Personalized Treatment For Breast Cancer
Upon diagnosis, our board-certified oncologists determine a patient’s breast cancer treatment options based on the following:
- Cancer stage
- Patient’s overall health
- Patient’s personal treatment preferences
- Type of breast cancer including hormone receptor and HER2 expression and tumor grade
Multidisciplinary Breast Cancer Tumor Board
Our multidisciplinary team considers each patient with a cancer diagnosis to be a unique person who deserves a carefully thought-out, personalized breast cancer treatment plan using the latest medical advancements. Before treatment is confirmed, each case is presented at a multidisciplinary breast cancer tumor board meeting at UH Seidman Cancer Center.
Our team of clinicians makes a consensus recommendation on the best breast cancer treatment options for each patient. Our specialists follow the latest national care guidelines and encourage patients to enroll in relevant clinical trials to take advantage of the latest novel therapies.
It is our goal to keep the lines of communication open throughout the breast cancer treatment process. Our team provides the referring physician with all operative and treatment reports.
Leading-Edge Breast Cancer Treatments
Most women undergo surgery for breast cancer and may also receive other treatments such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, anti-hormone therapy or radiation therapy.
For many women, chemotherapy after or before breast cancer surgery is necessary to reduce the risk of recurrence. Chemotherapy consists of drugs given intravenously (through the vein). Patients are carefully monitored for safety during this type of breast cancer treatment. Some cancers are more effectively treated with the addition of antibody treatment employing less toxic immune approaches.
Nutritional counseling and psychosocial support to ease the burden of breast cancer treatment is routinely offered. When patients have a risk for heart damage from treatment, specialized oncocardiologists trained to care for cancer patients often become involved in a patient’s care. Young women with concerns about fertility after treatment for breast cancer may be referred to the Oncofertility Program at UH Seidman Cancer Center.
Radiation to the remaining breast or the chest wall (after a mastectomy) is also an important part of breast cancer treatment for many patients. Care for patients continues after breast cancer surgery, with many women choosing to undergo breast reconstruction after a mastectomy.
Many women have breast cancers whose testing shows them to be estrogen receptor-positive . These patients benefit greatly from hormonal treatment to block or reduce estrogen, preventing this hormone from stimulating residual breast cancer cells. These anti-estrogens are prescribed by UH Seidman Cancer Center medical oncologists, who carefully choose the medicine with the most benefits and fewest side effects for each individual patient.
The breast cancer treatment plan is personalized for each patient and the stage of the disease and utilizes the latest medical knowledge and available clinical trials.