Breast Cancer Program at Providence Cancer Institute of Orange County
When you’re a Providence patient, you can count on us to guide you through all the questions you have after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis.
We know that the best outcomes happen when expertise is combined with compassion, empathy and comprehensive support services for you and your loved ones. From diagnosis through treatment, and into survivorship, our three nationally accredited cancer programs, fellowship-trained oncologists and board-certified surgeons empower you during every step of your cancer journey.
Breast Cancer Program at Providence Cancer Institute of Orange County
When you’re a Providence patient, you can count on us to guide you through all the questions you have after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis.
We know that the best outcomes happen when expertise is combined with compassion, empathy and comprehensive support services for you and your loved ones. From diagnosis through treatment, and into survivorship, our three nationally accredited cancer programs, fellowship-trained oncologists and board-certified surgeons empower you during every step of your cancer journey.
Breast Cancer Conditions We Treat
We provide comprehensive care for breast cancer and related conditions, including early-stage, invasive and high-risk cases:
- Benign breast disease
- Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
- High-risk conditions
- Invasive breast cancer
- Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS)
- Male breast cancer
- Metastatic breast cancer
Meet Our Expert Cancer Team
At the Providence Orange County Cancer Institute, our multi-disciplinary team is committed to providing expert care to every patient. We work together to deliver a personalized approach to prevention and treatment, supporting you at every stage. With our collaborative expertise, you receive dedicated guidance and compassionate support throughout your journey.
Testing & Diagnostics
Our breast cancer specialists use advanced testing and diagnostic tools to accurately identify the type, stage and unique characteristics of your breast cancer.
Your care team could use several different tools and procedures to help determine your treatment plan, including:
A breast MRI uses non-radioactive contrast dye and a powerful magnetic field to produce high-resolution images of breast tissue. It helps evaluate abnormalities, such as lumps or other changes in breast tissue, that were found through a physical exam or a mammogram.
A breast ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to produce detailed images of the inside of the breast. It’s non-invasive, radiation-free and provides real-time imaging to help accurately diagnose abnormalities found through a physical exam or a mammogram, such as lumps or other changes in breast tissue.
Genetic tests, also known as genetic screenings, DNA tests or chromosomal tests, can help determine your risk of developing certain cancers, especially if you have a family history of cancer. We offer treatment, management and prevention plans that are personalized to your unique genetic profile.
HER2/neu is a protein that can make some cancer cells grow faster. In some cancers, especially breast cancer, high levels of HER2/neu mean that the disease could be more aggressive and more likely to come back after treatment. Testing for HER2/neu helps us guide you towards the most effective treatment decisions.
In this test, we check for the presence of estrogen and progesterone receptors on the surface of breast cancer cells. If the receptors are present, your cancer is likely to respond to hormonal therapies, which block the cancer from using these hormones to grow. This crucial information can help tailor your treatment plans.
Mammograms are one of the most important tools doctors have in breast cancer prevention and early detection. Our services also include 3D mammography, which is similar to getting a standard 2D mammogram, except that the X-ray takes more images and combines them to create a clearer, three-dimensional view of the breast.
Services and Treatments for Breast Cancer
Your treatment always depends on your specific diagnosis, but you'll make shared treatment decisions alongside your loved ones. Together, we’ll build an individualized care plan, using advanced therapies and innovative technology to treat your cancer.
We offer many different therapies across our Providence locations. Your treatment plan at Providence Cancer Institute of Orange County will likely include a combination of the ones listed below.
Medical oncology uses systemic therapies that travel through the bloodstream to treat cancer that has spread to other areas of the body or has a high risk of spreading. Sophisticated genetic analysis allows some of these therapies to target specific DNA mutations that cause cancer cells to develop and grow.
Adjuvant chemotherapy is treatment given after your main therapy, often surgery, to help destroy any cancer cells that may still be in the body. The goal is to lower the chance of cancer recurrence.
Endocrine therapy is used to treat cancers that grow in response to hormones, like some breast or prostate cancers. It works by lowering hormone levels or blocking how hormones affect cancer cells. This can help slow the cancer’s growth or keep it from coming back. It’s often taken as a daily pill and can be part of long-term treatment with fewer side effects than chemotherapy for many patients.
HER2-targeted therapy is used to treat cancers that test positive for HER2, a protein that can cause cancer cells to grow more quickly. These treatments attach to HER2 and block growth signals or deliver cancer-fighting drugs directly. They’re often used for certain breast and stomach cancers and can be more effective and precise than traditional chemotherapy, helping the treatment work better for some patients with fewer side effects.
