Medical treatments

Unlike surgery and radiotherapy, which are localized treatments, medical treatments treat the entire body. They are also called “systemic treatments”. They include chemotherapies, hormone therapies and targeted treatments. They are prescribed according to the characteristics of the tumor, in order to reduce the risk of recurrence.

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Les traitements médicaux du cancer du sein | Paris | L'Institut Du Sein

Chemotherapy

This treatment consists of eliminating cancer cells by means of drugs administered through the veins, and more rarely orally. There are many chemotherapy drugs, which are combined for optimal effect.

Hormone therapy

Hormone therapy is a treatment that suppresses the stimulating action of sex hormones on cancer cells. It is very effective because breast cancers are particularly sensitive to hormones.

Targeted therapies

Targeted therapies block tumor growth by interfering with a specific mechanism of the tumor development. They specifically interact with a molecular target that is necessary for tumor growth.

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What is the point of treating the body after the cancer has been removed?

In the 1960s, before the advent of systemic treatments, it was observed that after removal of the tumor, without any other treatment than radiotherapy, 70% of breast cancers were cured. This meant that 30% of them were not cured…

In fact, even when there are no more detectable cancer cells, some breast cancers can reoccur in other organs. The explanation lies in what are called “circulating cells”. These are tumor cells that have lodged in other organs, especially bone, and can then proliferate, sometimes years after the cancer has been removed.
Systemic treatments are aimed at destroying dormant cells. Patients at risk of recurrence in other organs (even if minimal), called “metastases“, will need medical treatment.

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