Breast cancer treatment -- including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, endocrine and targeted/biologic therapies -- is personalized for the individual patient. The course of treatment is based upon how advanced the disease is, the location of the tumor (or tumors), the aggressiveness with which the surgeon and patient want to treat the cancer and the family history of the patient.
There are general guidelines for surgical treatment of breast cancer based upon the stage, or severity, of the disease. The guidelines are not absolute, in consultation with an oncologist and reconstructive plastic surgeon a treatment plan that is geared toward the needs of the patient will be decided upon and altered as needed as treatment continues.
