Treatment of stage 2 breast cancer

This is an automatically translated article.

Stage 2 breast cancer is when the cancer has not spread beyond the breast tissue or to nearby lymph nodes. Stage 2 breast cancer can be classified into several types, each of which will have different treatments. It is important that patients consult with their doctor to determine the appropriate surgical option for stage 2 breast cancer.

1. Overview of stage 2 breast cancer

When a patient is first confirmed with breast cancer, the doctor assigns a clinical stage to the cancer diagnosis based on a physical exam, imaging tests, and biopsy results.
If surgery is done to examine breast tissue, the results of laboratory tests on the breast tissue and lymph nodes will provide additional information to the doctor. Based on these results, the doctor will determine the pathological or surgical stage of breast cancer more accurately than the clinical stage.
Breast cancer stage can be determined by TNM system, where:
T: Tumor size. N: Involved in lymph nodes. M: Has the breast cancer metastasized? These factors are combined to determine the stage of the cancer. In general, breast cancer is classified according to stages from 1 to 4, for stage 2 breast cancer will include 2 subtypes:
Stage 2A: Stage 2A breast cancer usually includes the following characteristics: There is no tumor in the breast, but breast cancer cells are found in nearby lymph nodes; the primary tumor was less than 2cm in size and cancer cells were present in less than 4 of the axillary lymph nodes; The breast tumor is 2 to 5 cm in size but has not spread to the lymph nodes. Stage 2B: Stage 2B breast cancer usually has the following features: The breast tumor is 2 to 5cm in size, the cancer has gone to 4 or fewer lymph nodes; The tumor is larger than 5cm but has not spread to the lymph nodes.

2. Treatment methods, surgery for breast cancer stage 2

Treatment options for stage 2 breast cancer will be determined by your doctor based on a number of factors such as:
What medical condition the patient has, age, and menopause status Usually, the treatment for stage breast cancer. Phase 2 will include a combination of different therapies. Here are some of the most common types of treatment for patients with stage 2 breast cancer.
2.1. Surgery for stage 2 breast cancer Depending on the location and size of the tumor, surgical options for stage 2 breast cancer may include:
Breast-conserving surgery Total mastectomy (with or without reconstruction) In both of these types of surgery, your doctor will also perform a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) to see if the breast cancer has spread.
2.2. Radiation therapy for stage 2 breast cancer Radiation therapy for stage 2 breast cancer is usually done after surgery, especially when the patient has had a lumpectomy.
If during surgery for stage 2 breast cancer, the patient has had a mastectomy, the doctor may consider a number of factors such as the size of the tumor and the number of lymph nodes to which the cancer has spread to determine whether or not a patient needs radiation therapy.
Radiation therapy is used to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence. It works by damaging the DNA of cancer cells, thereby effectively killing them. Radiation therapy for stage 2 breast cancer is usually a type of local treatment that targets specific areas and does not affect the entire body like chemotherapy or the use of certain drugs.
Currently, there are many different types of radiation therapy, in which some radiotherapy regimens for stage 2 breast cancer can be 5 days, 3 - 4 weeks or even last 5 - 6 weeks. The most common side effects of radiation therapy include redness, fatigue, peeling skin, and swelling around the treated area.

2.3. Chemotherapy for stage 2 breast cancer Chemotherapy is also considered another way to help treat stage 2 breast cancer . This method can be used to shrink a tumor before surgery or help reduce the risk of cancer coming back after surgery.
For patients with triple negative breast cancer there are often fewer treatment options available because there are no HER2 or HR receptors, but they tend to respond well to chemotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs for stage 2 breast cancer will be given through an intravenous (IV) line, which includes an injection that lasts several minutes or an infusion that lasts hours.
Treatment of stage 2 breast cancer with chemotherapy is usually done in cycles of about 1–3 weeks. Patients will receive IV chemotherapy on one day of the week or for several days in a row, then rest for a while to recuperate before starting the next cycle of chemotherapy.
One of the downsides of chemotherapy is that these drugs cannot distinguish cancer cells from healthy cells, so they can temporarily damage normal cells in the body and lead to cancer. to undesirable side effects for patients with stage 2 breast cancer, such as:
Loss of appetite Fatigue Fatigue Hair loss Nausea Diarrhea Constipation Mouth sores Early menopause 2.4. Targeted therapy One of the effective treatments for stage 2 breast cancer is targeted therapy, also known as targeted therapy. In this treatment, the doctor will give the patient drugs that are better able to distinguish cancer cells from normal cells than chemotherapy. These drugs can kill cancer cells and cause little harm to other cells.
Targeted therapies are a new treatment for stage 2 breast cancer and drugs are also being developed to make it more effective for patients.
For stage 2 breast cancer, targeted hormone therapy can be effective for people with progesterone receptor (PR+) or estrogen receptor (ER+) positive cancer. These therapies may include:
Anastrozole Tamoxifen Letrozole Exemestane Some side effects of hormone therapy for stage 2 breast cancer may include vaginal dryness and hot flashes.
Besides, other targeted therapies have the ability to detect certain enzymes or proteins that are associated with cancer cells. For example, in HER2-positive breast cancer, targeted therapy can help disrupt high levels of the protein, which promotes growth on the surface of cancer cells.
Some therapies for HER2-positive stage 2 breast cancer include:
Pertuzumab Trastuzumab Neratinib Ado-trastuzumab emtansine

2.5. Clinical trials In addition to radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and surgery for stage 2 breast cancer, doctors can also take advantage of innovative targeted therapies or conventional chemotherapy drugs. through participation in clinical trials.
3. Survival rate of stage 2 breast cancer In general, the prognosis of patients with stage 2 breast cancer is relatively good. According to the American Cancer Society, the 5-year relative survival rate for people with stage 2 breast cancer is:
99% for localized breast cancer (which has not spread outside the breast) 86% for regional breast cancer (cancer that has spread to nearby lymph nodes). However, these percentages may vary slightly based on the patient's HER2 and ER/PR status. Some types of stage 2 breast cancer have a better prognosis than others. This may be because HR (+) or HER2 (-) respond better to hormone therapy and to anti-HER2 targeted therapy. For triple-negative breast cancer, there are often fewer treatment options, so there is a higher rate of recurrence in the first few years.
In summary, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. If detected late, treatment often requires mastectomy, but the prognosis is poor compared with early detection. Therefore, breast cancer screening is a measure that can cure the disease, prolong life as well as preserve the breast for patients.
Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital has a Breast Cancer Screening Package to help detect the disease at an early stage, increase the cure rate and save treatment costs for early breast cancer, and at the same time improve the quality of life for patients.
Customers should register for Breast Cancer Screening Package at Vinmec by:
Team of highly qualified and experienced doctors. Comprehensive professional cooperation with domestic and international hospitals: Singapore, Japan, USA, .. Comprehensive treatment and care, multi-specialty coordination towards individualizing each patient. Having a full range of specialized facilities for diagnosis and staging before treatment: Endoscopy, CT scan, PET-CT scan, MRI, histopathological diagnosis, gene-cell testing, .. There are a full range of mainstream cancer treatment methods: surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, stem cell transplant...

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.

References: cancer.org, webmd.com, healthline.com