Breast Cancer Treatment Program

Your breast cancer treatment plan will depend on your:

• Diagnosis and test results.
• Goals and preferences.
• Overall health.

The multidisciplinary teams at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC Breast Cancer Program have practiced together extensively.
We will work with you to decide the best breast cancer treatment plan based on your personal needs.

Breast Cancer Treatment Options

Your doctors may suggest one or more of the following treatment approaches:

• Breast cancer surgery.
• Chemotherapy (medical oncology).
• Radiation therapy (radiation oncology).
• Hormone therapy.

Some combined therapies may cause side effects. You can work with your breast cancer care team to lessen side effects and customize your treatment to fit your goals.

Breast Cancer Treatment at UPMC: Treating the Whole Person

At UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, breast cancer treatment begins with a focus on you — not your disease.
We offer a range of support services that can help you feel more at ease and make your treatments more effective.
These services can support you and your loved ones during breast cancer treatment and recovery:

• Behavioral medicine — psychologists and psychiatrists can help you create a plan for meeting the challenges of breast cancer.
• Nutrition for breast cancer — our diet and nutrition experts can design a meal plan to help you regain strength or support your health.
• Breast cancer pain management — pain experts will work with your care team to relieve pain from breast cancer treatment.
• Palliative care — this service aims to improve the quality of life for people whose breast cancer is no longer responding to treatment.
• Social support — social workers can help you manage the practical aspects of living with breast cancer.
• Interpreter services — interpreters help foreign patients and others with language barriers discern the cancer treatment process.

Breast Cancer Prognosis

Your prognosis — or chance of recovering from breast cancer — depends on several factors:

• The size of the tumor.
• The stage of breast cancer.
• The treatment approach.
• Your general health.

Your doctor will discuss your prognosis with you after he or she has studied your test results.