There are several different kinds of treatments for breast cancer that can be used alone or in combination with other treatment approaches. Which treatment is right for you depends upon several factors, including the type and stage of your cancer.
The board-certified physicians and their team at the Janet Knowles Breast Cancer Center at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper are here to help guide you through the treatment options. Drawing upon decades of experience and state-of-the-art expertise, we offer advanced breast cancer care plans to meet your needs.
Breast Surgery
Surgery is a common treatment for breast cancer, and most patients will have some kind of surgery as part of their treatment plan. Surgery can involve removing a lump, lymph nodes, or the breast itself, depending on the type and stage of the cancer.
The decision to perform mastectomy vs. lumpectomy is based on various factors including breast size, the amount of cancerous tissue, biologic aggressiveness of a breast cancer, metastasis, and other factors.
Surgery may be used to treat several types of breast cancer, including ductal carcinoma, lobular carcinoma, Paget’s disease, inflammatory breast cancer, metastatic breast cancer and metaplastic breast cancer.
The Janet Knowles Breast Cancer Center at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper is South Jersey’s leading breast cancer program. Our board-certified surgeons combine their expertise using state-of-the-art surgical techniques and advanced clinical care with personalized support services to ensure that you receive the breast cancer care treatment you need and expect.
Learn more about breast surgery: https://www.cooperhealth.org/services/breast-surgery
Mastectomy
Mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, with the aim of removing as much of the cancerous tissue as possible.
Whether a mastectomy is appropriate for your breast cancer will depend on a variety of factors, including the amount of cancerous tissue you have, the aggressiveness of the cancer and how much it's spread, and other factors.
Learn more about a mastectomy: https://www.cooperhealth.org/services/mastectomy
Lumpectomy
Lumpectomy is a surgical procedure in which a small amount of breast tissue containing the tumor and some surrounding healthy tissue is removed.
Your surgeon may recommend a lumpectomy if your tumor is small and your breast cancer is in its early stages.
Learn more about a lumpectomy: https://www.cooperhealth.org/services/breast-conserving-surgery-lumpectomy-and-partial-mastectomy
Radiation
Radiation treatment is like having a standard X-ray, but the dose of radiation is stronger. Radiation can be used on its own to treat small tumors or some early-stage breast cancers, control the disease, or help relieve symptoms. It is frequently used in combination with surgery and medical management approaches.
More than 50 percent of people who are diagnosed with cancer receive some sort of radiation therapy as part of their treatment.
Radiation treatments last only a few minutes and are painless.
Our specialists at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper have expertise in advanced radiation treatment approaches to treat your breast cancer. They will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan based on the type and stage of breast cancer you have.
Learn more about radiation therapy: https://www.cooperhealth.org/services/radiation-therapy
Medical Management
The medical management of breast cancer involves using medications and other therapies to treat your cancer. This approach to treating cancer may include using chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, or hormone therapy to treat your cancer, slow its growth, or provide supportive care. These therapies may be used on their own or in combination with surgery and/or radiation.
Our specialists at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper have expertise in advanced treatment approaches, techniques and technology to treat your breast cancer. They will work with you to develop a personalized state-of-the-art treatment plan based on the type and stage of your breast cancer.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy (or “chemo”) involves using drugs to aggressively stop or slow the growth of cancer cells. It is a common treatment approach for breast cancer and often used in combination with other treatments – like hormone therapy, radiation or surgery – depending on the type and stage of the cancer.
Chemotherapy is often used to treat several types of breast cancer, including lobular carcinoma, inflammatory breast cancer, triple negative breast cancer, metastatic breast cancer and other types of breast cancer.
Learn more about chemotherapy: https://www.cooperhealth.org/services/chemotherapy
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy (biologic therapy) uses your body’s immune system, the body’s main defense against infection and disease, to fight cancer. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with cancer, knowing more about potential treatments can help you prepare for what’s ahead.
Immunotherapy is among the most cutting-edge cancer treatments today. Doctors continue to understand more about how this therapy works and who it could benefit. At MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, our doctors’ extensive experience with specialized immunotherapies means we offer the people of South Jersey promising cancer treatments, in a compassionate environment.
Learn more about immunotherapy: https://www.cooperhealth.org/services/cancer-immunotherapy
Targeted Therapy
Targeted therapy uses certain medications or specially created substances to seek out and attack cancer cells to stop them from growing and spreading. Targeted therapies work in a number of different ways. Often, genetic testing can help your doctor learn more about the cancer you have and which targeted therapies could benefit you.
Some targeted therapies aim to attach the genetic structure of cancer cells, attack the signaling pathways and the way cancer cells grow and spread, or stop cancer cells from multiplying.
Targeted therapies may be used alone or in combination with other treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Your doctor and treatment team will develop a personalized treatment plan for you based on the specific kind of cancer you have, how much it has spread, and other factors.
Learn more about targeted therapy: https://www.cooperhealth.org/services/targeted-therapy
Hormone Therapy
High estrogen levels can cause cancer cells to grow in many breast cancer cases. These cancers are referred to as being hormone-receptor positive (HR-positive, or H+). Hormone therapy for HR-positive breast cancer can be used alone or with other treatments to help reduce the chance that the cancer will spread or return.
Hormone therapy is often used to treat several types of breast cancer.
Learn more about hormone therapy: https://www.cooperhealth.org/services/hormone-therapy-breast-cancer
Medical Management
The team of breast cancer experts at the Janet Knowles Breast Cancer Center at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper provide each patient with comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary care, a personalized treatment plan, and a full range of support services throughout your cancer journey.
As South Jersey’s leading breast cancer program, we provide a full range of breast cancer treatment options, and our partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center, one of the nation’s leading cancer centers, allows us our breast cancer team to offer you the same advanced treatment options and clinical protocols offered at the renowned MD Anderson in Houston.
Our approach to your care involves an entire team of breast cancer specialists — surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, reconstructive surgeons, and other skilled professionals — working together to ensure you receive the most effective treatments for your type of cancer.
But we don’t stop there. Our dedicated breast cancer care staff provides you with and services every step of the way throughout your journey. We will guide you through the options for breast reconstruction surgery, rehabilitation and exercise therapies, and support services may need to help ease whatever challenges you may face during your treatment and through survivorship.
Contact Us
To make an appointment with a breast cancer expert at MD Anderson at Cooper, call 855.MDA.COOPER (855.832.2667).