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Treatments

Individualized Treatment Plans

Holy Cross Health Cancer Center offers a variety of advanced treatment options for women diagnosed with breast cancer. Your breast cancer care team will develop an individual care plan just for you, based on your specific diagnosis.

You and your doctor will discuss the best treatment choices for your unique breast cancer diagnosis and the best possible results, based upon such factors as:

  • The stage of your breast cancer
  • The size of the tumor in relation to the size of your breast
  • The lab test results, including whether the breast cancer cells are hormone-dependent
  • Whether you have gone through menopause
  • Your personal feelings and concerns about body image
  • Your general health

Breast cancer treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy. You may receive more than one type of treatment during your care. And, through Holy Cross Health, you also have access to new breakthrough breast cancer clinical trials and research.

Breast Center Treatment Options

Your treatment options may include the following:

Surgery

Surgery is the most common treatment for breast cancer. Holy Cross Health's breast surgeons offer several different approaches. You and your doctor will discuss the best options for your care.

  • Breast-Sparing Surgery removes the cancer and some of the normal tissue surrounding it, through a lumpectomy or a partial mastectomy. Sometimes a surgical biopsy is the only surgery you need because the whole lump was removed during the biopsy.
  • Mastectomy removes the entire breast or most breast tissue and may, or may not, involve removal of some or all of the lymph nodes under the arm. With a mastectomy, you may also decide to have breast reconstruction with a plastic surgeon at the same time as the cancer surgery or later.
  • Breast Reconstructive Surgery can occur at the time of a mastectomy, or later, using plastic surgery techniques to restore the removed breast to near-normal shape, appearance and size.
    •   Microsurgical Breast Reconstruction: This approach uses a woman’s own tissue to reconstruct her breasts. The tissue, also known as a flap, may come from the abdomen, back, thigh or buttocks. Deep Inferior    Epigastric Perforator (DIEP) flap reconstruction uses tissue borrowed from the abdominal wall yet preserves the muscles.
    •   Prosthetic breast reconstruction: Surgeons insert saline or silicone implants underneath the skin or chest muscle.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy aims radiation beams at your cancer cells either from outside your body or internally to the breast using a balloon-catheter device called MammoSite.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. The drugs that treat breast cancer are usually given through a vein or as a pill.

Targeted Therapy

This method employs specific drugs that have shown they block the growth of breast cancer cells based on your individual breast cancer diagnosis.

Hormone Therapy

Hormone therapy may be used to block certain hormones that can cause breast cancer to grow or return.

Lymphedema Therapy

Lymphedema therapy is available to deal with a fluid build-up that may occur, usually if surgery involves the lymph nodes. Treatments include range of motion exercises, compression and drainage. Women receiving treatment for breast cancer often experience side effects. This is because the therapy that is targeting cancer cells often damages healthy cells and tissues, too. However, with the right precautions, we can help reduce your side effects or, even prevent them, in some cases.

You may need additional help and support while being treated for breast cancer. Holy Cross Health offers extensive supportive care services, to relieve the side effects, control pain and other symptoms, and to help you and your family cope with the feelings that come with a cancer diagnosis. These services are available to you at any time during your treatment.

Whatever your individual breast cancer diagnosis, Holy Cross Health has innovative treatment options delivered by a skilled and compassionate cancer care team, designed just for you.

Let Holy Cross Health help you. Call 1-855-HCH-HOPE (424-4673) for all your breast care needs.