Is breast cancer curable? After treatment, does it relapse? For those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, these are the most worrying questions. The individual’s breast cancer treatment outcome is the initial consideration in comprehending this. Depending on the cancer’s stage at the time of diagnosis. It is confined to the breast region in stages I and II, which we regard to be “early,” or it may have migrated to the lymph nodes in the armpits. The likelihood of a cure is much higher in both of these stages. Stages III and IV, which are referred to as advanced stages, are when cancer may have progressed to nearby tissues or organs including the lungs, liver, or bones. Complete healing is difficult when this occurs.
Breast cancer treatment outcome prediction is a constant challenge for oncologists. Even if the treatment has “eliminated” the cancer in its early or advanced stages, it may return within the following five years. But only if the cancer is discovered at stages I or II do we have the tools to assess the likelihood of recurrence and select a treatment accordingly.
This risk assessment is based on the cancer‘s ability to spread, the size of the tumour, and a laboratory examination of the cancer cells. These cells are extracted from the tumour through a process known as a “biopsy.” Early breast tumours without lymph node involvement are less likely to return, but lymph node involvement increases the likelihood of recurrence. Greater than 5 cm in diameter tumours are more likely to come back than smaller tumours. The presence of certain proteins in cancer cells is one of the most crucial elements affecting the likelihood of recurrence. Within 5 years, there is a greater chance of recurrence in cancers that express the HER2 protein. Hormone receptor-positive cancers are thought to have a lower probability of coming back. Recent research has revealed that even these tumours can come back, but only after being treated for roughly 10 to 15 years.
The ‘grade’ of the tumour also affects the likelihood of recurrence. The tumour is considered to be of a “low-grade” when the cancer cells resemble healthy cells. We refer to them as high-grade tumours when they differ greatly from normal cells and have a high likelihood of returning. To determine the likelihood of recurrence, the “Ki-67” index test is also used. A higher Ki-67 value suggests that the likelihood of recurrence is high and that the cancer is likely to expand quickly.
The best course of treatment can be selected once we have assessed the risk of recurrence. Most people with early breast cancer will undergo surgery, sometimes known as a mastectomy, in which the tumour or the entire breast will be removed. Typically, patients with a high risk of recurrence get chemotherapy. All remaining cancer cells in the breast are eradicated by chemotherapy. But it also kills healthy cells and has a lot of negative side effects. Modern medicines are now available that specifically target particular proteins in cancer cells while avoiding harming normal cells. One such type of “targeted therapy” that can be used in place of chemotherapy in early-stage hormone-positive tumours is hormone therapy. The majority of these treatments are taken orally. New oral medicines have been developed as a result of research, and when combined with hormone therapy, they further lower the chance of recurrence. Compared to chemotherapy, they have less side effects.
We can now avoid the recurrence of early breast cancer thanks to promising advances in medical science. Early-stage breast cancer patients now have much higher survival rates, and after treatment, 99% of those with breast-only cancer and 86% of those with lymph node-stage cancer can lead healthy lives. To learn about their treatment options and how to live a longer, more pain-free life, every patient with early breast cancer needs to speak with their doctors.