Treatment for stage 3A breast
cancer:
- Lumpectomy to remove only the cancer and some surrounding breast tissue, followed by lymph node removal and radiation therapy
- Modified radical mastectomy with or without breast reconstructive surgery
- Clinical trials for stage 3A breast cancer
Any one of the following may also be added following surgery:
- Radiation therapy to the lymph nodes and chest wall after a modified mastectomy
- Systemic chemotherapy with or without hormone therapy
- Hormone therapy
- LHRH antagonist therapy instead of surgery to remove ovaries
- Clinical trial of trastuzumab (Herceptin) combined with systemic chemotherapy
Important factors that influence decision making:
- A history of endometrial cancer makes hormone therapy risky.
- A history of stroke, DVT or pulmonary embolism makes tamoxifen therapy more risky.
- A history of vision problems or retinal disease makes tamoxifen therapy more risky.
- Being pregnant limits drug and hormone therapy options.
- Breast feeding limits drug and hormone therapy options.
- Having had your ovaries removed makes hormone therapy unnecessary.
- Having had your uterus removed makes hormone therapy less risky.
- Hormone receptor status: hormone therapy is not an option if the tumor is estrogen receptor negative.
- Hormone therapy can increase the risk of osteoporosis.
- Hormone therapy recipients will need close follow-up to make sure they do not develop uterine cancer.
- The desire to get pregnant makes tamoxifen therapy more risky, because it can cause birth defects.
