The dangers of breast cancer are well known, which is why so many women get screened yearly to catch potential lumps. And those women who find early pre-cancer growths may wonder what kind of treatments are available for them. Thankfully, there are many different care options that can help them avoid dangerous breast growths and stay happy and healthy for years to come.

Breast Cancer Must Be Caught Early

Regular breast screening is an important thing for women to do, particularly if they have a family history of breast cancer. That's because this diagnostic method is the best way of catching the early warning signs of cancer before it starts developing too quickly. Catching stage 0 cancer — or pre-cancer growths that have yet to spread rapidly — can save a woman's life and keep her healthy for years.

However, many women in this situation may not fully understand the reasons why treatment must be done right away. Even if they have just pre-cancer growths or very small lumps, they need to go through treatment immediately to ensure that they don't suffer any adverse side effects. Doing so is critical as a way of protecting them from the dangers of breast cancer long into their adult lives.

Treatment Is Critical to Start Right Away

Women who catch breast cancer early have many different types of treatment methods. For example, carefully removing only the pre-cancer growths may be all that is necessary to manage this danger. However, many surgeons prefer to utilize less invasive care methods for less serious cancer problems because they don't want to remove tissue if it is as all possible — doing so helps to preserve more breast tissue.

These less invasive treatments include hormone therapy that helps to potentially break apart some early tumors, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and even targeted therapy. This latter method is often the earliest method used because it consists of various types of very carefully selected medications that can eliminate breast cancer tissue more effectively and without causing damage to the breast tissue.

Doctors also start with less invasive treatments because, if they fail, they can work up to more severe ones. Simply removing the breasts before they metastasize is too strong and bold a move to do when the cancer is in its early stages. And by managing it properly, it is possible to keep this surgery and removal from becoming necessary at all.

To learn more, contact a breast cancer treatment service.