Breast cancer
Breast cancer usually presents its self in two common ways:
- Abnormalities found on a screening mammogram.
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Lump felt in the breast or sometimes, other changes on the breast such as skin redness, swelling, retraction or nipple discharge. (An uncommon type of breast cancer called Inflammatory Breast Cancer, often presents with redness of breast).
Screening / abnormal mammogram
When a screening mammogram is found to be abnormal, the patient is called back for a recall mammogram for further evaluation, with or without an ultrasound.
If the new studies confirm the suspicion, an imaging guided biopsy may be performed by a radiologist in the Woman’s Imaging Center.
After the biopsy confirms a diagnosis of breast cancer, the patient is then referred to the Breast Care Clinic to see a surgeon to discuss surgical options.
Patients are often referred to our Multidisciplinary Breast Cancer Clinic (located in the surgery clinic) where a patient will have the opportunity to see a surgeon, a medical oncologist, and a radiation oncologist, all in one visit. To learn more about our multidisciplinary breast cancer clinic, follow the link to the clinical service page for detail.
Additional Screening information:
Diagnosis / abnormal lump
When a patient presents with a lump in her breast, she is often directly referred to the Breast Care Clinic (located in the surgery clinic) for further assessment. A mammogram, with or without ultrasound, is often requested around the same time.
The diagnosis is usually made in two different ways:
- A biopsy may be performed under ultrasound guidance by a radiologist at the Woman’s Imaging Center.
- Sometimes a surgeon might perform a core biopsy, or a fine needle aspirate first in office.
Additional diagnosis information:
Treatment Options:
Surgery is the standard of care for early stage breast cancer. This may come in the form of a lumpectomy (breast conservation treatment) or a mastectomy (complete removal of the breast, with options for reconstruction).
- Axillary lymph nodes are often evaluated by sentinel lymph node sampling or axillary lymph node dissection.
- Some patients may require chemotherapy after surgery.
- Some patients may require chemotherapy and radiation therapy after surgery.
- Some patients may be treated with chemotherapy first, followed by surgery and radiation therapy.
If the cancer is positive for estrogen receptor:
- hormonal suppression may replace chemotherapy in certain circumstances.
- or may be given in addition to chemotherapy after chemotherapy is completed.
Additional Hormonal Therapy information:
Additional treatment information:
Reconstruction information:
- Breast Reconstruction - Susan G. Komen for the Cure
- Breast Reconstruction (ACS)
- Should I have breast reconstruction after a mastectomy?
- What is breast reconstruction with an expander or implant?
- What is breast reconstruction with a muscle flap?
Prognostic Tools
Department Information
- Department of Surgery
- Department of Radiation Oncology
- Department of Medical Oncology
- Department of Plastic Surgery
Clinical trials available for treatment of breast cancer at Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara:
