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Treatment

If you or someone you care about has breast cancer, you are probably trying to find out the best way to treat it.

No woman should have to wait more than one month for treatment after she is diagnosed
with breast cancer.
A breast cancer specialist should explain what the options are. They can vary for different women. They will depend on the type and stage of the cancer. No woman should have to wait more than one month for treatment after she is diagnosed with breast cancer.

The first - or primary - treatment that a woman has for her breast cancer aims to get rid of the tumour and any cancer cells that may be in her breast or in other places in her body. This treatment may include one or a combination of:


Secondary breast cancer (breast cancer that has spread to a different part of the body) needs different treatment.

Throughout their treatment, many women with breast cancer, and their families and friends, benefit from practical and emotional support to deal with everyday problems and concerns. This is often called palliative care or supportive care.

Before deciding what treatment to have, it's important to know exactly what will happen before, during and afterwards. Find out what standards of breast cancer treatments and services you should expect – download our publication ‘The Best Treatment: Your guide to breast cancer treatment in England and Wales

In February 2009 the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued new guidelines for the detection and treatment of early breast cancer.  Our publication is currently being reviewed and updated with this information as soon as possible.   See the NICE website for more information on the guidelines.


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