Breast Cancer Surgery

Diagnosis

Around 57 Australians are told each day that they have breast cancer. Some women find a lump, some women have their abnormality detected at BreastScreen or sometimes a cancer is found incidentally when being investigated for another condition. The following days are usually a blur, waiting for mammograms, ultrasounds, biopsy results and, ultimately, an appointment with your surgeon, to discuss the treatment plan ahead. Please read my blog post on a new diagnosis to help with this difficult time.

Short Term

Breast cancer most commonly requires surgical treatment. This is individualised for each patient and your surgeon should be skilled in oncoplastic procedures to give you the best aesthetic and cancer outcome.

However breast cancer treatment does not only equal surgery. There are a wide range of treatments that your surgeon and their practice should help you access. Although surgery to remove the cancer is the fundamental of management, your surgeon should inform you and then co-ordinate a full scope of treatments, including referral to oncology, radiation oncology, discuss options for breast preservation as well as reconstruction, plus involvement with plastic surgery, gynaecology and fertility, when needed. In addition, recommendations for physiotherapy, lymphoedema management, exercise physiology and psychology should all be offered to patients with breast cancer. Please read more about wound care, post-surgical bra and seroma management in my patient information area.

Long Term

In the longer term, your surgeon should provide ongoing surveillance plus risk reduction advice, as well as advice on high risk family management and cancer prevention, including non-surgical and surgical options. Management of treatment side effects including menopausal symptoms and bone health should also be prioritised. Please look through my blog for discussions on these topics.

Your surgeon and treating team

Your general practitioner will refer you to a breast cancer surgeon. Depending on your individual situation, this may be at the public hospital nearest to where you live, or to a private surgeon. It’s important to establish that this surgeon is the right person to care for you. When you meet your surgeon, my hope is a huge number of your fears will be allayed, as you are given a clear plan going forward. I recommend you ensure your surgeon is a specialist breast surgeon and also someone you feel comfortable with, as you will be spending considerable time together in the coming years. I also recommend you limit yourself to trusted online resources, particularly Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) and their excellent My Journey App.