Treatment for stage 3B breast
cancer:
- Chemotherapy
- Hormone therapy if hormone receptor positive
- Women who respond well to chemotherapy may be candidates for lumpectomy to remove only the cancer and some surrounding breast tissue, followed by lymph node removal and radiation therapy
- Women who do not respond well to chemotherapy may be candidates for total mastectomy, followed by lymph node removal and radiation therapy.
- Clinical trials for stage 3B breast cancer
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.
