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    Breast Cancer


    When HER2-Negative Progresses

    Breast Cancer

    Treatment for Advanced HER2-Negative Breast Cancer

    Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario on July 08, 2020

    Video Transcript

    SPEAKER: To treat your advanced HER2 negative breast cancer, your doctor will try one or more different treatments based on your medical history and the genetic makeup of your cancer. You may need surgery to remove the cancer, like a lumpectomy or mastectomy, along with one or more other therapies.

    Chemotherapy drugs work by killing fast-growing cancer cells anywhere in your body. Chemotherapy may be given before surgery to shrink a large tumor or after to keep it from coming back. Some breast cancers also have receptors for the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which help cancer cells grow. These therapies work either by blocking these hormones from attaching to cancer cells or by lowering how much of these hormones her body makes.

    Immunotherapy drugs use your own immune cells to find and kill cancer cells that can normally hide from your immune system. If your cancer is hormone-receptor positive, targeted therapy drugs attack unique characteristics within cancer cells, like specific proteins that help them grow. Research on new treatments is always moving forward. Ask your doctor about clinical trials that might be right for you.

    EXPLORE MORE

    Live Well With Advanced Breast Cancer

    When you're in good shape physically and mentally, treatment takes less of a toll. Here are some ways to take care of yourself.

    When Breast Cancer Spreads

    How to Treat HER2-Negative Advanced Breast Cancer

    Feel Better During Treatment

    How to Talk About Your Cancer

    Is a Clinical Trial Right for Me?

    Questions to Ask Your Doctor

    Genetic Mutations in HER2-Negative Cancer

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