Have breast cancer stage 1? What does it mean?

Breast cancer stage 1 is the early stage of invasive breast cancer. Cancer cells have spread beyond the original location and into the surrounding breast tissue.

There are 2 types of breast cancer stage 1.

Breast cancer stage 1A

The tumor is 2cm or smaller and cancer cells have not spread to outside the breast.

Breast cancer stage 1B

Small clusters of cancer cells are found in the lymph nodes, measuring no more than 2 mm. There may no tumor inside the breast or the tumor is 2cm or smaller.

What treatment options do you have for breast cancer stage 1?

Breast cancer cells are still relatively smaller and may have not to spread to the lymph nodes.

Surgery

Open surgery is the main treatment for breast cancer stage 1. Modified radical mastectomy and breast cancer reconstruction can be done in Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou. The nearby lymph nodes will also be checked so as to clear as much as cancer cells we could. If you do not want to take open surgery, there are other options for the breast cancer treatment stage 1, see as followed.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is usually given to kill the residual cancer cells after the open surgery. In Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou, we offer green chemotherapy, which is safer and bring lesser side effects than intravenous chemotherapy because green chemotherapy targets the tumor directly with higher drug concentration.

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy is not usually needed, if modified radical mastectomy is done. Radiotherapy is given after the surgery to lower the chance of cancer recurrence.

Hormone therapy

Hormone therapy is to stop estrogen from affecting breast cancer cells. Some types of breast cancer are affected by hormones in the blood. It can be started before surgery, but it needs to continue for at least 5 years. It is also needed after open surgery as well.

Targeted therapy

Targeted therapy is to use drugs or other substances to precisely identify and attack cancer cells, which bring little damage to normal cells. In Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou, we provide gene targeted therapy, which targets the root of disease by correcting the abnormal gene. Targeted therapy brings no trauma to the body and lesser side effect to the patients. Targeted therapy can be given before or after surgery.

Chinese medicine therapy

In Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou, doctor combines the Chinese medicine therapy with other treatments. Chinese medicine therapy effectively helps you prevent or alleviate the side effects, which may be caused by other treatments. Moreover, Chinese medicine therapy also helps you boost the immune system to prevent cancer recurrence.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy also called cryosurgery, Ar-he knife, is done by releasing Argon gas to lower the temperature and freeze the tumor and the surrounding tissue; then the He gas is released to thaw the frozen tumor thus destroying it in the process.

Interventional therapy

Interventional therapy is done under the guidance of medical imaging equipment wherein the anti-cancer drugs are injected directly to the blood supplying artery of the tumor which effectively shrinks the tumor. Compared with the traditional chemotherapy, interventional therapy targets the tumor precisely and brings lesser side effects to the body; the drug concentration of anticancer drug inside the tumor is much higher than the conventional chemotherapy because it is directly infused into the tumor and so it brings better efficacy.

Microwave ablation (MWA)

In microwave ablation, a probe will be inserted into tumors, and micro electromagnetic waves will be released to destroy and ablate the cancerous tissues directly. Targeting clearly and affecting intensely on the tumor, MWA won’t produce obvious side effects to normal tissues.

Photodynamic therapy

The drug called photosensitizer or photosensitizing agent, will be infused to the body. And the drug will be absorbed mostly by cancer cells after 24 hours to 72 hours. The photosensitizer in the tumor absorbs the light and produces an active form of oxygen that can destroy nearby cancer cells. It well suits patients with advanced cancer or elderly patients and those with poor physical status.

Photon knife

Photon Knife uses the targeting information to focus precisely on the tumor, while avoiding the healthy surrounding tissue. This exact targeting makes it possible to use higher levels of radiation in treatment, which are more effective in shrinking and killing tumors in breast.

Nano-knife

Nanoknife breaks the membrane of tumor cells with high voltage pulses so that the tumor in tumor is destroyed. It is not an open surgery but brings the same effect as surgery does with the advantages of smaller trauma, lesser side effects and quicker recovery.

5 year survival rate for breast cancer stage 1

The 5-year survival rate of breast cancer stage 1 is close to 100%. Though there is a high rate of breast cancer stage 1, you still need to keep in mind of your condition in case cancer becomes more invasive.

Different patients may have different treatment plans due to the difference in size of tumor, physical condition, willingness, etc. If you want to know what treatment options are suitable for you, you are welcome to consult with us via online consultation or call at 02-8-8221222/63-922-8083333/63-915-4642818. We are here 24/7 to answer your questions.

*Surgery, in addition to the appropriate chemotherapy and radiotherapy, are effective in treating early cancer, but certain patients in late stage of cancer may not be tolerate surgery well as they can be relatively weak. A combination of carefully planned minimally invasive therapy, chemotherapy or radiotherapy can effectively reduce the side effects and discomfort of treatment and may help patient get better efficacy.