Treatment for early breast cancer aims to remove the tumor from the breast and to destroy any other cancer cells that may be still in the body. It often includes a combination of:

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Hormone therapy
• HER2-targeted therapy
• CDK4/6 inhibitor therapy
• Immunotherapy, and
• PARP inhibitor therapy

Treatment is based on several factors, including:

• Tumor characteristics, such as hormone receptor status and HER2 status
• Breast cancer stage
• Results of a tumor profiling test, which is done on some estrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancers, and
• A person’s age, overall health, menopausal status and their personal preferences

Surgery with or without radiation therapy is called local therapy, because it treats cancer in a specific area such as the breast, chest wall and axillary lymph nodes, which are lymph nodes in the underarm area. It also helps to make sure the cancer doesn’t come back in the same area.

Systemic therapy uses drug treatments that travel throughout the body to kill any cancer cells that may have left the breast and spread to other parts of the body.

Systemic therapy is used in addition to surgery. Treatment that is given before surgery is called neoadjuvant therapy, or after surgery, it’s called adjuvant therapy.

Systemic therapy reduces the risk of breast cancer recurrence and improves long-term outcomes. Because the potential benefits and risks depend on many factors that are unique to each person, it’s important to make thoughtful, informed decisions in partnership with your doctor.

For more information, visit the Treatment section on komen.org.