Is chemo a precaution based on the individual?

Dr. Saini

Again, thank you so much for the valuable information that you provided for my sister regarding the Chemo.  My sister does not see an oncologist until next week, and we are having a hard time with her.  I am just curious, based on her results as noted above - if she does not have the Chemo, will the cancer return for sure?  or is Chemo just a precaution so that the cancer does not return?

I am sorry to be a bother and appreciate any further help or info that you can provide.

Thanks so much

Tina

[Kamal S Saini, MD, MRCP (UK), DM]

Hi Tina,
Treatment for early breast cancer generally involve local therapies like surgery and radiation as well as systemic therapies like chemo, hormones, monoclonal antibodies etc.
Local therapies remove all visible cancer, while systemic therapies attack and hopefully kill all invisible cancer cells ("micrometastases") at distant sites.
It has been clearly shown in clinical trials that adding adjuvant chemotherapy reduces the chances of cancer recurrence.
Best,
Dr Saini

[peapicker66]

A related discussion, Chemotherapy was started.