Treatment given after surgery to kill any cancer cells left behind after surgery.
A cell that divides and reproduces abnormally with uncontrolled growth. This cell can break away, travel to other parts of the body, and then set up at another site. This process is referred to as metastasis.
A type of medication that kills cells that grow and divide rapidly, including cancer cells and normal cells.
When the cancer is located in only the breast or is in the breast and has only spread to nearby lymph nodes, but not to other parts of the body.
A treatment that is given first or as an initial treatment for cancer that is advanced or metastatic.
A type of protein that is found on the surface of cells in everyone. This protein tells cells to grow and divide. Too much HER2 is called “HER2 overexpression” and may result in the cells growing and dividing more quickly.
HER2 stands for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. When breast cancer cells have too many HER2 receptors, they are called HER2-positive, or HER2+ breast cancer.
A type of targeted cancer treatment that binds to HER2 receptors to fight cancer cells that have too many HER2 receptors.
A protein on the edge or inside of cells to which hormones attach.
A protein naturally found in most tissues of the body. In medicine, hyaluronidase is made in the laboratory and given with other drugs by injection under the skin to treat certain conditions. Hyaluronidase helps make the fluids and connective tissue thinner so the drugs can move more easily into the tissues.
A method of administering a drug by inserting a needle into a vein.
A method of putting fluids, including drugs, into the bloodstream. Also called intravenous infusion.
Small, bean-shaped organs found throughout the body that store white blood cells and help remove cell waste, germs, and other harmful substances from the body.
Breast cancer that has spread outside the breast to other parts of the body, such as the lungs, liver, or bones.
Treatment given before surgery to help reduce or get rid of cancer cells before surgery.
How a drug behaves in the body, including the amount that's absorbed into the bloodstream, how it is carried through the body, and how it is released from the body.
A surgically implanted disc through which blood can be taken and medication can be given without repeated needle sticks; also called a “port-a-cath.”
A type of medication that targets specific characteristics of cancer cells.
An abnormal mass or growth of tissue that occurs when cells divide too rapidly in an uncontrolled way. Tumors that are malignant are known as cancer.
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