Breast Cancer Treatment
When it's time to treat breast cancer, the number of treatment options may feel overwhelming. The staff at the Lutheran Comprehensive Breast Center will help guide you through your personalized treatment plan.
There are two main types of treatment for breast cancer: local and systemic treatments. Local treatments remove, destroy or control cancer cells in one area of the body using surgery and radiation. Systemic treatments destroy or control cancer cells throughout the whole body using chemotherapy and hormone therapy.
Types of Treatment for Breast Cancer
Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells. This treatment can be used to shrink a tumor before surgery. Or it may be used after surgery to kill cancer cells that may remain in the breast or chest area. Radiation may also be used to treat tumors in other areas of the body. For breast cancer patients, advanced technology combined with deep inspiration breath hold therapy can reduce patients' risks of heart damage.
Chemotherapy uses powerful medicines to kill cancer cells throughout the body. It may be used to shrink a tumor before surgery or used to kill any cancer cells that remain after local treatments. It's often used along with hormone therapy.
Hormone therapy stops the growth of cancer cells that rely on certain hormones. It can be delivered in two ways: medications or by removing the ovaries. Hormone therapy may be used after surgery to decrease the chance of breast cancer from coming back, or a new cancer growing.
Deep Inspiration Breath Hold Radiation Therapy
Deep inspiration breath hold minimizes the risk of radiation exposure to the heart.
Lutheran Cancer Center patients undergoing radiation therapy for breast cancer have a safer option for radiotherapy. Using advanced software and the patient's own breathing pattern, radiation can now be administered only when the heart is out of the line of the radiation beam. The radiation beam can damage the heart and even lead to death in the future. Deep inspiration breath hold radiation therapy may help reduce those risks.
As the name suggests, deep inspiration breath hold involves having the patient breathe in and hold it. The expansion of the lungs pushes the heart down and inwards, which removes it from the path of the radiation delivered by a linear accelerator equipped with surface tracking technology. Software detects exactly when it is safe to administer the targeted dose of radiation to the patient.
Nutrition Consultations
Nutrition is a key player in the fight against cancer. Adequate nutrition prevents dehydration, malnutrition, infections and hospitalizations, which can interrupt treatment schedules and compromise outcomes.
Cancer patients can schedule an appointment with a dietitian at any time. The dietitian, who will base discussions on each patient's unique diagnosis and treatment plan, will:
- Assess nutritional needs
- Help manage the side effects of treatment
- Determine calorie and protein needs
- Help prevent malnutrition and dehydration
- Decrease the risk of infection and/or hospitalization
To schedule an appointment with a dietitian, call (260) 435-7992.
Resources
The Cancer Resource Center provides education and support to cancer patients and their families. Certified oncology nurses staff the center, explaining medical information, helping coordinate care and providing details about additional resources. The Cancer Resource Center is located at 7910 West Jefferson Blvd., Suite 109. Call the Cancer Resource Center at (260) 435-7959.
Nurse navigators are here to help provide direction, support and encouragement to help patients chart a course. Nurse navigators help patients and families from initial diagnosis through treatment and beyond. Cancer navigators are here to help. Call us at (260) 435-7959.