Tumor boards are regularly scheduled patient conferences where the cases of cancer patients are discussed in a multidisciplinary manner. Generally, tumor boards include surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, and other cancer specialists. In most cases, the tumor board will reach a consensus for a treatment plan for each patient who is presented.
Robert A. Wascher, MD, FACS; Author, "A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race"; www.doctorwascher.com
Mastectomy is not always the best option to treat breast cancer. The surgical aspect of breast cancer care is a case of less is more. Radical mastectomies are hardly ever done nowadays, and even modified radical mastectomies have given way to lumpectomies followed by radiation. Fewer and fewer lymph nodes are needed to make the diagnosis of metastatic disease (spread), and these more advanced cases now have available a much larger array of drugs to treat cancer located outside of the breast.
Skin-sparing mastectomies allow the surgeons to remove the breast while maintaining the overlying skin. This procedure, when combined with immediate breast reconstruction, gives patients a more satisfying cosmetic result after mastectomy by preserving the shape of the breast. In addition, some patients are candidates for nipple-sparing mastectomy, which involves removing the breast while maintaining the overlying skin, nipple, and areola complex.
Follow the guidelines in caring for yourself after breast surgery:
There is no woman who has perfectly symmetrical breasts, and it’s not abnormal in the least. But if you notice that your breasts are becoming more and more asymmetric over time, they should be looked at. That could mean that something is going on in the breast that should be evaluated by a physician.
Breast cancer treatment doesn't end with surgery. In this video, Dr. Jesse Dirksen discusses the appointments and other follow-up that will come next.
Find out more about this DVD:
What Can I Expect in the Long Term After Breast Cancer Surgery?
Signs of infection following a mastectomy include redness, increase in heat of the skin, swelling of the area, drainage from the mastectomy wound and increasing pain in the area. Infection after mastectomy may also cause fevers and body chills.
Invasive mammary carcinoma is the most common type of breast cancer. When we classify breast cancers, there are two main types of breast cancer: invasive and non-invasive cancers. In 2013, about 230,000 women (and about 2,000 men) are diagnosed with invasive mammary carcinoma. By comparison, there will be about 65,000 cases of noninvasive breast cancer diagnosed this year in the United States.
Recently, a major national study found that women taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) -- particularly those taking combined estrogen and progestin HRT for five years or longer -- had an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Women who have been on hormone replacement for five or more years should talk to their health-care provider about the risks and benefits of treatment.