Lobular Breast Cancer Treatments
Invasive lobular carcinoma, or lobular breast cancer, affects approximately one in ten people diagnosed with breast cancer. Lobular breast cancer should not be confused with lobular carcinoma in situ, or LCIS. Several different treatment options are available to treat patients with lobular breast cancer.
Surgery
There are a few types of surgical treatments available for lobular breast cancer patients, including lumpectomy and quadrantectomy; the most extreme form of surgery is a mastectomy. During a lumpectomy, only the cancerous tissue and a small amount of healthy tissue is removed; the aim of this surgery is to keep as much healthy tissue in tact as possible. A quadrantectomy removes a larger portion of the breast tissue, about a quarter of it; this type of treatment isn't as common, and those who undergo it typically have reconstructive surgery as well.
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is the process of using radiation to destroy cancerous cells and prevent their growth. Radiotherapy is typically used in conjunction with surgery such as lumpectomy or mastectomy.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is used as a treatment for lobular breast cancer, and is also used as a neoadjuvant therapy before lumpectomies to shrink the size of tumors. During chemotherapy, the patient receives drugs that kill cancer cells and stop their growth. Chemotherapy also affects normal cells, although cancerous cells are much more vulnerable to the drugs.
Biological Therapy
Herceptin, lapatinib, and sunitinib are biological therapies that may be used for lobular breast cancer. Herceptin is a targeted treatment that has been used for early stage and advanced breast cancer, and is a monoclonal antibody; lapatinib, or Tykerb, can be used along with other chemotherapy drugs when Herceptin is not effective; sunitinib, or Sutent, is a protein kinase inhibitor which stops cancerous cells from growing.
Mastectomy
When lobular breast cancer is present in more than one area of the breast or both breasts, having a mastectomy may be the most effective treatment. This is typically an option when lumpectomy or radiotherapy have not been effective.
Tags: breast cancer, breast cancer, cancerous cells, lobular breast, lobular breast cancer, Breast Cancer Treatments
