If a mammogram shows suspicious results, another mammogram or biopsy of breast tissue may follow. If a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, her physician will formulate a treatment plan. Treatments that may follow a breast cancer diagnosis may include any of the following:

• Lumpectomy. Treatment in which a lump in the breast and some normal tissue surrounding it are removed. Also known as breast conservation therapy, it is a form of surgery that removes a cancer while allowing a woman to preserve the natural appearance of her breast.
  
  
• Mastectomy. Surgical removal of one or both breasts, usually as a lifesaving measure after a diagnosis of advanced breast cancer.
  
  
• Chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Chemotherapy uses a single drug or combination of drugs to destroy cancer cells and keep them from growing, dividing and spreading. Radiation therapy uses an energy called ionizing radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Either or both of these treatments may be used before surgery to shrink the size of a tumor, or after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells. 

The recommendations for follow-up mammograms may vary. Some physicians recommend that women who have a lumpectomy receive mammography of the treated breast every six months for two to three years. Other physicians believe an annual exam is adequate.

Women who have total, modified radical or radical mastectomies do not need further screening on the affected side or sides.