Do you need chemotherapy for breast cancer?

The thought of chemotherapy can be overwhelming. It is a chemical medication for cancer that causes a lot of unwanted side effects. The good news? For breast cancer, chemotherapy is not always necessary. If breast cancer is caught in an early stage, it is usually operable with limited other treatment.

Chemotherapy is usually recommended for stage 4 breast cancer due to cancer being inoperable when it spreads throughout the body. There are, however, some situations in which a doctor might recommend chemotherapy during earlier stages.

Before Surgery

Undergoing chemotherapy before surgery to remove cancer can have some important benefits:

• Less extensive surgery

• More likely to remove all cancer

• More testing on how cancer reacts to chemotherapy when results are easily seen

For these reasons, your doctor might recommend chemotherapy before surgery for your specific breast cancer situation.

After Surgery

Undergoing chemotherapy after surgery can be helpful or necessary for the following reasons:

• More likely to catch cancer cells that could still be there

• More likely to prevent cancer from returning

Your doctor might recommend this course of action to make sure all cancer has been eradicated.

Other Situations

There are a few other situations when chemotherapy might be recommended for your specific case. Some breast cancers are more aggressive than others, especially before the patient has gone through menopause. It also might be necessary if the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes.

To find out if chemotherapy is a good treatment option in your case, reach out to Find the One today.