These include chemotherapy and hormone therapy.
In most cases, a surgeon refers you to a medical oncologist after breast cancer surgery. In some cases, you may be referred to a medical oncologist before surgery to evaluate your options for treatment with medications.
Your medical oncologist works closely with other cancer experts, such as pathologists, radiologists, surgeons and radiation oncologists, to review all important information and to develop the best treatment plan for each patient.
You will receive medical oncology treatments at the Cancer Care Clinic.
What to expect.
During a medical oncology clinic visit, your medical oncologist reviews important medical information, such as:
- Your personal and medical history
- Family history
- Pathology reports
- Results concerning the stage of the your cancer
- The hormone-receptor type
Your medical oncologist will explain how systemic therapies can be used to treat your cancer and how to manage any side effects and risks. Your medical oncologist may also discuss whether you are eligible to participate in clinical trials. These are research studies that help develop new therapies for breast cancer.
Once your treatment plan is agreed upon, you will receive a treatment schedule and dates for your follow-up appointments.
Breast medical oncology treatments
We use systemic therapies to reduce the risk of the cancer spreading (adjuvant therapy) or to prolong survival when cancer has already spread elsewhere in the body.
The oncology pharmacist will talk to you about your medication, what side effects you can expect and how to manage those side effects. We also give you written information, so you can refer to it later.
The oncology nurse also reviews your medication during treatment. We give you a detailed explanation about the names of the drugs, your treatment schedule and any blood tests you may need. The nurse can also connect you with members of the care team or any additional supports.
Hormone therapy
Hormone therapy is used to change the levels of certain hormones in your body. These changes to hormone levels can help slow down the growth of the tumour.
This treatment is often used to treat hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, which is a kind of cancer that responds to hormone therapy. Post-menopausal patients receive different hormonal therapy drugs than premenopausal patients.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses medication to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells.
Chemotherapy can be used in different ways, depending on the type of cancer you have and how far it has spread. A chemotherapy medication might be given on its own or in combination with other medications. This is called combination chemotherapy.
What to bring
- Health (OHIP) card or valid health-care coverage
- A list of your current medications (prescription and non-prescription)
- A list of your current physicians
- A list of questions you want to ask
If you have already had a mammogram and/or ultrasound outside of Mount Sinai Hospital, bring the results of these tests with you on a CD. You will need to contact the facility where you had these tests done in order to request a CD. (This can take few days, so leave enough time before your appointment to obtain it.). If you have not already had these tests, we may arrange for you to have them done.
How to access our services
You need a referral from a health-care provider to be seen at the Marvelle Koffler Breast Centre. Visit our referral criteria for more information.
