Breast services

At Providence, we provide world-class treatment for breast cancer and other breast conditions to help women achieve their optimal breast health.

Or call us at 844-952-1096.

Breast Cancer Program

Breast Cancer Program

Our Approach

From the moment you find a lump or hear the words, “You have breast cancer,” our Providence team works with you to find the best possible treatment plan. And we’re here with you every step of the way.

The Providence Breast Cancer Program can help you whether you have a noncancerous breast condition, a worrisome lump or a breast cancer diagnosis.

When you become a patient at Providence, you become part of a collaborative cancer-care network. Our care often exceeds national measures for patient outcomes. We have award-winning doctors, scientists, researchers and caregivers across 51 hospitals in seven states.

The skills of your local team and the power of this network add up to the best, most compassionate care. If you need to meet with a specialist outside your area, we have telehealth technology to help. Our network and superior care are among the reasons 6,000 newly diagnosed cancer patients choose Providence Cancer Institute of Oregon each year.

Highly Specialized, Advanced Treatment

Our cancer specialists partner with you to develop specialized treatment plans that utilize all our advanced treatments, fit your needs and provide the best outcomes.

A team of experts – medical oncologists, breast surgeons, radiologists and reconstructive surgeons – take a multidisciplinary approach to your treatment, collaborating with one another to care for you.

  • Cardio-oncology program: Our award-winning cardio-oncology program minimizes the cardiovascular side effects of cancer treatments.
  • Immunotherapy program: Our program has world-class immunotherapy capabilities, including adoptive cell therapy, CAR T-cell therapy, TIL therapy and high-dose IL-2.
  • Integrative medicine program: We also offer evidence-based, complementary medicine such as naturopathy, massage therapy and acupuncture through our integrative medicine program.
  • Radiation oncology program: Our comprehensive radiation oncology program – with state-of-the-art external beam and internal radiation therapy treatments – includes the only MRI linear accelerator in the Pacific Northwest, Gamma Knife Esprit, HDR brachytherapy and more.
  • Systemic therapies: Systemic therapies, such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy (anti-estrogen) and immunotherapy can be used together or separately to target breast cancer cells. These drugs may be injected into a vein or taken by mouth to enter the bloodstream and treat the cancer.

The most common symptom of breast cancer is a lump. Monitoring your breasts for lumps, redness or pain can help you find any problems. You should also get a mammogram – an x-ray of the breasts – to help find cancer in its early stages.

Your provider may also recommend additional types of screenings, including an ultrasound or a breast MRI. If you have a breast tumor, your provider may recommend further testing, such as a breast biopsy, to remove and test tissue so that you get a precise diagnosis and treatment as needed.

Beginning at age 40, Providence encourages every woman to talk to their doctor about breast cancer screening and regular mammograms.Women at higher-than-average risk for breast cancer may want to have these conversations with their doctor before the age of 40.

Our breast care clinics can help if you have any breast cancer symptoms or risk factors:

  • Hereditary gene mutation, such as BRCA1 or BRCA2
  • High risk of breast cancer due to family history
  • Pain, swelling, redness, nipple discharge or a rash

We’ll work with you to develop a personalized care plan and decide on the best breast imaging for you. If necessary, we can refer you to Providence Cancer Institute for genetic counseling and other specialty care.

If you’ve been told you need to see a breast surgeon for a noncancerous (benign) breast condition or breast cancer, we’re here to help. We have a team of breast surgeons, surgical oncologists, dedicated nurses and physician assistants that make your treatment and recovery a priority.

Our breast surgeons work closely with reconstructive surgeons to ensure the best possible results. We’ll educate you on your diagnosis, provide clear treatment options and advocate for you during treatment and recovery.

Our state-of-the-art, minimally invasive surgical options include robotic-assisted surgery and the use of advanced surgical oncology research through biomedical engineering technology.

With three locations in Portland, Newberg and Oregon City, our breast surgeons can also provide your care closer to home.

We offer genetic counseling and testing for cancer risk assessment, prevention, early detection and treatment planning.

Additionally, complete genomic sequencing is available to help determine the unique genetic composition of your cancer and which treatments would be most effective.

Through our pioneering research, we have helped make cancer immunotherapy a new standard of care. Our globally renowned team of physician researchers and scientists at Earle A. Chiles Research Institute offers hope to patients and families through a robust clinical trials portfolio of early phase studies. This portfolio was developed by our researchers and cooperative group studies sponsored by the National Cancer Institute.

Breast cancer rehab aims to maximize mobility and prevent or manage lymphedema, depression, pain and fatigue. This helps address side effects and symptoms while you recover energy, well-being and quality of life quickly and completely.

Our multidisciplinary team of oncology rehabilitation experts includes:

  • Dietitians
  • Massage therapists
  • Naturopathic physicians
  • Occupational therapists
  • Palliative care experts
  • Physical therapists
  • Social workers

You may experience changes in your sexual health due to cancer treatment.

The Sexual Health Clinic is here to support you and provide treatment options to address your concerns.

