Breast cancer is an important topic of discussion for many people. The issues are often personal, which is why the debate about treatment options can be so heated. Often, it is difficult to find the best course of treatment for breast cancer because of lack of information from medical professionals who are not highly experienced with this issue. With all the different opinions, it's hard to know what works better for you. Here are four treatment options for breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Surgery

Breast cancer surgery is not always recommended. However, in many cases, this treatment option is necessary. The most common breast cancer surgery today is a lumpectomy. This surgery removes only the tumor and a small amount of surrounding tissue. A mastectomy, on the other hand, removes the entire breast, including the nipple, areola, and lymph nodes under the arm if necessary. A double mastectomy may be recommended for people whose tumors have a positive gene called BRCA1 or 2. This inherited genetic mutation dramatically increases the risk of getting breast cancer. Both lumpectomy and mastectomy are considered to be breast cancer treatment options.

Radiation Therapy and Chemotherapy Treatments

Radiation therapy uses high energy X-rays to destroy cancer cells. In some cases, the radiation is focused directly on the tumor, while in other cases, the radiation covers a larger area of the body. Chemotherapy is a breast cancer treatment in which anti-cancer drugs are injected into your circulatory system or taken by mouth. Chemotherapy drugs may be used in combination with radiation. Chemotherapy may be used to treat localized cancers. It can also treat other cancers, such as leukemia, brain cancer, and lymphoma.

Hormonal Therapy

Hormonal therapy uses drugs that interfere with the production of hormones in the body to stop cancer growth. The cancer cells must be estrogen-sensitive or hormone receptive for this option to be effective. This means that there are receptors on them called estrogen receptors. Aromatase inhibitors used to treat breast cancer may be used as a hormonal therapy if aromatase is the cause of your breast cancer's growth. This drug reduces the hormones that your body makes from estrogen. For hormone-sensitive breast cancer, tamoxifen or exemestane can be used as a hormonal therapy.

Biological Therapy

Biological therapy is a type of treatment that uses the body's immune system to attack cancer cells. In this breast cancer treatment, bacteria or viruses are injected directly into the tumor. This may be used in combination with radiation therapy. You can receive biological therapy called anti-PD-1 therapy that targets a protein found on the surface of some breast cancer cells. This type of treatment is being tested in clinical trials.

There are many other medical treatments available today to treat breast cancer. It is essential to understand what works best for you and your situation and get help from an experienced medical professional who can give you advice based on your situation.