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Five myths about advanced breast cancer
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1 Myth: Young premenopausal and healthy women are spared from advanced breast cancer.
This is false. Younger women can develop advanced breast cancer.
2 Myth: There are limited options to treat advanced breast cancer.
This is false. There are different sub-types of breast cancers, broadly categorised by the expression of proteins such as the oestrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor on the tumour cells.
Treatment of advanced breast cancer is tailored to the different sub-types of breast cancer and may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, hormone therapy or immunotherapy.
3 Myth: Advanced breast cancer is a death sentence.
This is false. There has been significant improvement in diagnostics and treatment, and survival rates have gone up.
While not curable, advanced breast cancer is treatable.
4 Myth: Advanced breast cancer requires more aggressive treatment than earlier-stage breast cancer.
This is not necessarily so. The goal of treatment for advanced breast cancer is to optimise tumour control while minimising symptoms related to the disease or treatment. Often, the treatment of advanced breast cancer is better tolerated than that of early breast cancers.
5 Myth: A bilateral mastectomy (surgically removing both breasts) prevents advanced breast cancer.
No. While a bilateral mastectomy may be considered a risk reduction strategy in women at high risk of breast cancer, it does not eliminate the risk of advanced breast cancer.
• Source: Dr Tira Tan, a consultant at National Cancer Centre Singapore's division of medical oncology