When you are diagnosed with breast cancer, the next obvious step is to get rid of it. So, your doctor will discuss each of the available options with you. It would help if you considered the side effects and the possible risks of the different treatment options for breast cancer before starting the treatment.

Treatment options for breast cancer

Surgery
If you need to undergo surgery, the next decision that you have to make is the type of surgery. It predominantly depends on your individual preference as well as the diagnosis. The different types of surgeries include: 

Mastectomy
It is a simple procedure that involves removing fatty tissues, lobules, ducts, areola, some skin, and nipple. In a few cases, the surgeon might also consider removing the chest wall muscles and the lymph nodes. 

Lumpectomy
Under this, the tumor and a bit of surrounding healthy tissue are removed. It is a great treatment option for breast cancer and helps in curtailing the spread of cancer. Lumpectomy is usually opted for when the tumor is tiny and easier to separate from the surrounding tissue. 

Sentinel node biopsy
When breast cancer starts to spread, it first affects the sentinel lymph nodes. Cancer spreads to the other body parts via the lymphatic system. If the cancer is found in the sentinel nodes, it may not be necessary to remove any other nodes. 

Axillary lymph node dissection
At times, in addition to the sentinel nodes, the doctor might also recommend the removal of the lymph nodes present in the armpit. It restricts cancer from spreading. 

Breast reconstruction
If you undergo mastectomy, you can get the breasts reconstructed to give it a natural look. 

Radiation therapy
It is a form of targeted therapy. Radiation is mostly recommended following lumpectomy and is performed for stage 0 breast cancers. Under this high-beam, X-rays are used for killing the cancer cells. It also prevents their spread. It is an effective treatment to reduce the chance of a relapse.  

Chemotherapy
It involves the use of medicines for killing cancer cells. The medication used is hugely powerful. As a result, it has many side effects, such as early menopause, hair loss, nausea, fatigue, and hot flashes. 

Biological treatment
There are targeted medicines also used, which combat certain types of breast cancers. These include bevacizumab, lapatinib, and trastuzumab. 

Hormone therapy
Hormone therapy might also be a recommended treatment option, mostly used for the hormone receptor-positive cancer. The hormone therapy can be applied regardless of the tumor size. The common side effects of this treatment option include vaginal dryness and hot flashes. There are a few therapies that work by restricting the ovaries from producing hormones via surgery. 

Immunotherapy
As the name suggests, this therapy uses your immune system to battle cancer. For people with triple-negative breast cancer that has spread, one of the approved medicine is atezolizumab.