Breast Cancer - early stage

What is Early Stage Breast Cancer?
A disease of either the milk-producing glands known as lobules, or milk ducts, or other cells found in the breast. Early stage breast cancer may also affect the lymph nodes, but has not usually spread to other areas of the body. Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in women, but may rarely affect men as well. Breast cancer cells may have increased expression of estrogen receptors (ER positive or negative), progestin receptors (PR positive or negative), and/or HER-2 receptors (HER-2 positive or negative). The presence or lack of these receptors will help determine the most effective chemotherapy medications to give.

Genetic causes, such as the BRCA (pronounced "Bracka") mutation, significantly increase the risk of developing breast cancer. Other risk factors for breast cancer include family history of breast cancer, high fat diet, and obesity. The stage of breast cancer can vary at diagnosis and throughout treatment. Stages of breast cancer include I, II, III, and IV. The effectiveness of the treatment may depend upon the stage at diagnosis.

Types of breast cancer:
1. Hormone-receptor positive or negative (60 - 65% of patients)

  • Estrogen Receptor positive (ER)+ or negative (ER)-
  • Progestin Receptor positive (PR)+ or negative (PR)-

2. Hormone Epidermal growth factor Receptor-2 (HER-2) positive or negative (20 - 25% of patients)

  • HER-2 + (positive)
  • HER-2 -  (negative)

3. Triple Negative (15 - 18% of patients)

  • ER- and PR- and (HER-2)-
NOTE: Treatment Options listed below are not all-inclusive. Other treatments may be available. ChemoExperts provides drug information and does not recommend any one treatment over another. Only your Doctor can choose which therapy is appropriate for you.

Notice to user: The term chemotherapy, later shortened to “chemo”, originated in the early 1900s from Nobel Prize winning German physician and chemist, Dr. Paul Erlich. Dr. Erlich defined chemotherapy to mean “the use of chemicals as a therapy to treat disease.” (Source). Many years later, the term became synonymous with the use of chemicals to treat cancer specifically. Because early cancer therapies became quickly known for their severe side effect profile, the term chemotherapy took on a negative connotation. If we fast forward several decades, the anti-cancer therapies used today have become refined, and for many diseases, treatment can be safely taken in the comfort of your own home.

As chemotherapy has become particularly targeted, certain side effects have lessened, while new side effects have emerged. However, the premise behind therapy, that is using a chemical to kill cancer, has not changed. Therefore, the clinicians who created ChemoExperts.com believe the term “chemotherapy” still very much applies to all anti-cancer medications, but importantly, can no longer suggest what, if any, side effects a patient is likely to experience. For this to become clear, education regarding each individual drug, as well as information derived from the use of combination therapy (multiple chemo medications) is required. As a result, we have structured our website to make it easier for users to learn about cancer treatment and hope that if you are taking or receiving chemotherapy, that ChemoExperts.com is able to provide you with the tools needed to make the journey a little easier and life more rewarding.

Treatment Options

References

Jemal A, Bray F, Center MM, et al. Global cancer statistics. CA Cancer J Clin. 2011;61: 69–90.