For stage 0 to II and some stage III patients, the goal of treatment is to cure as much as possible, while for stage IV patients, the primary goal of treatment is palliative care. Usually, in relatively early stage I and IIA breast cancer, the surgeon will first surgically remove the primary site and any lymph nodes that may have metastasized. For recurrent localized breast cancer, surgery and radiation therapy are given; for breast cancer with distant dissemination, chemotherapy, endocrine therapy and biologic therapy are given. In stage IV breast cancer with a high risk of systemic metastases or metastases, the doctor will usually give systemic therapy (such as chemotherapy or endocrine therapy) and surgery and radiation therapy (to reduce local symptoms or reduce tumor load).
