Advanced Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer
At Minneapolis Radiation Oncology, we bring advanced radiation therapy close to home, with 11 locations across the Twin Cities, Brainerd Lakes Area, and Western Wisconsin. Count on the cancer specialists at MRO to be here for you, with care, precision, and compassion.
What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer develops when old, damaged, or abnormal cells survive, and new abnormal cells form in an uncontrolled way. These new cells continue to mutate, divide, and form tumors. There are many types of breast cancer; each has different symptoms, risk factors, and treatment plans.
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women (after skin cancer) affecting about one in eight women, but it can occur in men, too. Breast cancer accounts for over 30% of cancers diagnosed among women. There are about 3,900 new cases each year in Minnesota, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. Even though breast cancer is a daunting diagnosis, relative survival rates are high, according to the American Cancer Society: 91% at five years, and 84% after ten years.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women (not counting skin cancer). The American Cancer Society estimates there will be approximately 270,000 new cases diagnosed each year, mostly in women (but it can also develop in men).
There are generally two types of breast cancer: invasive and noninvasive.
- Invasive (infiltrating) breast cancer
Cancerous cells grow within the breast and can spread to other parts of the body through the bloodstream and lymph nodes. Nearly 80 percent of invasive breast cancer is invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), which begins in the milk ducts and spreads to the surrounding fatty tissue. - Noninvasive (in situ) breast cancer:
When the cancer cells remain within the ductal tissue of the breast, without spreading to surrounding breast tissue, or elsewhere in the body, it’s called noninvasive breast cancer. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is the most common type.
With early detection the prognosis is good for breast cancer patients.
“Often the first question is: What is radiation? To most people, it’s an unfamiliar branch of medicine. I find it really rewarding to describe to patients the reason focused radiation is a successful tool used to kill off cancer cells allowing the body to heal.”
Daniel Wattson, MD
MRO | Fairview Southdale
