Treatments for breast cancer Flashcards
What are the breast conserving options for breast cancer treatment?
Wide local excision only used for focal smaller cancers
What is a mastectomy?
removed all the tissue of the affected breast along with significant portion of the overlying skin, muscle of chest wall is left in tact, used in multifocal disease, high tumour to breast ratio, disease recurrence or patients choices
What is axillary surgery used for?
used to assess nodal status
What is sentinel node biopsy?
removal of the first lymph nodes into which the tumour drains- inject a blue dye with a radioisotope and will become blue, these can be removes and analysed
What is axillary node clearance?
removes all nodes in the axilla and send for histological analysis
What are the complications fo axillary node clearance?
paraesthesia, seroma formations, lymphedema in the upper limb
What is a risk reducing mastectomy?
operation to remove healthy breast tissue in order to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer- only if strong family history, previous breast cancer genetic mutations
What are the hormone treatments for breast cancer?
Tamoxifen, Aromatase inhibitor, immunotherapy
What is tamoxifen?
Used in pre-menopausal patients, blockade of oestrogen receptors and is used in prophylaxis, increase thromboembolism and uterine cancer
How do aromatase inhibitors work?
binding to oestrogen receptors to inhibit further malignant growth and prevent further oestrogen production and block the conversion of androgen to oestrogen in peripheral tissues
What is immunotherapy?
Used in patents whose cancer express specific growth factor receptors (HER2) Hepceptin is a monoclonal antibody that target its activity
What are the types of reconstructive techniques for breast cancer?
Therapeutic mammoplasty- WLE and breast reduction technique, latissimus doors clap, transverse rectus abdominal muscle flap or deep inferior epigastric perforator flap
