as a treatment choice. The goal of this surgery is to remove the entire lump and some normal tissue surrounding the lump, but preserve the breast. Radiation therapy follows lumpectomy and axillary lymph node dissection and is an integral part of breast conserving treatment. The two treatments combined, surgery and radiation therapy, have proven to be as effective as the modified radical mastectomy.