Tests, Treatments & Therapies for Breast Cancer at the University of Colorado Cancer Center
At The University of Colorado Cancer Center , we use the most minimally invasive approach possible for breast cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment. We recognize that both work-up and management requires a multidisciplinary approach with numerous specialists working closely together.
We use both standard treatments and those being tested in clinical trials. You might consider participating in a trial, which are designed to improve current treatments or get information on new treatments. If a new treatment is proven better than the standard treatment, the new treatment may become the standard treatment.
Staging and Detection Tests
Tests are only as good as the doctors who report and interpret them. That’s why our doctors-who work together as a patient’s care team-are the highest trained specialists in the state.
Once a cancer has been diagnosed, it is very important for doctors to find out where the cancer may have spread (the “stage” of the cancer) to determine the best possible treatment plan for you. To find out, doctors use staging tests, which include:
- Different types of scans
- Different ways to take tissue samples to look for tumor cells microscopically (biopsy tests)
Scans and other tests may also be used:
- In a “surveillance program” looking for any signs of relapse after treatment
- In a “screening program” to detect cancer early in individuals at high-risk
To monitor responses to treatment
Tests
Mammogram – An x-ray machine that takes a film picture of your breast tissue to look for abnormal areas inside the breast that may be cancerous. Mammograms are the best tool for finding breast cancer early. Every woman beginning at the age of 40, or younger women who have an increased risk of breast cancer should have a yearly mammogram.
Digital Mammogram – A newer type of mammogram that takes an electronic image of the breast and stores it directly in a computer instead of film. Digital mammography uses less radiation than film mammography and the images can be stored and sent electronically. For most women it is as good as film mammography for detecting early breast cancer. Digital mammograms have been shown to be more effective than film mammograms at detecting cancer in younger women, women with dense breasts, and pre-menopausal women.
Breast Ultrasound – A machine that uses high-energy sound waves to form a picture of the breast tissue, which is displayed on a screen. The ultrasound can show if a lump is solid or a fluid-filled cyst.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) – A machine that uses a magnet and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body. Screening trials of MRI in women with a high genetic risk of breast cancer have shown that MRI in addition to mammography is the most effective combination for finding breast tumors.
Biopsy – A biopsy removes tissue for a pathologist to examine under a microscope. A biopsy helps to confirm whether the lump is benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). There are several types of biopsies used to diagnose breast problems:
Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) – A pathologist removes individual cells. We are often able to provide results on the same day of the clinic visit.
Core Biopsy – Removes a piece of tissue about the size of pencil lead. Results take two to five days.
Excisional Biopsy – Removes tissue from a questionable area. Results take five to seven days for diagnosis.
Genetic testing – A genetic counselor evaluates family history of breast cancer and performs blood tests to determine if the patient has a breast cancer gene. This testing can help women and their doctors make health care decisions that lower the risk of breast cancer. It is important to know that if a breast cancer gene is detected, a woman may have an increased risk of breast cancer, but does not mean a woman will get breast cancer.
Treatment & Therapy for Breast Cancers
The following treatments may be used alone or in combination to treat breast cancer.
Surgery
Operations to remove tumors are done by doctors who have specialized training, called surgical oncologists. Plastic surgeons may also be involved in operations for breast cancer.
Partial Mastectomy – An operation to remove the cancer from the breast without removing the entire breast. This is also called a lumpectomy.
Mastectomy – An operation to remove one or both breasts.
Sentinel Node Biopsy and Axillary Dissection – During a full or partial mastectomy lymph nodes where the cancer is most likely to spread are identified by a dye. A sentinel node biopsy removes the lymph nodes most likely to be involved if the breast cancer has spread. An axillary dissection removes most of the lymph nodes under the arm. A lab tests the tissue or node for cancer cells that may have spread.
Reconstruction – An operation to rebuild the shape of the breast after a mastectomy. It can be done at the same time as a mastectomy or later depending on the individual and doctor’s recommendation.
Hormonal Therapy
Hormonal therapy – Medications that block production or binding of estrogen to treat and prevent breast cancer such as:
TamoxifenTM – A drug that has been shown to be effective in preventing breast cancer from returning in women who are in remission (have had treatment and show no sign of remaining cancer) and preventing women who are at high risk from developing breast cancer.
Aromatase Inhibitors – Medicines that interfere with how much estrogen (hormone) is produced after menopause. This limits the amount of estrogen that can cause growth of breast cancer tumors.
Radiation Therapy (“Radiotherapy”)
Radiation therapy involves using X-rays and other types of medical radiation aimed at specific parts of the body to:
- Kill cancer cells
- Prevent cancer cells from developing or recurring
- Improve many of the symptoms caused by cancer
Radiation therapy can be:
- Used before surgery to make the operation easier (this is called “neoadjuvant” treatment)
- Used after surgery to reduce the chances of the cancer coming back (this is called “adjuvant treatment”)
- Almost as effective as surgery in people who are not fit enough for an operation
Chemotherapy and other drug-based treatments
Anti-cancer drug treatments – Chemotherapy—and new “targeted therapies"—involve using drugs that kill, slow down or damage cancer cells. Many new drugs are being developed.
Anti-cancer drug treatments may involve:
- Single drugs or combinations of drugs
- Intravenous injections or tablets/capsules
- Taking the drugs in repeating patterns, called “cycles”, that usually last three to four weeks
- Taking some drugs every day or only on a few days within the cycles
- Taking other medicines to reduce or eliminate side effects associated with chemotherapy
- Taking targeted therapies, often with very little side effects, on their own or in combination with standard chemotherapy
- Access to new drugs or vaccines on their own, or added into standard treatments, in clinical trials
Chemotherapy and targeted therapies can:
- Be given before surgery to make the operation easier
- Be given in combination with radiotherapy to make both treatments more effective
- Be given after surgery to reduce the chances of cancer coming back
- Successfully control advanced cancer and many cancer-related symptoms
Clinical Trials
The goal of clinical research is to improve treatment outcomes and reduce treatment side effects or long-term toxicities. Clinical trials provide the latest treatments because they evaluate:
- New drugs
- New combinations of therapies
- New treatment delivery methods
Because we’re the Rocky Mountain region's only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center—one of only 41 in the United States—your treatment will always include the latest and most comprehensive care options.
Learn more about clinical trials at UCCC.
Other therapies being tested through clinical trials:
Biologic therapy (biotherapy or immunotherapy) – A treatment that uses the patient’s immune system to fight cancer. Substances made by the body or made in a laboratory are used to boost, direct or restore the body’s natural defenses against cancer.