After an individual is diagnosed with breast cancer, a team of doctors design the plan for the treatment that typically involves a combination of different therapies, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy.
However, the specific order and number of these treatments vary from one patient to another. These difference can be due to various factors as listed below
Below figure illustrates an example of two different treatments plans, a patient diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer (cancer that has spread in the body) and a patient diagnosed with stage II breast cancer which have different treatment plans. Because metastatic breast cancer is more severe, a patient might start treatment with systemic therapies like chemotherapy or targeted drugs before considering surgery. On the other hand, a patient with stage II breast cancer, which is less severe, might start with surgery first, followed by additional therapies like radiation, chemotherapy, or hormone therapy.
Similarly, as the patients in the example have different treatment flows, the same applies to other breast cancer patients too, who have unique treatment plans based on their specific conditions.
