Oncologic sugery

Treatment of breast tumors

Description of treatment
Facts and myths
Postoperative care

Description of treatment

Breast lumps are usually mild changes in the breast, but some of them are cancers. In our clinic we remove nodules diagnosed as benign nodules, such as cysts, fibroids, fibroadenomas, mastopathic changes, or breast lipomas eligible for surgical removal

Any change noticed in the breast necessarily requires a medical diagnosis. 85 % of these changes are nonmalignant, but only an experienced physician and performed diagnostics can 100% rule out breast cancer. Not all benign changes are eligible for surgical removal - some need only to be observed.

Therefore, before each treatment we conduct a thorough diagnosis including medical examination, ultrasound examination or mammography, and - if necessary - a biopsy. If the change is mild and is eligible for surgical removal, we conduct surgery in intravenous or local anesthesia. Our priority is to provide patients with the safest treatment possible, therefore when the change requires accurate diagnosis (e.g., mammography of the preparation immediately after excision), the patient is directed to the Great Poland Cancer Centre.

The details of the surgery and the treatment are discussed by the doctor with each patient during preoperative consultation. The doctor informs about the type of surgery, the way it is carried out and the preoperative recommendations.

Facts

Contraceptive pills influence the development of breast cancer.

In some cases, contraceptive pill can affect the formation of functional disorders of the breast, or mastitis (degenerative changes in the parenchyma of breasts). Mastopathic changes, however, may lead to tumor formation. Therefore, your doctor, before prescribing contraceptive pills should examine the breasts and carry out an interview about thorough medical history.

Myths

You should remove all breast lumps.

Some nodules (e.g. cysts) require only hormonal therapy, as a result of which they may disappear (ascend). In this case the surgical removal of a nodule may cause creation of adhesions and subsequent cysts. All changes in the breasts should be clearly monitored and diagnosed.

Each case of breast cancer requires the removal of the whole breast.

Breast cancer does not always have to mean the loss of a breast. It all depends on the type of tumor and the degree of its advancement.