Breast Cancer Treatment

At Winship’s Glenn Family Breast Center, we treat every single breast cancer patient individually by tailoring your treatment plan to your specific cancer.

As soon as your diagnostic testing is complete, our expert pathologists set to work analyzing the results to understand your cancer at every level. With the information they uncover, your team of physicians — including your surgeon, pathologist, radiation oncologist, medical oncologist and more — will work together to develop a plan to effectively treat your breast cancer with the fewest possible side effects. It’s kind of like getting a second, third and fourth opinion all at the same time.

Once we create your personalized breast cancer treatment plan, your team of experts will discuss it with you and answer all your questions. Then, your breast cancer treatment can be scheduled right away at Winship. We’ll even consider your work and family schedules to keep your routine as close to normal as possible.

Even if you decide to stay closer to home for your treatment, we will work with you and your doctors closely to monitor your care. Our goal is to ensure you get your cancer treated the way it needs to be, wherever that is.

There are plenty of options when it comes to breast cancer treatment, and we offer them all at Winship. Based on your unique cancer, your treatment plan may include:

Surgery

Most patients will need breast cancer surgery to remove only the tumor (lumpectomy) or, in some cases, the whole breast (mastectomy) as well as any affected lymph nodes.

• Lumpectomy (Breast Conserving Surgery). Often referred to as a lumpectomy or partial mastectomy, this surgery removes the tumor along with a margin of normal tissue, preserving the rest of the breast. This approach effectively treats cancer while allowing women to retain their breasts. Our surgeons utilize advanced oncoplastic techniques to extend this option to patients previously ineligible. Breast conserving surgery is most often followed by radiation to the breast. Patients undergoing breast conserving surgery will have same day surgery.
• Mastectomy. Mastectomy aims to remove as much breast tissue as possible. While optional, many women opt for breast reconstruction. Our surgeons excel in advanced techniques such as skin-sparing and nipple-sparing mastectomy, preserving cosmetic aspects. Various plastic surgery options, both immediate and delayed, are available for reconstruction. Most mastectomy patients require only an overnight hospital stay, even with reconstruction. Drains are commonly placed post-surgery, with patients receiving instructions on their care before discharge. These drains are typically removed within 7-14 days.
• Lymph Node Surgery. As part of breast surgery, lymph nodes in the armpit (axilla) may need removal. Sentinel lymph node biopsy, an advanced technique, involves extracting a few lymph nodes to ascertain cancer spread. Before surgery, dye or radioactive particles are injected into the breast to locate the sentinel nodes. This procedure is often sufficient for node treatment. If cancer has spread, additional nodes may require removal.

Our breast surgeons are solely dedicated to oncology, meaning they are experts in the surgical treatment of breast cancer — it’s all they do. And when it comes to breast cancer surgery, you want the most experienced physicians taking care of you. We’ll even work side-by-side with a plastic surgeon who can reconstruct your breast either with implants or using your own tissue during the same surgery, so you don’t have to undergo an additional procedure.

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Following a mastectomy, lumpectomy or in the case of a congenital breast deformity, certain patients may qualify for breast reconstruction. Emory plastic surgeons, collaborating closely with our surgical oncologists, have pioneered cutting-edge techniques in breast reconstruction using special cameras to measure blood flow, minimize scars and reduce recovery time. Reconstruction can take place either at the time of your mastectomy or at a later date. The different types of breast reconstruction that are possible include:

• Lumpectomy reconstruction options (hidden scars, oncoplastic techniques, and fat transfer)
• Mastectomy (skin-sparing or nipple-sparing) reconstruction options:
  • Breast reconstruction using various implant types (silicone/saline, round/shaped)
  • Breast reconstruction with your own tissue (from the back, lower stomach, thigh or buttocks)
  • Nipple-areolar reconstruction
• Symmetry procedures for the other healthy breast (breast reduction, lift, or augmentation)

Consult your doctor to determine if you are a suitable candidate for breast reconstruction. Our plastic surgeons will collaborate with you to understand your individual goals and expectations, selecting the most appropriate procedure to minimize complications and achieve optimal outcomes.

Chemotherapy

This treatment involves the use of medication taken orally or given through an IV to attack cancer cells throughout the body. Chemotherapy may be used prior to surgery to help shrink a tumor before removal, or after surgery to kill any cancer cells that were not removed. It can also be used as the main type of treatment when a cancer is too advanced for surgical intervention and does not have other targeted therapy options. Not all breast cancers require chemotherapy, and we should know; we pioneered the research to prove it.

Targeted Therapy

A major breakthrough in breast cancer treatment in recent years, targeted therapy uses powerful drugs to target a cancer’s specific gene mutations. It’s a big focus of ongoing breast cancer research, with several new drugs coming onto the market in recent years. Winship is currently conducting trials on targeted therapy for several types of breast cancer.

Hormone Therapy

This treatment is used in addition to other therapies for hormone receptor-positive tumors, which account for about two-thirds of breast cancers. Typically prescribed after surgery to keep breast cancer from recurring, hormone therapy is usually administered in pill form and taken for 5-10 years.

Immunotherapy

Another important focus of current breast cancer research, immunotherapy is the use of drugs to help the body’s immune system recognize and enhance its ability to tackle cancer cells. At Winship, we are leading the use of immunotherapies for many types of cancer, including breast cancer. Winship even has a dedicated immunotherapy research program that is advancing the world’s understanding of how our immune system can be harnessed to fight cancers successfully.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy, or radiotherapy, uses high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells. Radiotherapy improves breast cancer outcomes in women treated with lumpectomy and in some patients who receive mastectomy. It is often the last step of active treatment for breast cancer patients who had surgery and when indicated, chemotherapy. Radiation therapy is based on an individual’s specific case, as well as health and body type.

Proton Therapy

Emory Proton Therapy Center is the only such center in Georgia and one of an elite group in the nation to offer proton therapy, a powerful and precise form of radiation therapy used to treat breast cancers in some patients. Proton therapy delivers a high dose of radiation to a tumor while preventing damage to surrounding healthy tissue and is often used to treat breast cancer that has spread to sensitive parts of the body, such as the lungs, liver or brain.

Winship is Georgia’s National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and we design and lead hundreds of clinical trials each year, many of which establish standards of care that are used across the country. For example, Winship physicians led research that helped established national guidelines on which breast cancers are most likely to respond to chemotherapy. We are currently pioneering research to determine when in a patient’s treatment plan chemotherapy is most effective.

In other words, we’re on the front lines of breast cancer research, which means we can offer you access to the latest breast cancer treatments you can’t get at other cancer centers. We make every effort to match as many patients as possible to ongoing research.

At Winship, we strive to deliver the most effective treatment while also minimizing side effects. But coping with breast cancer and breast cancer treatment can be challenging That’s why we have a supportive oncology team of specialized doctors and nurses on staff to help you with the physical, psychological and emotional aspects of living with cancer, including symptom management and counseling. This team — with the help of counselors, dietitians, social service professionals and others — will be with you every step of the way, supporting you during your experience and beyond.