Breast Cancer Treatment Program

Overview

Our approach is to be as minimally invasive as possible, both in diagnosing and in treating breast cancer, and to save as much breast tissue as we safely can. Among the innovative approaches offered are:

• Pioneering radiation techniques
• Partial breast irradiation completed in one week (instead of 6 weeks) or hypofractionation to whole breast radiation in 4 weeks (instead of 6 weeks)
• Latest surgery techniques: Nipple-sparing mastectomy
• Targeted therapies
• New therapeutic approaches for: Subtypes of breast cancers, such as triple negative tumors; advanced disease as part of a clinical trial
• A unique Lymphedema Screening Program to help detect and treat swelling in breast cancer patients
• Triple Negative Breast Cancer Program
• Breast Cancer with Chest Wall Disease Comprehensive Program
• Breast care management in the elderly

Multidisciplinary Patient Care

Our team of breast cancer center experts will develop and coordinate a treatment plan personalized for you. They will meet often to review your progress and will communicate findings with you and your referring doctor. This clear communication leads to seamless coordination of your care.

Video: Dr. Bev Moy explains what patients can expect during a multidisciplinary appointment.

Breast Cancer Treatment

Expertise in Diagnosing and Staging Breast Cancers

A precise, accurate diagnosis is critical to appropriate treatment. Our radiologists and pathologists are skilled in detecting and evaluating breast cancers. They use sophisticated imaging and surgical procedures to determine the location, stage and type of breast cancer. For more information on breast cancer diagnosis, please see our Avon Foundation Comprehensive Breast Evaluation Center.

Breast Cancer Treatment

Your treatment plan will depend on factors such as the type and stage of breast cancer, your general health, and your preferences. Breast cancer treatment may involve one or more of the approaches outlined below.

Surgical options include:

• Lumpectomy: a portion of the breast is removed
• Mastectomy: all tissue from one breast is removed
• Double mastectomy: all tissue from both breasts is removed

Nonsurgical options include:

• Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation beams to shrink or destroy tumors while sparing healthy tissue
• Chemotherapy kills cancer cells through the use of intravenous or oral drugs
• Hormone therapy is sometimes effective in treating breast cancers that are sensitive to hormones
• Targeted therapy targets and interferes with the activity of specific proteins that drive tumor growth and spread

Standard and Novel Medical Treatments

In addition to traditional chemotherapies, patients have access to new approaches that studies are showing to be effective including:

• Hormonal therapies (Many protocols were developed by members of the Breast Cancer Center)
• Therapies for drug-resistant tumors that help boost sensitivity to chemotherapy
• Acupuncture to help manage side effects

Excellence in Surgical Care

Less invasive surgery leads to faster recovery. Patients do better when they are cared for by specialists in their type of cancer and in centers that treat higher numbers of patients with the same type of cancer. Our surgeons are breast cancer specialists, treating approximately 1,000 newly diagnosed patients per year. Learn about our Breast Cancer Surgery Program.

Pioneering Radiation Therapies

The goal of radiation therapy is to shrink or destroy tumors using high-energy radiation beams while sparing healthy tissue. Learn about our Radiation Therapies.

Lymphedema Screening Program

Lymphedema (swelling) can be a side effect of breast cancer. Find out more about our unique Lymphedema Screening Program.

Breast Cancer Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are research studies of new drugs, new combinations of drugs or already approved drugs being studied to treat patients in new/different ways. They may include new drug doses or new ways (schedules) to give the drugs. Clinical trials are run under strict guidelines. Their purpose is to help find out whether new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard (current) treatment. At Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, there are several clinical trials open for the treatment of breast cancer that use the latest in cancer treatments.

Cancer is increasingly becoming a disease in which the genetic make-up of each individual cancer drives therapy. The Center for Breast Cancer also has access to clinical trials involving these targeted therapy approaches.