The Division of Breast and Melanoma Surgical Oncology (BMSO) at Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester, Minnesota, centers around an experienced group of fellowship-trained surgeons who perform more than 1,200 operations annually. The BMSO team includes surgeons, nurse practitioners, nurses and support staff exclusively dedicated to the management of patients with breast and skin cancer, benign breast disease, and elevated risk of developing cancer. The team is internationally recognized for its performance of complex procedures with safe and excellent outcomes.
Mayo Clinic breast and melanoma surgeons practice in an atmosphere of inquiry and innovation, continually evolving and improving their high-volume surgical practice. The surgeons are involved in research from basic science to clinical trials to develop and evaluate novel approaches for patients with breast and skin cancer.
Integrated, multidisciplinary clinical and research practice
Care at Mayo Clinic is based on a patient-centered, collaborative approach to ensure accurate diagnosis, timely management and surgical intervention. Breast and melanoma surgeons at the Minnesota campus communicate closely with other specialists providing care to those diagnosed with cancer. Each person receiving care benefits from an individual patient-centered treatment plan that involves a multidisciplinary team of experts.
Research translates into practice innovation
In addition, surgeons within the division are also career researchers. They conduct research in basic and translational science, clinical trials for novel therapies and surgical techniques, and quality improvement to continually advance patient care.
The melanoma program shows the benefits of this approach. It leverages the latest science and care practices, relying on precise diagnosis, skilled surgical excision and the latest immunotherapies. Physician-scientists collaborate on patient care, innovative research and diagnostic excellence to provide highly individualized melanoma care, and our teams share this expertise with other medical professionals regularly.
Innovative techniques
Early and recognized experience in nipple-sparing mastectomy
Mayo Clinic surgeons were one of the earliest groups performing nipple-sparing mastectomy, and they have been doing so for more than 15 years. Combined with immediate reconstruction, it offers a woman a more natural appearance following mastectomy without diminishing cancer treatment outcomes.
Mayo surgical exploration and innovation continues: Mayo Clinic offers the latest in breast and melanoma surgical care with innovative therapies, new techniques and clinical trials.
A Study to Evaluate the da Vinci® Xi™ Surgical System in Nipple Sparing Mastectomy (NSM) Procedures
Intraoperative frozen section pathology for all breast surgeries
Mayo Clinic is one of the only medical centers in the nation to use intraoperative frozen section evaluation for all breast surgeries, which lets pathologists rapidly analyze and diagnose tissue samples while the patient is still in the operating room. This ensures that cancer is entirely removed during the procedure and minimizes the need for subsequent operations, which saves patients from added time, expense and stress.
Personalized care, rapidly tailored to your needs
Our multidisciplinary team model lets us leverage recent breast cancer treatment advances to develop a personalized comprehensive treatment plan.
For example, our approach to lymph node surgery for newly diagnosed breast cancer is to first ensure we stage the disease accurately, and based on that, provide you with the best treatment plan.
- We assess the lymph glands under the arm using what's called an axillary ultrasound, and also possibly from a small needle biopsy. Based on what we learn there, we can adapt your course of care. When appropriate, we can further assess the involvement of any disease cells with a dual-tracer dye sentinel node biopsy.
- The information we gain about lymph node status combined with frozen section pathology consultation lets your surgical team adapt even during the course of a procedure. This allows the team to take the right action to ensure the disease is properly addressed, but also perform no more invasive surgery than you need.
- For patients treated with systemic therapy first, based on the response of the tumor to the therapy received prior to surgery, we tailor the surgery to the extent of remaining disease, allowing us to de-escalate treatment and minimize use of invasive procedures.
Streamlined care
Mayo Clinic understands that a diagnosis of breast cancer or melanoma is stressful for patients and families. In addition to emotional stress and uncertainty, it can be daunting to accommodate the travel, time and associated expense of obtaining care.
The Division of Breast and Melanoma Surgery Oncology is part of an integrated multidisciplinary group of cancer care specialties that provide streamlined collaboration for a comprehensive treatment plan that minimizes the time and expense of being away from home. Our surgical practice protocols are also designed to bring you detailed diagnosis and the best care as efficiently as possible. Our goal is to minimize the time between first seeking care and starting on your path to recovery.
Expedited brachytherapy treatment since 2012
For example, since 2012 Mayo Clinic has been using and refining a practice process for expedited brachytherapy treatment, for some women with low-risk, early-stage breast cancer.
- Some patients may complete their entire treatment, including surgery and a full course of radiation, in fewer than 10 days. For certain specific profiles, the course of treatment may be even shorter, as little as five days.
Mayo Clinic's podcast on expedited breast cancer treatment options offers even more details.
Risk reduction options and care
BMSO surgeons work with internal medicine specialists dedicated to breast care and genetic counselors to help assess risk and tailor plans to mitigate risk that may involve screening, medications or surgery. Depending on the assessed level of risk, some women may want to consider risk-reducing mastectomy, or prophylactic mastectomy, often followed by reconstructive procedures.
Our multidisciplinary, high-volume practice features highly skilled breast surgeons and reconstructive plastic surgeons with special expertise in these advanced procedures. Based on a woman's individual circumstances and her preferences, our team designs the right plan for surgical risk reduction. For women interested in surgical risk reduction, our goal is to provide the greatest cancer risk reduction with the very best possible aesthetic outcomes for each woman.
A team focused on you
Having expertise concentrated in a single place, focused on you, means that you're not getting multiple differing opinions. Your care is discussed among the team, your test results are available quickly, and appointment schedules are coordinated to provide a single comprehensive plan. Highly specialized experts are working together for you.
What might take weeks or even months to accomplish elsewhere can typically be done in a matter of days at Mayo Clinic.
State-of-the-art surgical facilities
Surgery is performed at Mayo Clinic Hospital, Methodist Campus. Mayo Clinic operating rooms are equipped with the latest diagnostic and surgical equipment.