Breast cancer care

Oncologists and care teams at Ascension Saint Thomas Cancer Care deliver compassionate, personalized breast cancer care focused on you.

Breast cancer care in Middle Tennessee

Oncologists and care teams at Ascension Saint Thomas deliver compassionate, personalized breast cancer care

About breast cancer care at Ascension Saint Thomas

At Ascension Saint Thomas in Middle Tennessee, our experienced breast cancer specialists are part of a national team of doctors, sharing best practices and advanced treatment options for breast cancer care — bringing the best of oncology care close to home. When you choose Ascension St. Vincent cancer care, you get a multidisciplinary team of doctors that prioritize early and personalized treatment, including board-certified, fellowship-trained breast surgeons, breast radiologists, medical oncologists and radiation oncologists, along with a care navigator and a dedicated team of oncology nurses, dietitians and cancer specialists.

The Breast Cancer Care Program at Ascension Saint Thomas is recognized by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), delivering advanced diagnostic tests, high-quality treatments and follow-up care. The program is also designated as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology.

When you’re going through breast cancer, we’re by your side

Cancer is personal, and so is the way we care for you. At Ascension Saint Thomas, you’re never alone. You’ll have face-to-face visits with your doctor and an entire care team, dedicated to your care — connecting the dots for you. Your doctor and care navigator will take the time to answer all your questions — big and small. By getting to know you and working together, your care team develops a plan based on your goals and needs. And with a plan, comes hope. Our goal is to help you recover faster so you can get back to your daily life.

A team approach that helps navigate tests and support services

Your care may include imaging, lab tests, pharmacy support, physical therapy or other speciality services. You do not have to navigate your care alone. Upon your cancer diagnosis or when you come to us during your cancer care, you’re paired with a cancer care navigator to help coordinate appointments and connect you with the services you need.

Types of breast cancer

Your doctors and care team at Ascension Saint Thomas deliver a customized care plan for your cancer journey. We treat many types of breast cancer, including:

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS): Noninvasive breast cancer in the milk ducts
Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC): Cancer that has spread into breast tissue beyond the milk ducts
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC): Rare, invasive cancer that blocks the lymph vessels
Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC): Cancer that begins in milk-producing glands
Male breast cancer: Cancer that forms in the breast tissue of men
Metastatic breast cancer: Also known as stage 4 (IV) breast cancer, advanced cancer that has spread to other organs of the body

How we diagnose breast cancer

Cancer specialists who know you and your condition review your treatment and progress. Your care team focuses on identifying whether the tumor is noninvasive or invasive, determining where the tumor began and whether the cancer has spread. We use advanced molecular and genetic testing to help guide treatment planning. To diagnose breast cancer, your doctor may recommend testing, such as:

The latest imaging supports mammogram screening and diagnostic tests for advanced care, including 3D mammograms, breast ultrasound, abbreviated breast MRI, and magnetic seed and needle (wire) localization biopsy.

A new and innovative technique to detect breast cancer recurrence earlier.

If you want to learn more about other cancer care options or would like to participate in one of our ongoing clinical trials, talk to your doctor to see what is available for you.

A molecular diagnostic test to help guide decisions about whether radiation therapy is needed after lumpectomy for ductal carcinoma in situ.

Blood tests can give your doctor a lot of information. They can detect whether certain elements in your blood are in a normal range, and can help confirm or rule out certain conditions.

If you have a higher risk or family history of cancer, your doctor may recommend genetic screening, testing or counseling.

At Ascension Saint Thomas, we offer a comprehensive approach to identifying and monitoring your risk for developing breast cancer. Our high-risk breast cancer surveillance program is designed for women at high-risk for breast cancer. We help you understand your risk factors for developing breast cancer, especially if you have a family history and a breast cancer gene mutation. Our nurse practitioners specialize in high-risk surveillance, with testing available to help you monitor your breasts for signs of breast cancer. We also offer genetic counseling and tests for BRCA1, BRCA2 and other breast cancer genes.

Breast biopsy tests are used to evaluate breast cells and help your doctor confirm your diagnosis and cancer stage.

How we treat breast cancer at Ascension Saint Thomas

Our highly skilled breast surgeons offer leading-edge techniques and personalized care to treat breast cancer. Your treatment options for breast cancer may include medication, therapy or surgery.

