Breast Cancer Care

If tests reveal a lump or abnormality in your breast, your doctor may want you to have a biopsy. This is the only way to be certain if the area is cancerous. Keep in mind that most biopsies show that cancer is not present.

For a typical biopsy, doctors place a needle through the skin of your breast to remove cells or tissue.

• Fine needle aspiration biopsy removes cells from the area.
• Core biopsy uses a different needle to remove a larger amount of tissue.
• Stereotactic core biopsy uses imaging technology to guide the core biopsy procedure.

In some cases, we may recommend a surgical biopsy. During this procedure, a surgeon makes a small cut over your skin to access and remove tissue from a suspicious area.

Our breast pathologists examine the tissue from your biopsy to make a diagnosis and help guide treatment decisions. These doctors are on staff at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. That means you get the same world-class expertise you’d find in Boston right here closer to home.

We know waiting for biopsy results can be stressful. We make every effort to share our findings with you as soon as possible.

Breast cancer awareness is key to early detection. Knowing the possible signs of breast cancer may help you get care before your next planned screening if you experience something unusual. Signs and symptoms of breast cancer may include:

• New breast lump or mass.
• Breast swelling.
• Dimpling (pitted appearance on the skin of your breast).
• Discharge from your nipple.
• Enlarged lymph nodes near your collar bone or under your arm.
• Nipple that turns inward.
• Pain in your breast or nipple.

These aren’t always related to breast cancer, but it is important to tell your provider about any changes you see or feel in your breasts.

Treatment for breast cancer usually involves surgery to remove your tumor. This is considered a local treatment and may involve:

• Lumpectomy, also known as breast-conserving surgery. During this operation, surgeons remove your lump and leave most of your breast intact. Hidden-scar surgery allows us to place the incision in a discrete location. This might be along the edge of your areola, under your breast or in your arm pit (axilla).

At BID Needham, we use SAVI SCOUT Radar Localization technology to mark your tumor’s location up to 30 days before surgery. It involves placing a reflector that’s about the size of a grain of rice near your tumor. Just before surgery, your surgeon activates the reflector and nonradioactive radar waves detect its location in the breast.

The technique allows for pinpoint precision when removing your tumor. It’s much easier on you than wire localization, which was used in the past. That procedure involved placing a protruding wire in your breast to mark your tumor location. It was often uncomfortable and forced you to restrict movement for hours before surgery.

Lumpectomy is usually followed by radiation therapy to kill any cancer cells that may remain in the area.

• Mastectomy, or removal of your breast. Breast reconstruction surgery is possible with this option. Your surgeon also may be able to perform a nipple-sparing mastectomy. This procedure removes breast tissue while preserving your skin, nipple and areola. It also can be done as a hidden-scar operation and may offer a more satisfying cosmetic result. Your doctor may recommend radiation therapy after mastectomy.

Treatment targets the tumor in your breast. But sometimes cancer cells can break away from the original tumor and travel to other parts of your body. There, they can form new tumors. Chemotherapy and hormone therapy act on your entire body. They’re designed to treat any cancer cells that may have escaped from the tumor in your breast. This type of treatment is known as systemic treatment.

It’s possible to have a gene mutation that increases your risk for breast cancer in the future. Sometimes, this gene may have an impact on your current care, as well. At BID Needham, we offer genetic counseling and testing if your family history suggests you may have one of these mutations.

If you’re at high risk for breast cancer because of personal or family history, we offer a special surveillance clinic.