Breast Cancer Screening
A mammogram is an X-ray picture of the breast that can find cancer before it can be felt by you or your doctor. Learn more in this video from Dr. Michelle Specht, Breast Surgical Oncologist at the Mass General Cancer Center.
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The Center for Breast Cancer provides comprehensive, compassionate care for patients with any stage of breast cancer.
Cancer is caused by malignant (cancerous) cells that grow and multiply without control. Cancer that begins in any part of the breast is called breast cancer.
In breast cancer, the malignant cells can develop in the lobules or glands that make breast milk; this is known as lobular carcinoma. Or, the cancer cells can start in the ducts or tubes that carry the milk to the nipple; this is known as ductal carcinoma.
According to American Cancer Society estimates for 2014:
The National Cancer Institute has more information on these breast cancer types.
Learn about breast cancer in men
Signs of breast cancer may be similar to symptoms associated with other medical conditions. Please consult your doctor if you notice any of the following:
Screening for cancer means testing for something abnormal before it makes you sick. This allows cancer to be found earlier. The earlier a cancer is found, the smaller—and more treatable—it is likely to be.
The two most common ways to screen for breast cancer are:
Diagnostic tests and procedures for breast cancer include:
Following a diagnosis of breast cancer, further tests are done to determine the location or density of cancer cells. This process, known as staging, helps your doctor choose the best treatment for you.
Stages of breast cancer range from Stage I (early-stage cancer) to Stage IV (cancer is advanced and has spread to other parts of the body, or metastatic breast cancer). Tests and procedures include:
Your care team will work with you to develop a treatment plan. This individualized plan will depend on many factors, such as the type and stage of breast cancer, your general health, and your treatment preferences.
Treatment may involve one or more of these options:
Mass General has the only proton therapy site in all of New England, with two proton therapy centers.
Our support programs can help patients and their families cope with the challenges of a cancer diagnosis.
This program is designed to enhance your body, mind and spirit both after and during breast cancer treatment.
A mammogram is an X-ray picture of the breast that can find cancer before it can be felt by you or your doctor. Learn more in this video from Dr. Michelle Specht, Breast Surgical Oncologist at the Mass General Cancer Center.
Testing for the classic hereditary breast cancer genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, has been available and widely offered since their discovery in the 1990s. However, new technologies in genetic testing have recently uncovered information about other genes linked to hereditary breast cancer.
Contact us to make an appointment or to learn more about our programs.