Main | Treatment Types | What to Expect
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States and is often managed with multiple modalities of treatment, including surgery, radiation and systemic therapy.
Radiation therapy after surgery reduces the risk of the tumor recurring and maximizes the chance of cure. Treatments can range from 1 week to 7 weeks in duration, and can treat a portion of the breast or the entire breast and lymph nodes, depending on each patient’s unique situation.
If you have just been diagnosed with breast cancer, you and your treatment team–which usually consists of your surgeon, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist and possibly a plastic surgeon–will put together a treatment plan specific to your situation. Your treatment plan will be made up of one or more types of treatments that are intended to eradicate the local disease in the breast, and reduce the risk of the disease spreading elsewhere in your body.
ROA physicians offer the most experience, the broadest array of options, and the most individualized approach to breast cancer treatment in Northern Virginia. Our radiation oncologists have treated thousands of women with breast cancer, and we emphasize the “team” approach to care, working closely with breast surgeons, medical oncologists, and other providers to optimize care. We attend weekly breast cancer conferences with these colleagues to provide the most comprehensive and high quality care possible.