Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in the U.S. today.
At CoxHealth, we're dedicated to women's health and we're committed to bringing the latest cancer treatment technologies to the Ozarks. We offer the most advanced, state-of-the-art equipment for the treatment of breast cancer. We provide advanced radiation therapy focused on convenience, shorter treatment time, fewer side effects and preserving more breast tissue than traditional radiation therapy.
One in seven women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, and the disease accounts for 32 percent of all cancers that occur in women. Yet approximately 80 percent of all breast lumps are NOT breast cancer. Fewer than 1 percent of all breast cancers occur in men, and the majority of women who develop breast cancer have NO significant risk factors. Following recommended screening guidelines and understanding common risk factors are the best ways to protect your health.
Know the Warning Signs
- Breast lump or swelling of the breast
- Any thickening or swelling that persists
- Nipple inversion or retraction
- Breast or nipple pain
- Skin dimpling or puckering
- Any spontaneous discharge from the nipple
Fibrocystic Breast Condition
Fibrocystic Breast Condition may also be called fibrocystic disease, cystic disease, or chronic cystic mastitis. Fibrocystic changes are NOT cancer. These changes are related to the way the tissue of your breast responds to the estrogen and progesterone hormones in your body. Your milk glands and milk ducts respond to these hormones by becoming larger and retaining fluid. This fluid can become trapped and the pockets that develop are called cysts.
Stereotactic Breast Biopsy
Stereotactic Breast Biopsy is a less invasive method of obtaining the tissue needed to diagnose breast disease. After a local anesthetic is placed in your breast, a small (1/4 inch) incision is made in the skin. Using digital image guidance, several small samples of tissue are removed from your breast with a thin needle. These tissue samples are used by the pathologist to evaluate breast changes.
Ultrasound core biopsy is another minimally invasive method of obtaining the tissue needed to diagnose breast disease. After a local anesthetic is placed in your breast, a small (1/4 inch) incision is made in the skin. Using ultrasound image guidance, several small samples of tissue are removed from the breast with a thin needle. These tissue samples are used by the pathologist to evaluate breast changes.
Risk Factors
Although 75 percent of women who develop breast cancer have no significant risk factors, there are things that may increase your risk.
Treatment Options
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Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is treatment with powerful medicine. Chemotherapy drugs can treat cancers that have spread throughout your body.
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