Transitions: An Appearance Center is exclusively designed to assist with:

  • Comfortable bras for your mastectomy, lumpectomy and reconstruction needs
  • Breast forms, or prosthesis, for daily use and swimwear
  • Head coverings, carefully selected for chemotherapy-related hair loss
  • Lymphedema garments

There are two centers located at Providence Portland Medical Center and Providence St. Vincent Medical Center.

Conditions and Cancers We Treat

We focus on treating different types of breast cancer and related conditions. At Providence, our team of experts will help you understand your diagnosis and how to approach treatment.

Breast cancer is cancer that starts in the breast, usually as a tumor or lump. Like a lot of cancers, breast cancer grows by simple cell division. It begins with one damaged or mutated cell, which divides to become two cells, and so on.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women. Although, it mostly affects women, men can get breast cancer too.

Other conditions and types of breast cancer we treat include:

  • Breast lump: Not all lumps in the breast are cancerous – many are benign, or noncancerous – but these spots feel swollen or different from other breast tissue. A breast lump may result from an infection, cyst or other condition.
  • Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS): About 20% of diagnosed breast cancers are DCIS, a non-invasive breast cancer. DCIS has a low risk of becoming invasive because cancer cells are present in the breast ducts but haven’t invaded the surrounding breast tissue.
  • Inflammatory breast cancer: This is a less common form of breast cancer where cancer cells block the skin’s lymph vessels, causing the breast to appear swollen, red and thick.
  • Invasive ductal carcinoma: The most common type of breast cancer, it starts in the milk ducts and spreads to nearby tissues.
  • Invasive lobular carcinoma: The second most common type of breast cancer, it starts in the lobules, or milk glands, and spreads to other parts of the breast.
  • Metastatic breast cancer: This occurs when cancer spreads from the breast to other parts of the body – excluding nearby armpit lymph nodes – like the bones, lungs, liver or brain. Symptoms differ based on where the cancer has spread.

Supporting Our Patients

Our Oncology Resource Specialists provide free, personalized assistance to patients, families and care partners. In addition to our expert cancer care, we have many support services, including:

  • Financial and transportation resources
  • Oncology nutrition
  • Palliative care
  • Wellness classes
Elderly woman staring out window

Know Your Risk

Your primary care doctor can help you understand your risk factors. You can also get help from genetic specialists at the Franz Genetic Risk Clinic at the Providence Cancer Institute. They can help to assess your individual cancer risk in detail or define strategies for reducing your risk.

Ways to lower your risk for breast cancer: Eat fruits, veggies and whole grains, exercise 30 minutes per day, get regular mammograms*, limit alcohol, maintain a healthy weight.

As you get older, your risk goes up. Providence encourages every woman to talk to her doctor, beginning at age 40, about when to start breast cancer screening through regular mammograms.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for Hispanic women. It’s also more common in African American women under age 45.

Family: Your risk almost doubles if you have a mother, sister or daughter with breast cancer, but it also depends on their age when they were diagnosed.

Being a woman is the No. 1 risk factor, but men can get breast cancer too.

Inherited genetic mutations in certain genes cause 5-10% of breast cancers. Genetic testing for breast cancer – know your risk.

Obesity and drinking alcohol regularly can increase your risk. Recent studies have found that drinking one glass of beer, wine or liquor per day could increase a woman’s lifetime risk anywhere from 7% to 11%.

* Getting a mammogram is the best way to find early signs of breast cancer. The goal of a mammogram is to catch the cancer early for a better chance of recovery.

Breast Cancer Treatment and Research

Learn more about Providence Cancer Institute's advances in customized care for breast cancer and immunotherapy research.

Find a Doctor

At Breast Cancer Program, you'll have access to a vast network of dedicated and compassionate providers who offer personalized care by focusing on treatment, prevention and health education.

Awards & Accreditations

We are proud to see our dedication to our cancer patients recognized by some of the most well-respected accreditation and awards programs and institutions in the United States. Several of our Providence locations have achieved the following awards and accreditations:

Related Resources

Breast cancer awareness and local treatment options

At Providence, our goal is to bring world-class cancer care to all the communities we serve. Providence patient Rochelle Roaden shares her story of facing (and beating) breast cancer. Rochelle was able to receive all her cancer care at the Providence Cancer Institute in Yamhill County. She calls on women to be aware of their bodies and advocate for their care.

More patients eligible for MRI-guided radiation therapy

In the spring of 2020, the Robert W. Franz Cancer Center, a part of the Providence Cancer Institute, was the first facility in the Pacific Northwest to offer MRI guided radiation therapy (MR-Linac) technology for cancer radiation. It’s the biggest advancement in radiation oncology in 20 years. It helps provide stronger, shorter, more effective treatment with possibly fewer side effects.

Living well beyond cancer

The Living Well cancer resources provide information, support and hope. Learn from both healthcare experts and patients who share their stories and experiences with cancer.

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THE POWER OF OUR NETWORK

Part of Providence Cancer Institute of Oregon

Providence Cancer Institute is a leading provider of cancer care in Oregon, and part of the largest community-based cancer-care network in the United States. Regardless of where you go for care, you have an entire team of cancer experts working together to provide a personalized, whole-person approach to your care. At Providence we see more than a cancer diagnosis, we see the life in you and are committed to helping you live well again.

Mother and daughter outdoors piggy back ride