Immunotherapy boosts or restores the body’s natural defenses. Cellular therapies, stem cell transplants and biologic therapies use your own cells to fight disease and support recovery.
You receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy before your main treatment to help improve outcomes. Starting treatment earlier can sometimes shrink a tumor, make surgery less complex or lower the risk of cancer spreading. For some patients, it may also help reduce long-term side effects or lower the risk of complications, especially if lymph nodes are involved.
Surgical therapies involve an operation or procedure to remove cancer from the body. Surgery may be the main treatment for some invasive cancers, but it’s only one part of the entire treatment plan.
These techniques prevent the accumulation of lymphatic fluid that leads to swelling, known as lymphedema. They’re less invasive and help ensure that only necessary lymph nodes are removed. Reverse lymphatic mapping helps identify which lymph nodes can be preserved, while lymphovenous bypass surgery helps reestablish lymphatic drainage.
Aesthetic flat closure is a type of mastectomy where breast tissue is removed, and the chest is closed to create a smooth, flat appearance. This option is for patients who choose not to have breast reconstruction.
Axillary lymph node dissection involves the surgical removal of groups of lymph nodes under the armpit. Once removed, they are examined to determine whether cancer is present.
A part of reconstructive surgery, breast reinnervation allows surgeons to restore sensation and function to the breast after a mastectomy by reconnecting a nerve in the stomach/abdomen to a nerve in the chest.
Excisional breast biopsy uses different tools or instruments to perform targeted localization techniques that help the surgeon identify the exact location of a growth or abnormality before they remove it entirely. Then, the tissue is tested for the presence of cancer cells.
An excisional breast biopsy removes a small area of tissue for closer examination. When the area can’t be felt during a physical exam, targeted localization techniques – such as placing a small wire or marker with imaging guidance – help the surgeon precisely identify and remove the correct tissue. This approach improves accuracy and helps guide your diagnosis and treatment plan.
An autologous flap procedure uses a patient’s own skin, fat and/or muscle. During latissimus flap breast reconstruction, the latissimus dorsi muscle, along with skin and fat from the upper back, is used to recreate a breast so that the shape, contour and feel is more natural than an implant.
Lumpectomy, also known as partial mastectomy, is a procedure in which only cancerous tissue is removed from the breast. Since this option allows you to keep most of your breast tissue, you could have a better cosmetic outcome and a faster recovery time.
Mastectomy with immediate reconstruction is a surgical option that involves removing and reconstructing the breast during the same procedure. Surgeons may use an implant or tissue from another area of the body to perform the reconstruction.
Nipple-sparing mastectomy removes breast tissue but leaves the nipple, areola and surrounding skin intact. This can result in more natural-looking breasts and improved outcomes from breast reconstruction.
Oncoplastic lumpectomy involves removing a breast tumor and moving tissue to make the result look as natural as possible. This approach could decrease the need for reconstructive surgery.
A risk-reducing mastectomy is performed to prevent the development of breast cancer in patients with a higher-than-average risk of the disease. In some cases, the nipple and areola can be retained for breast reconstruction. Hopefully, this lowers the risk of cancer and reduces the need for future intervention or treatments.
Sentinel lymph node mapping and biopsy is a minimally invasive procedure that uses tracer material to map, identify and remove the first lymph nodes where cancer cells are most likely to spread from the primary tumor.
An autologous flap procedure uses a patient’s own skin, fat and/or muscle. During TRAM flap breast reconstruction, fat is removed from the abdomen and placed in the reconstructed breast so that the shape, contour and feel is more natural than an implant.
Radiation is effective in killing cancer cells and shrinking tumors. It can be used alone or in combination with other cancer treatments.
Adaptive radiotherapy adjusts your treatment plan in real-time by responding to changes in your tumor – such as size, shape or position – while protecting your healthy tissue.
CyberKnife is one of the most advanced radiation therapies available – a form of stereotactic radiosurgery. It delivers high-dose radiation with pinpoint accuracy, concentrating treatment on the tumor while sparing healthy surrounding tissue. Many treatments are completed in just one session. It’s usually an outpatient procedure, so you can return home the same day — with fewer side effects and no incisions.
Hypofractionated whole breast radiation therapy delivers larger doses of radiation to the whole breast over a shorter treatment period.
IMRT and VMAT are advanced types of radiation therapies:
- IMRT uses advanced technology to manipulate the radiation beams to conform to the shape of a tumor.
- VMAT is a subtype of IMRT in which the machine actively delivers radiation beams while moving in an arc around the patient.
The arc-based therapy provided via VMAT delivers high doses of radiation to more focused areas, reducing side effects, toxicity and harm to vital organs and the overall treatment time.
