Fortunately, most breast changes are not cancerous but benign. Nevertheless, it is important to see your local doctor if you notice a change, be it a lump, nipple discharge, skin dimpling, inflammation or other something else. Your general practitioner will evaluate further and may order diagnostic breast imaging and refer to Joanna for specialist advice.
The understanding and management of invasive breast cancer has improved considerably over the last few years, with earlier detection, screening programs, tailored treatments and much better outcomes. The suspicion and diagnosis of breast cancer can be a confronting and frightening experience. Not only does it affect one as a patient, but family and friends can be similarly challenged. Joanna will explain the condition and give you a better understanding of the decisions that need to be made as the information unfolds.
No breast cancer is the same. Whilst the word “cancer” can be scary and a negative one, some breast cancers are of low risk. There are different tumour biologies and each individual will have their own personal, physical and psychological circumstances to consider.
Joanna is compassionate and has significant experience in the diagnosis and surgical management of breast cancer. The timing and selection of surgery needs careful planning to maximise oncological and cosmetic outcomes. Multidisciplinary care means that Joanna will liase with relevant specialists to ensure best practice, optimal care and management. Increasingly the use of drugs before surgery has enabled the surgical management to be de-escalated because the cancer has shrunk. This pre-treatment can also help understand the biology of the disease and may open doors to using other therapies.
Joanna performs oncoplastic breast surgery. When possible, surgical incisions are carefully positioned to hide the scar, such as around the edge of the areola, or in a skin crease under the breast or in the armpit. In addition, Joanna can often operate on the breast and the armpit lymph nodes through a single incision. Simple oncoplastic techniques include a mastopexy.
With some tumours, larger areas of breast tissue containing disease need to be removed. Mastectomy may be avoided by using volume displacement surgery known as a mammaplasty (some techniques are like a breast reduction). Another technique is to replace the breast volume lost with a local flap of fatty tissue on the edge of the breast. These are all examples of oncoplastic breast conserving surgery and allow for quicker recovery, and reduce the associated psychological and physical impact of a mastectomy.
For those women who do require or desire a mastectomy, breast reconstruction will be considered. Joanna performs nipple and skin sparing mastectomies with breast reconstruction in conjunction with highly trained plastic surgeons. Joanna also performs this surgery in the prophylactic (breast cancer risk reducing) situation.
Joanna investigates and if required, operates on benign breast conditions. Ultrasound is particularly handy to use in the consulting rooms to further examine a lump or lesion. Sometimes, with permission, fine needle biopsies may be performed of complex cysts using ultrasound guidance. Similarly, larger or tender cysts can be easily drained with a fine needle in the rooms and provide symptom relief.
Please remember that medical information provided by the website of Dr Joanna Morgan, in the absence of a consultation with Dr Joanna Morgan, must be considered as an educational service only. The information sent through e-mail should not be relied upon as a medical consultation. This mechanism is not designed to replace Dr Joanna Morgan’s independent judgement about the appropriateness or risks of a procedure for a given patient. The practice of Dr Joanna Morgan will do their best to provide you with information that will help you make your own health care decisions.
Convenient links to information sources are provided for further interest only. Whilst credible, Dr Joanna Morgan does not control the content of these external sites (which are periodically updated) and cannot guarantee their accuracy or relevance in one’s personal circumstances.
Fortunately, most breast changes are not cancerous but benign. Nevertheless, it is important to see your local doctor if you notice a change, be it a lump, nipple discharge, skin dimpling, inflammation or something else. Your general practitioner will evaluate further and may order diagnostic breast imaging and refer to Joanna for specialist advice.
The understanding and management of invasive breast cancer has improved considerably over the last few years, with earlier detection, screening programs, tailored treatments and much better outcomes. The suspicion and diagnosis of breast cancer can be a confronting and frightening experience. Not only does it affect one as a patient, but family and friends can be similarly challenged. Joanna will explain the condition and give you a better understanding of the decisions that need to be made as the information unfolds.
No breast cancer is the same. Whilst the word “cancer” can be scary and a negative one, some breast cancers are of low risk. There are different tumour biologies and each individual will have their own personal, physical and psychological circumstances to consider.
Joanna is compassionate and has significant experience in the diagnosis and surgical management of breast cancer. The timing and selection of surgery needs careful planning to maximise oncological and cosmetic outcomes. Multidisciplinary care means that Joanna will liase with relevant specialists to ensure best practice, optimal care and management. Increasingly the use of drugs before surgery has enabled the surgical management to be de-escalated because the cancer has shrunk. This pre-treatment can also help understand the biology of the disease and may open doors to using other therapies.
Joanna performs oncoplastic breast surgery. When possible, surgical incisions are carefully positioned to hide the scar, such as around the edge of the areola, or in a skin crease under the breast or in the armpit. In addition, Joanna can often operate on the breast and the armpit lymph nodes through a single incision. Simple oncoplastic techniques include a mastopexy.
With some tumours, larger areas of breast tissue containing disease need to be removed. Mastectomy may be avoided by using volume displacement surgery known as a mammaplasty (some techniques are like a breast reduction). Another technique is to replace the breast volume lost with a local flap of fatty tissue on the edge of the breast. These are all examples of oncoplastic breast conserving surgery and allow for quicker recovery, and reduce the associated psychological and physical impact of a mastectomy.
For those women who do require or desire a mastectomy, breast reconstruction will be considered. Joanna performs nipple and skin sparing mastectomies with breast reconstruction in conjunction with highly trained plastic surgeons. Joanna also performs this surgery in the prophylactic (breast cancer risk reducing) situation.
Joanna investigates and if required, operates on benign breast conditions. Ultrasound is particularly handy to use in the consulting rooms to further examine a lump or lesion. Sometimes, with permission, fine needle biopsies may be performed of complex cysts using ultrasound guidance. Similarly, larger or tender cysts can be easily drained with a fine needle in the rooms and provide symptom relief.
Please remember that medical information provided by the website of Dr Joanna Morgan, in the absence of a consultation with Dr Joanna Morgan, must be considered as an educational service only. The information sent through e-mail should not be relied upon as a medical consultation. This mechanism is not designed to replace Dr Joanna Morgan’s independent judgement about the appropriateness or risks of a procedure for a given patient. The practice of Dr Joanna Morgan will do their best to provide you with information that will help you make your own health care decisions.
Convenient links to information sources are provided for further interest only. Whilst credible, Dr Joanna Morgan does not control the content of these external sites (which are periodically updated) and cannot guarantee their accuracy or relevance in one’s personal circumstances.
