Treatment Options

At Sturdy Memorial Hospital, we know that each patient's care plan varies depending on need. That is why we offer a wide range of breast cancer therapies to offer the best possible outcomes for all our patients.

Surgical

Breast conservation surgery with lumpectomy & sentinel node biopsy

Mastectomy if necessary, mastectomy with immediate reconstruction

Partial breast irradiation with implantable intra-operative radiotherapy

Intra-operative ultrasound, biopsy & excision

Medical

The medical treatment of breast cancer includes chemotherapy and hormone therapy prescribed by a medical oncologist. At Sturdy Memorial Hospital, inpatient and outpatient chemotherapy is provided within the hospital by nurses with specific chemotherapy experience and certification. All of the standard types of chemotherapy are available, including the newer biologic and targeted therapies. Additional state of the art treatments and drug combinations are available through our clinical trials program. Call 508-236-7010 or 508-236-7012 for more information.

Radiation Therapy

Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI)

Available at Shields Radiation Oncology Center Mansfield
APBI is an innovative technique for delivering radiation therapy to patients with breast cancer. After standard breast conserving surgery, APBI is an option for selected patients with early stage breast cancer. Instead of treating the whole breast with external beam radiation therapy, APBI directs radiation therapy only to the tumor bed, most often using intracavitary brachytherapy, thus reducing the dose of radiation to surrounding areas. APBI allows patients to complete a full course of radiation therapy within one week, as opposed to the seven weeks required for conventional external beam radiation therapy techniques.

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)

IMRT is a cancer treatment whereby the radiation beam is carefully sculpted around a patient's anatomy to lessen the amount of radiation delivered to adjacent organs and structures. By using IMRT for patients with left-sided breast cancer, for example, we are able to treat the cancer while significantly diminishing the dose of radiation to the patient's heart and lungs to reduce the risk of long-term side effects.