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What after surgery therapy is most effective?

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sophlouise
sophlouise

id like to know which therapies (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone therapy, or targeted therapy) is most effective

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • dambudzo
    dambudzo sophlouise

    Posted

    i think it probably depends on the type of tumour, the location, the size, how advanced it is, whether it has spread anywhere else, the age of the person and any other medical problems that the person has.

    There is very good information on the cancer research website, and on the macmillan website. There should also be a macmillan nurse / information person that you could talk to at the hopsital.

    Hope that this helps.

    Best wishes

  • poemsgalore55
    poemsgalore55 sophlouise

    Posted

    Hello Sophie,

    The most effective therapies depend on what receptors - if any - your breast cancer has. If your tumour proves to be hormone positve (ER+ and/or PR+) then somewhere along the line you will be offered anti hormone drugs for at least 5 years. They are not effective with hormone negative tumours. 

    If your tumour is HER2 positive (epidermal growth hormone) you will need Herceptin, which is a targeted therapy. This will have no effect on hormone positive tumours. But it is usually given alongside chemotherapy. 

    Chemotherapy is usually offered when (in the UK in any case) if the tumour is grade 3, or has several lymph nodes involved, or you are very young (under 55) at diagnosis. Or, if your cancer is what is called triple negative (ER- , PR- , HER2-) as there are no other therapies for this type of breast cancer. Some women are triple positive (ER+ , PR + and HER+ and will be offered all the therapies the oncologist feels will treat your cancer best. For more information, visit the Breast Cancer Care website, where you can download booklets about all types of breast cancers and their subtypes.

    An example is my own cancer. It was grade 3 with lymph node involvement, ER+ PR+ HER2- 

    So I had chemo, followed by anti hormone tablets. Radiotherapy is usually offered too. I refused that as I have a lung disease and didn't want to harm my lungs any more.

    This is a generalisation, and it would be best to check either on the Breast cancer care website, or the Macmillan website.

    • sophlouise
      sophlouise poemsgalore55

      Posted

      thank you for the help, was you happy with your therapies you chose or would you have changed them?
    • poemsgalore55
      poemsgalore55 sophlouise

      Posted

      I was very happy with my decisions, I wouldn't have changed any of them and would make the same decisions again if necessary (Heaven forbid rolleyes)
  • onlineherbalpil
    onlineherbalpil sophlouise

    Posted

    The therapy used to treat cancer is depeded on the type of cancer.

    Surgery is the oldest form of cancer removal

    Radiotherapy demolishes Cancer cells, by focusing high level energy rays on it. This will damage the molecule, which produces the cancer cells.

    Chemotherapy contains chemicals that obstruct with the cell division process by damaging DNA or proteins. This Therapy is generally used in spread cancer because the medicine will travel throughout the body. This therapy comes into a cycle so the body gets time to repair the damage.

    Immunotherapy works by utilizing your immune system against the tumor.

    Hormone therapy is used to treat cancer, which connected with hormone like breast and prostate. In this therapy the hormone production is adjust in such a way that kill or stops growth of cancer cells.

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