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Treatment & Care
There are more than two million U.S. breast cancer survivors -- and modern medicine is a big reason for that success. Learn about breast cancer treatment and care.
Treatment
Breast cancer treatments have come a long way in the past few generations. Get a general overview of treatment options for today’s breast cancer patients.
Patients’ preferences are part of the decision-making process in choosing breast cancer treatments. This article describes the options.
Explore and evaluate treatment options for your particular stage and type of breast cancer.
Surgery is done to remove cancer while it's still in the breast. This article is a brief introduction to breast cancer surgery.
Chemotherapy is often used to cut the chances of cancer’s return (recurrence).
This article provides in-depth information on breast cancer chemotherapy.
Radiation therapy is another way to help reduce the chance of cancer’s return.
Hormone therapy may help curb the growth, spread, or recurrence of some types of breast cancer.
Read about tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors, and other hormonal treatments for breast cancer.
Some (but not all) breast cancers are sensitive to hormones such as estrogen and progestin. Read about hormonal therapy for those types of breast cancer.
Biological therapy aims to use the body’s immune system to curb cancer. This article provides an overview of biological therapy for breast cancer.
Herceptin is a type of biological therapy for breast cancer. Read about it in this article.
Some breast cancer patients may undergo bone marrow transplantation. This article explains why.
Learn about treatment options by stage.
After breast cancer treatment, follow-up care is a must. Here’s an overview to help you keep track.
If breast cancer returns, it doesn’t always come back to the breast, and its location may help determine treatment. Learn more about treating recurrent breast cancer.
Most doctors don’t recommend relying only on alternative medicine for breast cancer. But some complementary therapies, including meditation, prayer, and acupuncture, may be worth discussing with your doctor to enhance, but not replace, conventional care, says the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. This link will take you to its web site.
Care
Are you looking for a second opinion about your breast cancer diagnosis? The information in this article may help.
Information on selecting board-certified specialists for treating your breast cancer.
It’s your body and your life, so take a proactive role in your cancer care. This article explores ways to do that with any type of cancer.
New breast cancer patients may have a lot of questions about their care. Here’s a general list to start with before choosing treatment.
Medical oncologists are cancer specialists. Here are questions you may want to ask them.
Getting breast cancer surgery? Here are 10 questions to help you get the answers you need from your surgeon before the operation.
This link will take you to an American Cancer Society article on exercises to help with recovery from breast cancer surgery.
If you're getting radiation therapy for breast cancer, this list of 10 questions may come in handy when speaking with your radiation cancer specialist.
Clinical Trials
What is a clinical trial? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Learn all about about breast cancer clinical trials.
Check out sites chosen by WebMD doctors that offer information and services to help you determine if a clinical trial may be right for you.
VIVELLE-DOT (estradiol transdermal system) IS AVAILABLE BY PRESCRPTION ONLY.
INDICATION
Vivelle-Dot is used after menopause to: reduce moderate to severe hot flashes; treat moderate to severe dryness, itching and burning in or around the vagina; help reduce your chances of getting osteoporosis (thin weak bones); and treat certain conditions in which a young woman's ovaries do not produce enough estrogens naturally. Vivelle-Dot 0.025 mg/day is only used to prevent osteoporosis from menopause. If you use Vivelle-Dot only to treat your dryness, itching, and burning in and around your vagina or if you use Vivelle-Dot only to prevent osteoporosis from menopause, talk with your healthcare professional about whether a different treatment or medicine without estrogens might be better for you.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Estrogens increase the chances of getting cancer of the uterus (womb). Report any unusual vaginal bleeding right away while you are taking estrogens. Vaginal bleeding after menopause may be a warning sign of cancer of the uterus (womb).
Do not use estrogens with or without progestins to prevent heart disease, heart attacks, or strokes. Using estrogens with or without progestins may increase your chances of getting heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, and blood clots. Using estrogens with progestins may increase your risk of dementia (decline in memory and thinking skills).
Vivelle-Dot should not be used if you have unusual vaginal bleeding; currently have or have had certain cancers, including cancer of the breast or uterus; had a stroke or heart attack in the recent past (for example, in the past year); currently have or have had blood clots; currently have or have had liver problems; or think you may be, or know that you are, pregnant.
The most common side effects that may occur with Vivelle-Dot are headache, breast tenderness, and back pain.
You and your healthcare professional should talk regularly about whether you still need treatment with Vivelle-Dot.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Full Prescribing Information for Vivelle-Dot.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and a new study reveals why a high number of women with the disease still prefer to have the entire breast surgically removed instead of just the tumor. It's not always because doctors recommend it.
