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A breast cancer diagnosis can be extremely overwhelming. To help you get through this difficult time, we've created video answers to common questions you may have. Learn more about the Breast Cancer Program and breast cancer by clicking on the video below, or click on a question to view the answer provided by Medical College of Wisconsin physicians Zainab Basir, MD; John Charlson, MD; Adam Currey, MD; John Hijjawi, MD; Amanda Kong, MD, MS; Carla Shah, MD; and Paula Termuhlen, MD.
Question and Answer Topics
Important Information About Breast Cancer Screening
About Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer Treatment
Breast Cancer Surgery
Breast Reconstruction
Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer
Chemotherapy, Hormonal Therapy and Targeted Therapy for Breast Cancer
Important Information About Breast Cancer Screening What are the current breast screening guidelines? (Paula Termuhlen, MD)
How effective is mammography screening? (Carla Shah, MD)
How often should a woman be screened for breast cancer? (Carla Shah, MD)
When is breast MRI appropriate? (Carla Shah, MD)
Who should have MRI as part of breast cancer screening? (Carla Shah, MD)
Why is breast imaging experience important? (Carla Shah, MD)
Why does a radiologist’s additional breast imaging training make a difference? (Carla Shah, MD)
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About Breast Cancer How common is breast cancer? (Paula Termuhlen, MD)
Can men get breast cancer? (Paula Termuhlen, MD)
How is breast cancer diagnosed? (Zainab Basir, MD)
Why is it important to have a breast-focused pathologist evaluate tissue samples? (Zainab Basir, MD)
Explain breast cancer staging. (Zainab Basir, MD)
How long after a biopsy will a patient know her results? (Zainab Basir, MD)
What is the difference between ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and other types of breast cancer? (Zainab Basir, MD)
To what areas of the body is breast cancer most likely to spread? (John Charlson, MD)
Once breast cancer has been treated, what are the chances it will recur? (Paula Termuhlen, MD)
How do genetic factors influence risk for breast cancer? (Paula Termuhlen, MD)
Is there a way to screen for genetic risk factors? (Paula Termuhlen, MD)
When a woman has breast cancer, should relatives be screened? When should they start? (Paula Termuhlen, MD)
What are the resources at Froedtert & The Medical College for women who are at high risk for breast cancer? (Paula Termuhlen, MD)
What are clinical trials? (Adam Currey, MD)
Why is it important to choose a team/academic center that is active in breast cancer clinical trials? (Adam Currey, MD)
Why are clinical trials important for women who have breast cancer? (Paula Termuhlen, MD)
What about life after treatment … what survivorship resources are offered at Froedtert & The Medical College? (Adam Currey, MD)
Why should a woman consider a second opinion? (Amanda Kong, MD, MS)
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Breast Cancer Treatment Explain how treatment can be tailored to each woman’s breast cancer. (Amanda Kong, MD, MS)
Why is it important to have a team involving all disciplines working closely together in one center? (Adam Currey, MD)
What is a tumor board, and why is it important for patients? (Amanda Kong, MD, MS)
What important information does the breast pathologist contribute to help the team make treatment decisions? (Zainab Basir, MD)
How are the different types of treatment — surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy — used together? (John Charlson, MD)
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Breast Cancer Surgery What are the surgical treatment options for early stage breast cancer? (Termuhlen)
What are the surgical treatment options for advanced stage breast cancer? (Termuhlen)
What is breast conserving treatment? (Kong)
Is breast conserving treatment as effective as mastectomy in controlling cancer? (Kong)
Why might a woman choose breast conservation over mastectomy? (Kong)
When is mastectomy the more appropriate treatment? (Kong)
What is recovery like after breast cancer surgery? (Kong)
What is lymphedema and how common is it? (Kong)
How is lymphedema managed? (Kong)
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Breast Reconstruction Does it matter where and with whom I have breast reconstruction? (Hijjawi)
What is oncoplastic surgery? (Hijjawi)
What surgical options are available for a cosmetically optimal result? (Hijjawi)
What is DIEP flap reconstruction? What is TRAM reconstruction? (Hijjawi)
What are my options for reconstruction if I have a mastectomy? (Hijjawi)
When can I have reconstruction? How will it fit in with other treatment? (Hijjawi)
How does insurance coverage accommodate breast reconstruction? (Hijjawi)
Does reconstruction make it harder to detect recurrence? (Hijjawi)
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Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer Does every patient need radiation? (Currey)
How is it determined who needs radiation? (Currey)
If I get a mastectomy, do I still need radiation? Why? (Currey)
What are the different radiation therapy options? (Currey)
What is the targeted area for radiation treatment? (Currey)
What are the possible side effects from radiation therapy? (Currey)
How are radiation side effects minimized? (Currey)
How long does radiation therapy treatment last? (Currey)
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Chemotherapy, Hormonal Therapy and Targeted Therapy for Breast Cancer What are the best treatment options for metastatic breast cancer? (Charlson)
How does the team decide if a patient would benefit from chemo or hormonal therapy? (Charlson)
What is the difference between chemo and hormonal therapy? (Charlson)
What is targeted therapy? (Charlson)
Who is best suited for each option (chemo or hormonal therapy)? (Charlson)
What are the common side effects from chemo and hormonal therapy? (Charlson)
How are side effects from chemo and hormonal therapy managed? (Charlson)
How long does each type of therapy (chemo, hormonal or targeted) typically last? (Charlson)
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