BREAST CANCER

The latest treatment built around your needs.

Getting started

Your treatment begins with your Legacy Cancer Institute doctor recommending a treatment plan based on expert guidelines, called protocols. Your treatment is also determined by:

The type of tumor
The location of the tumor
The extent of the disease, called the stage
Any tests you have had during diagnosis
A discussion about what is right for you

Meet our providers

Our team features some of the region’s most recognized specialists. Give us a call to make an appointment or learn more about our care team.

503-413-5525 (Oregon)
360-487-1020 (Washington)

Breast cancer treatment options

Treating breast cancer requires a variety of specialists working together for your unique treatment plan. Legacy offers the latest proven treatment options for breast cancer, including minimally invasive techniques. A treatment plan for breast cancer can include a variety of therapies:

Surgery: Our nationally recognized surgeons use advanced surgical techniques and provide several surgery options, including breast-sparing surgery, mastectomy and mastectomy with reconstruction. Legacy Health knows precision is vital to success and our surgical oncologists use a new radar localization tool to aid surgeons in accurately locating the affected tissue with minimal invasion. The radar localization system uses a zero-radiation and wire-free solution that can precisely target the affected tissue to within 1 mm of accuracy. Using radar can mean more successful surgeries, optimized breast conservation strategies and enhanced outcomes for women.
- Breast reconstruction: Our breast surgeons perform procedures to rebuild a total breast after mastectomy. Learn about breast reconstruction

Radiation uses high-energy X-rays or other radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. Radiation can be one of two types:
- External radiation uses a machine outside the body and aims radiation toward the cancer. Learn more about radiation therapy.
- Brachytherapy uses a radioactive material placed in the body, directly in contact with the tumor, so healthy tissues have less exposure to radiation. Legacy’s technologically advanced brachytherapy program is the largest and most experienced in the region. Learn about brachytherapy

Chemotherapy: Also called “chemo,” this therapy involves the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Some chemotherapy drugs reach cells throughout the body while others are inserted directly into the affected area. Learn more about chemotherapy.

Immunotherapy: Uses the body’s own immune system to treat cancer (also called biologic therapy). In immunotherapy, substances from the body or made in a lab are used to trigger an immune response. They boost, restore or direct your own natural defense against cancer. Learn more about immunotherapy.

Targeted therapy: Different than traditional chemotherapy, this treatment can help stop cancer from growing and spreading by targeting specific genes or proteins. Learn more about targeted therapy.

Hormone therapy slows or stops the growth of cancer by blocking or interfering with hormones, which are chemical messengers that control bodily functions like the reproductive system. Hormone therapy can be given as a pill or injection. A surgeon may also remove organs that produce hormones. Learn more about hormone therapy.

Cryoablation is a minimally invasive procedure that uses freezing temperatures to destroy tumors. As an alternative to open surgery, cryoablation is safe, painless and patients can usually return to work or normal activities right away. Learn more about cryoablation.

Talk to your doctor about these and other options for treating breast cancer. Researchers are discovering new therapies for treating cancer all the time, giving doctors new resources for your care.

Treating cancer when it spreads

Sometimes breast cancer can spread to the brain (metastases). For these people, Legacy Cancer Institute offers a specialized “knifeless” brain surgery procedure — the gold standard treatment for brain metastases. Learn more about Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery.

What happens next

Many cancer treatments can cause challenging side effects. Your cancer team is dedicated to helping you manage these issues in the best ways possible.

To see how well your treatment is working, some of the tests used to diagnose and stage your cancer may be repeated. Your doctor uses these tests to decide whether to stop, change or continue treatment based on the results. The tests can also determine if cancer has returned.

Whenever possible, we work to stop cancer. But when we can’t, we can often control it for a better quality of life, often called palliative care.

Working together for you

Our cancer experts work together with a common goal: delivering the right care for you. A range of specialists collaborate regularly in meetings called tumor boards to discuss the best plan for your care. Your treatment plan is made just for you, depending on your general health, your age, your particular cancer and its growth.