Early Diagnosis Expands Breast Cancer Treatment Options

It's likely we all know someone who's had breast cancer. When you get that diagnosis, you're faced with a lot of decisions.

Adrienne Cobb, MD, MS, breast cancer surgeon with Froedtert & MCW health network, explains why finding breast cancer early is so important and talks about the treatment options available from the Froedtert & MCW Cancer Network.

Why is early diagnosis for breast cancer so important?

Early diagnosis is really important because it keeps our patients' treatment options open. When patients find their cancers earlier, we have the opportunity to do less invasive surgery and potentially less treatment overall. We think that it's really important that women start being screened for breast cancer at the age of 40 if they're at an average risk. If they have a family member, like a mother or a sister, who had breast cancer, we suggest that they start earlier.

What is the advantage of seeking treatment from the Froedtert & MCW breast cancer team?

One of the advantages of seeking care from our team is that you're going to have a multi-disciplinary team. Not only are you going to see a surgeon, but you'll see a medical oncologist and a radiation oncologist. We'll all work together to form your treatment plan. Additionally, we have new-patient coordinators that help you navigate the process. They'll make sure you have your imaging complete and that we have your records from previous hospitals. When you show up to the clinic, much of the leg work has been done for you. In addition, our team is always on the cutting edge of new treatments, and we try to make those available for our patients.

What advanced treatment options does your team offer?

Most of the advanced treatment options come in the form of clinical trials that give our patients access to therapies that they may not have had otherwise.