The American Breast Cancer Association estimates 268,600 new cases of breast cancer, and over 41,000 breast cancer related deaths, just this year in the U.S. Thankfully, breast cancer

awareness and breast cancer screenings have been on the incline, thanks to widespread talk of scientific studies on the BRACA1 and BRACA2 genes.

Today, more and more Americans are detecting cancer at its earliest stages and starting treatment right away. For instance, the use of the mammogram at the earliest signs of breast cancer has shown increased breast cancer survival rates. It is important for both men and women to be aware of the early warning signs of breast cancer and to participate in routine screenings and BRACA genetic testing to discover the disease early and to begin the following treatments:

1. Breast cancer surgery
During breast cancer surgery, a surgeon aims to remove as much cancer as possible with the following proceedures:

• Sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary lymph node dissection, which is meant to explore if cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.
• Breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy, which removes a portion of the breast containing cancer cells.
• Breast reconstruction to restore the breast’s natural shape after the cancer removal.

2. Radiation
Radiation therapy is a common treatment for breast cancer both before and post surgery. There are several radiation therapies for treat breast cancer, including:

• External beam radiation, from outside the body.
• Internal radiation therapy, placed inside the body for a limited time.

3. Chemo
Depending on the stage and progression of breast cancer, your doctor may assign a specific type of chemotherapy, such as:

• Adjuvant chemotherapy, which is used to kill any cancer cells left behind after surgery.
• Neoadjuvant chemotherapy, which is used to shrink the tumor prior to surgery.

4. Targeted therapy
This form of treatment given intravenously to specifically target cancer cells in the body or the breast for destruction. Trastuzumab is the most common targeted therapy medication used to treat HER2-positive breast cancer.