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.
• Breast-conserving 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 clinical trials is available from the NCI 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.

Radiation therapy and chemotherapy should not be given during the first 3 months of pregnancy.