Breast cancer treatment & surgery
We’re leaders in the fight against breast cancer. When you choose Advocate, you’ll get treatment for breast cancer from highly trained surgeons and oncologists who work together and pay attention to your needs. You’ll receive support for the physical, emotional and social effects of cancer during and after your treatment.
Focus on innovation
Advocate uses the most advanced techniques and technology. Our latest breast cancer treatment options include:
We use radar technology to make breast cancer surgery more effective and easier for you.
How it works: A device smaller than a grain of rice is inserted into the target tissue shortly before your surgery. During surgery your surgeon uses radar to locate the device, which makes it easier to find and remove all the abnormal tissue. This method also helps avoid removing healthy tissue.
Benefits of radar localization:
- Locates tumors more precisely
- Increases likelihood of completely removing the tumor
- Minimizes your discomfort compared to past methods that used a wire inserted into the breast
- Reduces the need for follow-up surgeries
- Preserves the look of your breast after surgery because it allows strategic incision planning to conserve healthy breast tissue
We have the most locations in Illinois using this pioneering radar technology.
Advocate is one of only four health care providers in Illinois that offer BioZorb, which is a small device inserted into the breast during surgeries to guide breast cancer radiation therapy planned for after the surgery.
Benefits of BioZorb:
- Provides support so your breast doesn't crumple after a lumpectomy
- Heals smoothly – the incision and changes in your breast will be less visible
- Guides any future imaging or procedures
- Is absorbed into the body after radiation treatment for breast cancer is over
Lymphedema is the painful swelling that sometimes occurs when lymph nodes are removed during breast cancer surgery.
Our cancer screening and treatment techniques have helped reduce the occurrence of lymphedema and improve its treatment.
Prevention. Our improved technique for surgical mapping of the lymph system (using additional dye) allows us to avoid damaging the lymph nodes of the arm nearest the affected breast. When the lymph system needs to be disrupted, a technique known as LYMPHA (lymphatic microsurgical preventive healing approach) lets us reconnect lymph vessels to other parts of the lymph system to allow continued circulation of lymph fluid.
Treatment. Having the latest technology in lymphedema detection allows us to treat it at the earliest and most reversible stage. This is known as bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) and is the recommended method of lymphedema detection by the APTA (American Physical Therapists Association). The product is called sozo, and the number measurement is called L-Dex. In screening for lymphedema, L-Dex measurements help our experts assess fluid in arms and legs using electrical signals. Our average of patients who get this condition is now 2%. The national average is 15% to 20%.
Benefits of L-Dex:
- Noninvasive, minutes-long process
- Earlier detection and therefore earlier treatment
- Easier monitoring of fluid change for people who already have lymphedema
Advanced treatment options
We offer the most advanced options for treatment for breast cancer, and we’ll coordinate your care so you receive a personalized treatment plan that fits your needs.
Breast cancer surgery
Our breast surgeons perform the very latest procedures for breast cancer surgery. Breast conservation surgery, or lumpectomy, removes just the cancerous tissue along with a thin margin of healthy tissue surrounding the lump.
When mastectomy (removal of all breast tissue) is recommended, we use techniques that save the nipple and as much skin as possible to allow for breast reconstruction.
Either type of surgery may include sentinel lymph node biopsy. Using a dye or radioactive material, we identify the lymph node closest to the cancerous tissue and take a sample. The lymph tissue is evaluated to see if cancer has spread to it.
Breast cancer medications
Breast cancer medications are often used to treat types of breast cancer that have tested positive for estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors or HER2 proteins. Our experts will decide which of these hormonal therapies and medications would be best for your cancer.
Many kinds of monoclonal antibodies are used as targeted therapy. These drugs go directly to specific parts of the cancer cell and help stop those cells from growing.
Another option is the use of antibody-drug conjugates, where a monoclonal antibody is linked to a chemo medication. These breast cancer medications go directly to the cancer cell and bring the chemo to the right place to do its work.
