Early Stage Breast Cancer (Stage I and Stage II)
Treatment of early stage breast cancer (stage I and stage II) may be surgery followed by adjuvant therapy as follows:
Modified radical mastectomy. Breast-conserving surgery: Lumpectomy, partial mastectomy or segmental mastectomy. Surgery during pregnancy followed by radiation therapy after the baby is born. Surgery during pregnancy followed by chemotherapy after the first 3 months of pregnancy. Clinical trials of surgery followed by hormone therapy with or without chemotherapy.
This summary section refers to specific treatments under study in clinical trials, but it may not mention every new treatment being studied. Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Cancer.gov Web site.
Late Stage Breast Cancer (Stage III and Stage IV)
Treatment of late stage breast cancer (stage III and stage IV) may include the following:
Radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy.
Other Considerations for Pregnancy and Breast Cancer
Lactation (breast milk production) and breast-feeding should be stopped if surgery or chemotherapy is planned.
If surgery is planned, breast-feeding should be stopped to reduce blood flow in the breasts and make them smaller. Breast-feeding should also be stopped if chemotherapy is planned. Many anticancer drugs, especially cyclophosphamide and methotrexate, may occur in high levels in breast milk and may harm the nursing baby. Women receiving chemotherapy should not breast-feed. Stopping lactation does not improve survival of the mother.
Breast cancer does not appear to harm the fetus.
Breast cancer cells do not seem to pass from the mother to the fetus.
Pregnancy does not seem to affect the survival of women who have had breast cancer in the past.
Some doctors recommend that a woman wait 2 years after treatment for breast cancer before trying to have a baby, so that any early return of the cancer would be detected. This may affect a woman's decision to become pregnant. The fetus does not seem to be affected if the mother has previously had breast cancer.
Effects of certain cancer treatments on later pregnancies are not known.
The effects of treatment with high-dose chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, with or without radiation therapy, on later pregnancies are not known.
Cancer Tests
Cancer Tests You Should Know About, A Guide For People 65 And Over
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
National Cancer Institutes Most people don't like to think about cancer. But think about this: The earlier cancer is found, the better the chances of beating it.
Cancer Tests You Should Know About describes simple tests that can help find cancer early, long before any symptoms appear. You may have heard of some of them, such as mammograms or rectal and prostate exams.
Despite what many people think, most people who are tested will not have cancer. But if it turns out you do, this booklet can help you find the best care.
Why Is It Important To Find Cancer Early?
Cancers that are found early may be easier to cure. Early treatment can be simpler, making it easier to go about daily life. All in all, finding cancer early could:
Save your life.
Help you live life to the fullest.
Why Should You Think About Cancer?
Anyone can get cancer. But you are more likely to get cancer as you get older--even if no one in your family has had it. It may surprise you to learn that more than one-half of all cancers occur in people age 65 and over.
If You Did Have Cancer, Wouldn't You Know It?
Most cancers in their earliest, most treatable stages do not cause any symptoms or pain. That is why it is so important to have regular cancer tests. They can find problems early--long before you would notice anything wrong.