Advanced radiation therapy is used to target and destroy cancer cells while preserving the surrounding healthy tissue.

Breast reconstruction is surgery to create a new breast shape in place of a breast that has been removed (mastectomy). It can be done with implants or with tissue from another part of your body. Sometimes both are used to rebuild a breast shape. The breast mound created comes as close as possible to the shape and look of a natural breast.

Surgery may be done to reconstruct either one breast (unilateral) or both breasts (bilateral). The goal of the unilateral reconstruction is to create a breast mound that matches the other breast. If both breasts have been removed, the goal of the surgery is to create both breast mounds about the size of your natural breasts.

This type of surgery, also known as a lumpectomy or partial mastectomy, only removes the tumor in its entirety. The goal of this surgery is to remove the cancer, while saving as much of the healthy breast tissue as possible. Our surgeons can discuss immediate breast reconstruction, including consultation with a plastic surgeon.

Hormones are chemicals made by glands, like the thyroid, pancreas, adrenal glands, ovaries and testicles. Hormones help some types of cancer cells grow. Some cancers that might be sensitive to hormones and be treated with hormone therapy include breast, prostate, thyroid, endometrial, and adrenal cancers. Hormone therapy can make the cancer cells grow more slowly or stop them from growing.

As a cancer treatment, hormone therapy may mean taking medicines that block the activity of the hormone, prevent the body from producing the hormone or alter the hormone. Sometimes hormone therapy involves surgically removing the gland that's making the hormones.

During a mastectomy, your surgeon removes all or part of your breast or breasts to treat breast cancer. There are several types of mastectomy, including total mastectomy and partial mastectomy. Your breast surgeon will discuss your options with you.

Helps restore breast sensation after certain mastectomy procedures.

Specially trained physical therapists deliver therapy to help manage lymphedema symptoms, such as swelling and pain.

Your cancer care team provides support from nutrition education and counseling to breast cancer support groups, exercise, yoga and spiritual care. At Ascension Saint Thomas sites of care in middle Tennessee, our healing gardens and chapels are always open to patients and their loved ones. We offer supportive care and activities for the whole you.

Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that boosts your body’s immune system to help it recognize and attack cancer cells. It uses substances that are either made in the body or in a lab to shrink tumors or slow tumor growth.

Frequently asked questions about our breast cancer care services

At Ascension Saint Thomas, your doctor and care team get to know you well, and you’ll receive care for the whole person — from physical health and well-being to mental and emotional health to support for your family and caregivers. We provide innovative medication treatments, the latest surgical technologies and techniques, high-tech radiation facilities and support services. Our breast surgeons are part of a national team of cancer specialists sharing the latest in cancer care knowledge and research.

Our Nashville breast cancer specialists offer many advanced treatments, including:

Breast-conserving surgery
Breast reconstruction and reshaping
Chemotherapy
Hidden Scar™ breast surgery
Hormone therapy
Immunotherapy and advanced targeted drug therapy
Lymph node transplantation
Minimally invasive breast biopsy with magnetic seed, fine needle, or wire localization
Prophylactic surgery
Radiation treatments (including brachytherapy, external beam, stereotactic radiosurgery, and stereotactic radiation therapy)

Getting regular breast health screenings and health check-ups may help find breast cancer early, when it’s most treatable. We recommend women get a mammogram each year, starting at age 40, or earlier if you have a family history of breast cancer. When you choose women’s health and breast specialists at Ascension Saint Thomas Cancer Care in Nashville, Tennessee, for your care, you are connected to all the care you need – from routine screenings to advanced care.

We can connect you with resources and programs that may be able to help you and your family with options for financial assistance. Our financial counseling team is here to listen to your concerns and work with you to help find options that meet your needs. Your cancer care navigator can connect you to a financial counselor.

At Ascension Saint Thomas cancer center and clinics, we offer convenient parking. Talk to your care team if you have transportation needs.

Surgical oncologists and anesthesiologists provide enhanced recovery pathways as part of your surgical care plan. They are an important part of our cancer treatment programs. Each pathway is personalized for different types of cancer treatment, to help speed up your recovery after surgery. Your care team uses these protocols to help you prepare for what to expect before, during and after surgery.