Using advanced testing, our experts can determine what kind of chemotherapy for breast cancer might be most beneficial for you. Our oncologists are involved in the latest trials and advancements, including the use of chemotherapy for breast cancer before surgery.
Radiation therapy for breast cancer
Radiation therapy for breast cancer uses X-rays, protons or other particles to kill breast cancer cells. It’s combined with surgery and other treatments. There are two main kinds of radiation therapy.
External beam radiation treatment
External beam radiation uses a machine outside the body to deliver radiation. When it’s applied to the whole breast, it’s called whole breast radiation. After a mastectomy, chest wall radiation may be applied to the chest wall, the mastectomy scar and the areas of any surgical drains.
Side effects of external beam radiation treatment
Breast cancer radiation side effects are different depending on what kind of radiation is used. When external radiation is used, the main side effects include:
- Skin rashes, redness and irritation
- Swelling in the breast
- Fatigue
Most of these breast cancer radiation side effects go away over time. Other breast cancer radiation side effects may happen later:
- Breast may become smaller and the skin may become firmer or swollen
- Breast reconstruction options may be limited
- Breastfeeding may not be possible from the affected breast
- Damage to nerves toin the arm leading to numbness, pain and weakness in the shoulder, arm and hand
- Pain and swelling in the arm or chest from lymphedema
Internal radiation treatment
Internal radiation (brachytherapy) is applied directly to the area where the cancer has been removed (tumor bed) using a device that contains radioactive seeds or pellets. Radioactive material is left in place for a short time and then removed.
Intraoperative radiation treatment (IORT)
We have access to the latest in brachytherapy, intraoperative radiation treatment, which delivers targeted breast cancer radiation therapy in a single dose immediately after a lumpectomy. It can destroy any cancer cells that remain after the surgery while sparing healthy breast tissue.
How it works: After the lump is removed and before the incision is closed, an oncologist applies low energy radiation to the tumor bed. After 20-30 minutes of radiotherapy, the radiation source is removed and the surgeon closes the incision.
Benefits of IORT:
- Fewer skin reactions to radiation such as rashes, redness and irritation
- Shorter treatment time for radiation for breast cancer
- Offers an effective alternative for some people diagnosed with earlier-stage breast cancer
Side effects of internal radiation treatment
Side effects of internal radiation treatment may include:
- Redness or bruising at the treatment site
- Breast pain
- Infection
- Damage to fatty tissue in the breast
- Seroma (fluid collecting in the breast)
Care for the whole you
Our holistic approach ensures you get the quality care and support you need throughout your journey. We offer everything from immediate reconstruction, wig fittings and yoga classes to vital information through genetic testing and cardio-oncology care.
- Nurse navigators: Our nurse navigators work with you during your journey, ensuring a smooth transition through each stage. Contact our nurse navigators.
- Total team care: Along with surgeons, oncologists, nurse navigators and physical therapists, your comprehensive care plan includes access to case managers, social workers, dietitians and clinical psychologists, among other leading experts.
- Genetic testing: Our genetic counselors can assess family history and determine which genetic tests are most appropriate to assist in cancer treatment and prevention.
- Survivorship services: Our survivorship services give you access to wig fittings, yoga classes, nutrition counseling and an on-going care plan following your treatment for breast cancer.
- Reconstructive surgery: Our plastic/reconstructive surgeons offer immediate reconstruction with multiple options using implants or even your own tissue in the reconstruction after mastectomy.
- Cardio-oncology care: Treatment with breast cancer medications can lead to heart disease, so our cardio-oncologists work with you to reduce harmful effects during treatment for breast cancer and reduce risks afterward.
- Physical therapy: Our physical therapists use advanced techniques for prevention and management of lymphedema.
Are you at risk for breast cancer?
Knowing your chance of developing breast cancer can help you plan a routine screening schedule. Our breast health quiz estimates your five-year and lifetime risk and gives you an idea of what to do next based on your results.
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