Breast Cancer Treatment at CHRISTUS Health
Facing breast cancer can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. At CHRISTUS Health, we provide compassionate, comprehensive treatment options — from the most advanced therapies to the everyday care that helps you feel supported at every stage.
Our multidisciplinary care team personalizes each treatment plan based on the type, stage, and biology of your breast cancer — along with your personal preferences, values, and lifestyle. Whether you need surgery, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, radiation, or a combination of treatments, we’re here with expertise and heart.
Personalized Breast Cancer Treatment Plans
Treatment for breast cancer is never one-size-fits-all. Your care plan will consider the following things:
- The stage of your cancer
- Hormone receptor (ER/PR) and HER2 status
- Genomic testing results (when applicable)
- Your overall health, goals and lifestyle
Your care will coordinate across specialties, so your medical oncologist, surgeon, radiation oncologist and support team will work together, all from the same playbook.
Available Treatments for Breast Cancer
Surgical Oncology
Surgical oncology is essential because it is the primary treatment for physically removing the breast cancer, a critical step for nearly everyone diagnosed. Your surgical oncologist will determine if you are a candidate for a lumpectomy, which removes only the tumor and preserves most of your breast, or a mastectomy, which removes the entire breast. Furthermore, surgery is crucial for staging the cancer, as you will undergo lymph node procedures, such as a sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary dissection, to see if the cancer has spread, information vital for planning all your subsequent treatments.
Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy offers a powerful way to target your cancer if tests show it is fueled by hormones (ER/PR positive). This approach is often a crucial step for you if your cancer is hormone-receptor-positive, acting as a long-term defense to significantly lower the chance of the cancer coming back after initial treatments. While you might experience manageable side effects like fatigue or joint stiffness, these discomforts are a trade-off for the therapy's incredible ability to block the cancer's growth, giving you peace of mind and greater confidence in your future. Your oncology team will guide you in choosing the best hormonal medication to support your healing and protect your well-being.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a powerful and often essential treatment you may need if your breast cancer is rapidly growing, very aggressive, or classified as Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). Chemotherapy is a crucial systemic defense for you, working throughout your body to find and destroy any cancer cells that may have traveled beyond the breast, thereby significantly boosting your chances for a cure. While facing temporary side effects like hair loss, fatigue, or a dip in your immune system can be truly challenging, your dedicated CHRISTUS health care team will surround you with support, providing medications and strategies to manage these effects and ensure your comfort throughout this challenging, yet vital, part of your healing journey.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is a crucial step, usually following a lumpectomy, because it uses high-energy beams to precisely destroy any cancer cells that might remain in the breast tissue or lymph nodes after surgery. This local treatment is highly preferential for you if you have undergone breast-conserving surgery or if you have a high risk of local recurrence due to cancer spread to your lymph nodes. While common potential side effects are typically localized and temporary, including skin redness, tenderness, or fatigue, your radiation oncology team will carefully plan your treatment to minimize these effects and protect surrounding healthy tissue. By targeting the microscopic cells left behind, radiation therapy offers you an incredible peace of mind by dramatically lowering the chance of the cancer coming back in the treated area.
Breast Cancer Treatments
Managing Side Effects & Supportive Care
From fatigue and nausea to hair loss or mood changes, our supportive care teams help you manage side effects and maintain your strength throughout treatment. We’ll connect you with nutrition guidance, physical therapy, and survivorship programs to help you recover fully and live well after cancer.
Support Beyond Treatment
In addition to clinical care, we offer a range of services to help you navigate the emotional, physical, and practical challenges of cancer treatment:
- Counseling and mental health support
- Nutrition guidance
- Physical therapy and lymphedema management
- Survivorship care planning
- Access to clinical trials, second opinions, and nurse navigators
Breast Cancer Treatments FAQs
Treatment can last from several weeks to many months, depending on your diagnosis and care plan.
Success depends on the cancer’s stage and type. Many patients benefit from a combination of surgery, radiation, and medication-based therapies.
Not all treatments cause hair loss. Chemotherapy is the most common cause, but other therapies, like hormone or targeted therapy, generally do not.
Why Choose CHRISTUS for Breast Cancer Treatment
You will receive care from a team of breast cancer specialists who truly listen to you.
Your treatment will incorporate leading technology and protocols, while being grounded in a faith-based approach centered on compassion and dignity.
You can access this expert care close to home across Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico.
