Mastectomy
Amastectomyinvolves surgical removal of the entire breast.
A bilateral or doublemastectomyis when both breasts are removed.
Sometimes other tissues, such as the muscle lying behind the breast, are removed as well.
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Whether this is needed is debatable.
The resection may be performed as part of breast cancer surgery or on its own.
Breast Reconstruction
Breast reconstructionis used by many women to restore the breasts appearance after breast cancer surgery.
Verywell / JR Bee
As beneficial as breast reconstruction is, the cost of the procedures can be prohibitive.
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Hypofractionated radiation is different from conventional radiation in that higher doses of radiation are given over a shorter period.
Verywell / Julie Bang
Studies show thatperipheral neuropathyoften painful burning or pins-and-needles sensationsis twice as likely in Black women compared with White women.
Hormone Therapy
The growth of some breast cancer tumors is influenced by the hormoneestrogen.
Tumors can be tested to determine if they have receptors for estrogen.
Around two out of every three breast cancers are ER+.
It is also sometimes used as neoadjuvant therapy.
The list of targeted drugs used for breast cancer includes:
Chemotherapy vs. Immunotherapy is sometimes combined with chemotherapy to treat triple-negative breast cancer, especially when itmetastasizes(spreads).
The drugs used are referred to asimmune checkpoint inhibitors.
Many factors contribute to this disparity, ranging from social and economic inequalities to genetics and tumor biology.
This accounts in part for the lower survival rates among Black women.
Black women also tend to get breast cancer at a younger age than their White counterparts.
This means that the course of treatment is usually longer and more arduous than for White women.
These can impact a Black womans ability to comply with cancer treatments even when money is not a factor.
Most local providers and larger hospitals have free or cost-effective transportation services for those in need.
The goal may be to cure cancer or to prolong survival with a high quality of life.
Social and economic disparities can adversely affect treatment among Black women who have lower breast cancer survival rates.
One way to improve outcomes is to start breast cancer screenings from as early as age 40.
Doing so increases the chance of catching cancer early when it is most curable.
National Cancer Institute.Cancer fast stats: female breast cancer.
American Cancer Society.Breast cancer surgery.
2020;181(3):653-665. doi:10.1007/s10549-020-05654-x
American Cancer Society.Chemotherapy for breast cancer.
American Cancer Society.Targeted drug therapy for breast cancer.
American Cancer Society.Chemotherapy side effects.
American Cancer Society.Immunotherapy for breast cancer.
2020;126(22):4957-4966. doi:10.1002/cncr.33121