Learn more about intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
During IORT, radiation is delivered directly to tissues during surgery. It’s typically used when the cancer is difficult to remove and microscopic disease might remain. Because this radiation treatment is delivered surgically, healthy organs or tissue can sometimes be moved out of the way or shielded from the radiation to minimize toxicity.
Both SABR and SBRT deliver high-dose radiation to a specific area with very precise targeting through special immobilization and imaging techniques. These therapies can include stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) systems like CyberKnife, which delivers precisely targeted radiation using a robotic delivery system with sub-millimeter accuracy. SABR and SBRT are often outpatient procedures, so you could go home the same day.
SGRT/SIGRT uses real-time beam guidance and surface-recognition technology to target tumors, reducing side effects and harm to vital organs. This therapy can be used in conjunction with IMRT and VMAT to help guide your positioning during treatment and account for any involuntary movement, making it less invasive and potentially more comfortable for you.
3DCRT uses 3D planning and CT imaging to better target tumors and cancerous areas and improve the outcome of radiation treatment. It also limits the damage to healthy tissue, potentially decreasing risks like infection and minimizing side effects.
Learn more about three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT)
Additional therapies may also be part of the treatment plan for a small number of patients.
Interventional radiology is a minimally invasive procedure guided by radiologic imaging. It may be used to implant a port, or vascular access device, to obtain diagnostic material, remove fluid from the chest or abdomen or deliver treatment locally.
Lymphedema therapy addresses the buildup of lymph fluid that can be caused by cancer or cancer treatment.
To improve lymphatic drainage, your care team might use a combination of treatments, including specialized massage, compression therapy – the wrapping of an extremity to apply consistent pressure to the affected area – or the use of mechanical pumps to help fluid circulate.
Patient Resources & Support
Get a second opinion from our world-class cancer experts, so that you can make important decisions about your treatment plan and move forward with confidence. Our web page will walk you through the next steps and let you know how to prepare for your appointment.
Are you looking for a clinical trial, either for yourself or a patient? Currently, Providence Cancer Institute of Orange County is involved in over 100 ongoing clinical trials.
We offer comprehensive support services – including oncology nurse navigators, transportation services and financial counseling – to help you and your loved ones throughout your cancer journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. Even if you’ve been given an initial recommendation for treatment, getting a second opinion about your diagnosis is a reasonable option – and we're here to help.
Yes, we encourage your family members and loved ones to be involved in your care and know as much about your treatment plan as possible.
To help you and your care team focus during appointments, we just ask that only one family member or loved one accompany you at a time. We have additional support services available for them as well.
Many people assume that if you’re joining a clinical trial, other treatment options have failed, but that’s not always the case. Your care team may know of clinical trials that offer promising, innovative therapy options that are best suited to treat your cancer type. Your participation in a clinical trial also offers a way to help others by advancing cancer research. If you’re curious, you don’t need to wait. Ask your care team as many questions as you need to, as soon as you’d like.
We’re proud to offer a variety of clinical trials with the most advanced types of therapies – right here in Orange County.
Our Providence Transfer Center makes it easy to get care where you need it. Available 24/7, it’s a single point of contact for incoming transfers from any of our facilities.
All it takes to get started is one phone call from your physician. Because we’re a community of care within the Providence network, this single call takes care of all transfer arrangements and logistics.
The Providence Cancer Institute of Orange County is made up of three nationally accredited programs:
- Leonard Cancer Institute at Providence Mission Hospital Mission Viejo
- Center for Cancer Prevention and Treatment at Providence St. Joseph Hospital, Orange
- Crosson Cancer Institute at Providence St. Jude Medical Center, Fullerton
With locations throughout Orange County, you will always have access to leading-edge care close to home.
Yes, our support services at Providence Cancer Institute of Orange County include financial navigation to help ease your way through financial concerns and barriers.
Our staff can help you:
- Evaluate insurance health plans to ensure the right choices are made for your care
- Leverage available programs and services, such as co-pay assistance and patient assistance programs to help reduce financial barriers
- Optimize external assistance programs, such as patient financial support programs
Your oncology nurse navigator can refer you to a social worker, who can connect you with financial support as needed.
An oncology nurse navigator is a nurse or registered clinician who personally guides you from diagnosis through survivorship. They are your advocate, here to provide support and reassurance tailored to your needs – whether that's occasional conversations or daily check-ins.
Your navigator can coordinate your appointments, speak directly with your primary care physician, provide support to lower your stress, talk to your loved ones and help you access all the resources that you need.