Clinical Specialties - Cancer
Breast Cancer
A breast cancer diagnosis can be very stressful. Learning as much as you can about the disease can help you feel better prepared and can make it easier to speak to your doctor and feel confident asking questions about your condition, treatment options and care.
Research and technology advances over the past two decades have also changed the landscape of breast cancer care. Genetic testing, targeted treatments and more precise new surgical techniques have helped boost survival rates and quality of life.
Sydney Adventist Hospital has a well established multidisciplinary team of breast cancer doctors, nurses and health professionals who work together to treat you. Our Integrated Cancer Centre offers patients with breast cancer the best and most current treatments available to give you the best outcome. We have a comprehensive range of screening, diagnostic, medical and surgical options, rehabilitation and support services to provide the best patient experience.
Our staff are experts in their own field and work together as a team. There are regular breast cancer multidisciplinary meetings where all breast cancer cases are managed, and excellent support from our patient navigators who are involved with all breast cancer patients. Many of the clinicians are heavily involved in breast cancer research and appropriate patients may be invited to participate in clinical trials through the Clinical Trials Unit.
If you are undergoing breast surgery, you may like to read our Breast Surgery Booklet which comprehensively outlines important information you need to know when having breast cancer treatment at the San.
- About Breast Cancer
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According to the Cancer Council of Australia, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in Australia and the second most common cancer to cause death in women, after lung cancer. Whilst breast cancer occurs mainly in women, males can get breast cancer as well, although it is unlikely. Click here to learn more about male breast cancer.
In Australia, the overall five year survival rate for breast cancer in females is 90% and even higher if the cancer is limited to the breast. In 2014, 16,614 women and 140 men were diagnosed with breast cancer in Australia*. (*Cancer Council statistics)
If you want to know more about breast cancer, you can refer to the resources and useful links section or visit our newsroom for interviews and videos.
- What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
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Many breast cancers are discovered through routine breast screening exams such as mammograms, even when a woman has no other signs of disease. However, on your own, you may notice symptoms that could be suspicious. See your doctor right away if you have any of these conditions:
- A lump or thickness in or near the breast or under the arm
- Unexplained swelling or shrinkage of the breast, particularly on one side only
- Dimpling or puckering of the breast
- Nipple discharge (fluid) other than breast milk that occurs without squeezing the nipple
- Breast skin changes, such as redness, flaking, thickening, or pitting that looks like the skin of an orange
- A nipple that becomes sunken (inverted), red, thick, or scaly
- Who is at risk of getting breast cancer?
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Your risk for breast cancer rises as you get older. About 80 percent of breast cancers are found in women over age 50* — many of whom have no other known risk factors for the disease.
Breast cancer can affect men as well as women but it is about 100 times less common. It also tends to occur later in life, around the ages of 65 to 70. For more information on male breast cancer, click here.
Although you’re two to three times more likely to get breast cancer if you have a strong family history of the disease, only 5 to 10 percent* of breast cancers are inherited, meaning that they are linked to gene mutations passed down in families. Several other risk factors may slightly boost your chances of getting breast cancer. (*According to Cancer Council of Australia statistics)
Based on your family history and whether you may be at higher risk of developing breast cancer, you may need to have more regular diagnostic tests for your own peace of mind.
- Male breast cancer
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Both men and women have breast tissue and therefore men can also be affected breast cancer. A mans chance of surviving breast cancer is similar to that of a woman diagnosed at the same stage of disease.
Male breast cancer is more likely to be cured if it is discovered early. But because many men do not realise that they can develop the disease, they don’t seek medical attention when they first discover a mass or lump in their chest. Therefore, breast cancer is generally diagnosed at later stages in men than in women.
According to Cancer Council of Australia statistics, in 2014 (the most recent incidence data) 140 Australian men were diagnosed with breast cancer. For further information on male breast cancer, visit the Cancer Council site or click here.
- How is breast cancer diagnosed?
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If a clinical breast exam, a mammogram, or another imaging test shows a suspicious change in your breast, the next step is usually a breast biopsy. A biopsy is the only test that can make a definite diagnosis of breast cancer. It involves taking a sample of your breast tissue, which is checked under a microscope for cancer cells by a pathologist (a doctor who is specially trained to diagnose disease).
- What are the stages of breast cancer?
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Following a range of diagnostic tests and a physical exam, your breast cancer will be described as being at a certain stage at the time of diagnosis. Knowing the stage helps determine the way in which your breast cancer will be treated. Breast cancer is typically staged with Roman numerals ranging from 0 (the earliest stage) to IV (the most advanced stage). Cancer stages are based on:
- How invasive or noninvasive the cancer is
- What size the tumour is
- Whether the cancer has spread (metastasized) to the lymph nodes, and if so, to how many of them
- Whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, such as the lungs or liver
- What are my treatment options?
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If you have breast cancer, your doctors will discuss your treatment options with you. To make an informed choice, ask about the pros and cons of each option, potential side effects, and how effective the treatment is likely to be. There are several ways to treat breast cancer, depending on the type and stage, including:
- Surgery to remove the cancer, such as lumpectomy (removal of the tumour and a small rim of tissue around it) or mastectomy (removal of the entire breast)
- Radiation therapy, using high-energy rays (such as x-rays) to destroy cancer cells
- Chemotherapy with drugs that kill breast cancer
- Hormone therapy medications that block oestrogen and other hormones that fuel the growth of some breast cancers
- Targeted therapy drugs that specifically target certain molecules involved in breast cancer development, growth, and spread while sparing normal cells
Modern breast cancer treatment usually involves a combination of these approaches. - Resources and Useful Breast Cancer Links
