Is chemotherapy required for all breast cancer patients?
Disease description:
I was diagnosed with breast cancer and feel very scared. I want to know if having breast cancer necessarily means I must undergo chemotherapy?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Lv Dapeng
Chemotherapy is not always necessary for the treatment of breast cancer. The decision depends on the type and stage of the cancer, as well as the patient's overall health condition.
Chemotherapy is not required in the following situations:
1. When the tumor is small and can be completely removed through surgery, with no evidence of lymph node metastasis, adjuvant endocrine therapy or targeted therapy after surgery is often sufficient to consolidate treatment effects, and chemotherapy may not be necessary.
2. Carcinoma in situ, which, due to its non-invasive nature, carries no risk of metastasis and therefore does not require chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy is needed in the following situations:
1. When surgical removal is incomplete and residual cancerous tissue remains. In such cases, chemotherapy is used to eliminate potential remaining cancer cells and effectively reduce the risk of recurrence.
2. For elderly patients or those with heart conditions who cannot tolerate the trauma of surgery, chemotherapy should be considered as a treatment option.
Chemotherapy may also be administered before surgery to shrink the tumor size, making it easier to remove surgically (neoadjuvant chemotherapy).
Once diagnosed with breast cancer, it is recommended to seek medical attention promptly.
