When it comes to breast cancer, the specialists at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Rochester have a deep understanding of the disease and how to best treat all stages and types of breast cancer. Whether you are at an elevated risk of developing breast cancer, newly diagnosed, have recurrent cancer, are facing aggressive tumors, or have comorbidities like diabetes or a heart condition that require additional treatment considerations, our team of experts knows how to deliver highly personalized, highly effective care that’s tailored to your needs.
Understanding Your Breast Cancer Risks
Many patients come to Mayo Clinic with risk factors for developing breast cancer, such as family history or environmental exposures. Right away, our specialists, like Dr. Christine Klassen, director of Mayo Clinic’s Breast Diagnostic Clinic, work with you to create the optimal risk-management plan. Dr. Klassen and her colleagues typically see patients who have a strong family history, where multiple family members were diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 50, and those who know they are carriers of a gene (like BRCA) that puts them at a higher risk for disease.
Dr. Klassen explains, “We talk to them about what their risk is, how we can address that risk with enhanced screening, and we discuss risk-reducing medications and lifestyle changes. We also have a diagnostic clinic, and we see people who come in with a new breast concern. That could be any kind of breast symptoms or abnormal imaging.” As a team, specialists determine whether to prescribe certain medications, use 3D mammography for earlier detection, or consider pursuing preventative surgery. Every risk management plan is highly personalized, with each patient’s specific goals playing a central role.
Decreasing Risks, Improving Outcomes
There are a number of plans our team of specialists considers when treating breast cancer patients, but the end goal remains the same—reducing the risk of your breast cancer returning. We can accomplish this with additional screening, risk-reducing medications, and preventative surgeries like risk-reducing mastectomy and oophorectomy. These surgeries
can reduce risk by 90-95%.
Dr. Karthik Giridhar, medical oncologist and Chair of the Breast Medical Oncology Tumor Group, notes, “We’re simultaneously trying to figure out who we need to give more treatment to but also, who can we give less to? We want to avoid both over treating and under treating. It’s all about individualized decision making.”
Another way we are drastically improving outcomes is through intraoperative frozen section evaluation. Mayo Clinic is one of the only medical centers in the nation to use this process for breast surgeries for cancer, or where cancer is a concern. This means our pathologists can quickly analyze and diagnose tissue samples, specifically the margins around the tumor, during the operation. This helps ensure the cancer and margin are removed during the procedure, minimizing the need for repeat operations in the future. It’s yet another way patients are treated with unparalleled, personalized care.
Opening Doors Through Promising New Clinical Trials.
Our groundbreaking clinical trials are providing more options for patients with breast cancer that previously weren’t available to them. When patients qualify for a trial, they can try emerging new medical therapies, surgical options, or radiation approaches or schedules. Here, the most promising trials in breast cancer medicine are within reach, and all participating patients get access to treatments that have already shown some degree of efficacy. There is no risk of not receiving treatment when part of our clinical trials.
“We are fighting to get the best clinical trials available and open for our patients,” explains Dr. Judy Boughey, surgical oncologist and the Chair of Breast and Melanoma Surgical Oncology in Rochester. Dr. Boughey’s goal is to be able to continuously bring new options forward, so more possibilities are available to those who need them most.
Preserving Appearance Through Reconstructive Surgery.
Specialized breast surgical oncologists at Mayo Clinic also understand the importance of effectively treating breast cancer while preserving your appearance. In certain situations, our plastic surgeons will use advanced, muscle-sparing breast reconstruction techniques, creating a new breast from your own tissue. Through combination surgeries, we can reduce the number of operations by combining a lumpectomy with a breast lift or a breast reduction, achieving a more natural appearance.
Like everything we do, collaboration is key. Our breast surgeons and skilled plastic surgeons work together, operating alongside each other to reduce the number of surgeries needed and to help achieve the best outcome possible. As a high-volume center, we have extensive experience with reconstructive surgeries and are constantly pursuing new innovations to better serve patients. For example, robotic surgeries can result in more discreet incisions while surgeries that recreate a nipple can help patients maintain a natural appearance and feel more confident.
Collaborating to Deliver More Effective, More Efficient Care
It’s the collaborative nature of Mayo Clinic that really allows specialists to deliver next-level, individualized care. Breast cancer experts work together to create custom treatment plans for every patient.
As Dr. Dean Shumway, radiation oncologist, notes, “There isn’t any one person who can make all of the decisions on their own. The familiarity of our team is an important aspect.”
Dr. Klassen echoes this sentiment, adding, “I think that the thing that sets us apart is how closely we work together and how frequently we interact. We’re constantly seeing each other in the workrooms and being able to discuss patients and their situations.” It’s this team-based approach that is unique to Mayo Clinic, allowing physicians to deliver the best possible care without wasting any time.
World-Class Care, Right Here in Minnesota
Nothing compares to the convenience of receiving care from some of the world’s top experts, right here at home. Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, has more No. 1 rankings than any other hospital in the nation and is the No. 1 cancer hospital in the Midwest. Whatever your needs may be, and wherever you are on your breast cancer journey, there is a whole team of specialists here who will walk with you every step of the way, guide you through your options, and help you move forward with confidence. It all starts here.
careinfo.mayoclinic.org/breast-cancer-care-mn | 507-718-4900
