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A 41-year-old member asked:

Why is adjuvant therapy recommended after surgery for beast cancer?

4 doctor answers14 doctors weighed in
Dr. Amir Faridi
Specializes in Hematology and Oncology
Adjuvant treatment: Depends on type of surgery and aggressiveness of disease. Usually recommends to decrease the chances of local and systemic recurrence.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Richard Bensinger
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Breast cancer rx: After surgical removal (lumpectomy or mastectomy) there is a risk of additional microamounts of tumor remaining. Adjuvant chemotherapy and supplemental irradiation can statistically lower the chance of recurrence. Discuss with your oncologist your category and the best options for your recovery.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Gary Tuma
Facial Plastic Surgery 27 years experience
Chemo: Almost every patient with a diagnosis of breast cancer gets some form of adjuvant therapy. Whether its is true chemo or hormonal or both. This is why survival has improved for almost all the stages.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Carlos Encarnacion
Medical Oncology 37 years experience
Microscopic spread: The purpose of adjuvant therapy (chemo or hormones) is to kill microscopic deposits of cancer that may have spread from the primary before surgery. It treats the possibility, not the certainty of residual cancer. Of course, the risk depends on many factors, especially stage so an oncologist will balance benefit vs toxicity in each individual patient to decide on the specific therapy.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

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Last updated Mar 12, 2020
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