Breast Cancer

You should seek medical attention for breast cancer symptoms including:

• Any change in your breast size or shape
• Pain or lumps in your breast or armpit
• Thickening or swelling in part of your breast
• Irritation, dimpling, redness or flaky skin in your breast skin
• Pain or pulling in of your nipple, or discharge other than breast milk

Tests we use to assess symptoms and diagnose breast cancer include:

• Screening/diagnostic mammogram: We use X-rays to create a detailed image of the breast.
• Ultrasound: Your doctor may order an ultrasound if you find a lump in your breast during a self-exam or on a screening mammogram. An ultrasound may also be used if you have dense breast tissue. The ultrasound uses sound waves to create a picture of the breast tissue.
• MRI: This exam uses magnetic energy and radio waves to scan the tissue and create detailed pictures of areas within the breast. Biopsy: We use a biopsy to confirm a diagnosis. We remove tissue or sometimes fluid from the breast, then our pathologists examine it under a microscope to check for signs of cancer.
• Lab tests: If you’re diagnosed with breast cancer, we may order further lab tests to help us recommend treatment options. These tests check for proteins that instruct cancer cells to multiply, so we can know more about the cancer’s potential spread.

You have access to the full range of breast cancer treatments, including:

• Surgery to remove cancerous growths. Learn more about cancer surgery.
• Plastic surgery to restore the natural appearance of the breast, performed by our breast reconstructive surgeons.
• Oncoplastic surgery to preserve the shape and contour of your breasts. Many of the surgeons are certified in Hidden Scar™ Breast Surgery, an advanced technique that allows them to remove cancerous tissue through a single, carefully placed incision to maintain the breast’s appearance.
• Chemotherapy/immunotherapy, which includes drugs that slow cancer cell growth.
• Medical oncology, a group of treatments that use drugs and other substances to fight cancer cells. Read more about chemotherapy and other medical oncology.
• Radiation therapy uses rays of energy to shrink the cancer or remove traces of cancer that remain after surgery. Explore radiation therapy.
• Supportive care may include assistance from social workers and therapies to reduce the side effects of treatment. Find out more about supportive therapies.