Treatment Options by Stage

Early Stage Breast Cancer (Stage I and Stage II)
Late Stage Breast Cancer (Stage III and Stage IV)

Treatment of early stage breast cancer (stage I and stage II) may be surgery followed by adjuvant therapy as follows:

• Modified radical mastectomy.
• Breast-conserving surgery: Lumpectomy, partial mastectomy or segmental mastectomy.
• Breast-conserving surgery during pregnancy followed by radiation therapy after the baby is born.
• Surgery during pregnancy followed by chemotherapy after the first 3 months of pregnancy.
• Clinical trials of surgery followed by hormone therapy with or without chemotherapy.

Treatment of late stage breast cancer (stage III and stage IV) may include the following:

• Radiation therapy.
• Chemotherapy.

Radiation therapy and chemotherapy should not be given during the first 3 months of pregnancy.