What is adjuvant therapy?
Adjuvant means “in addition to.” In breast cancer, this means that in addition to your primary treatment, another therapy is being used. The reason for this is that after surgery, a small number of cancer cells may remain in your body. These cells can continue to multiply. Adjuvant therapy is given to prevent or delay these cells from multiplying. Cytotoxic chemotherapy, radiation, and hormonal treatment are three common forms of adjuvant treatment. You and your doctor can determine the best course of therapy for you.
Adjuvant means “in addition to.” In breast cancer, this means that you receive another therapy in addition to your primary or initial treatment, such as surgery with or without radiation. The reason is that after surgery, a small number of microscopic cancer cells may remain in your body. Not all patients have these cells, but if you do, they can continue to multiply. Adjuvant therapy helps to prevent or delay these cells from multiplying, and it may decrease the chance that your breast cancer will recur (come back).
Adjuvant means “in addition to.” In breast cancer, this means that in addition to your primary, or initial, treatment, another therapy is being used. The reason for this is that after surgery, a small number of cancer cells may remain in your body. Not all patients have these cells, but if you do, they can continue to multiply. Adjuvant therapy is given to prevent or delay these cells from multiplying. The benefits of adjuvant therapy in breast cancer may include a decreased chance the disease will come back (recur). Cytotoxic chemotherapy, radiation, and hormonal treatment are three common forms of adjuvant treatment. Radiation therapy is often used after a lumpectomy and partial mastectomy to kill any cancer cells that may not have been removed during surgery. Chemotherapy Many women also have cytotoxic chemotherapy, which is treatment with drugs that attack and kill cancer cells and rapidly growing normal cells. Hormonal treatment For women whose tumors are hormone receptor positive
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