Breast cancer care

A medical oncologist treats cancer with medicines that work throughout the body. Dr Hurwitz works with your breast surgeon, radiation oncologist, breast care nurse and GP, so each part of your treatment fits together.

Medicines may be given before surgery to shrink the cancer, or after surgery to lower the chance of it coming back. Depending on the type of breast cancer, this may include:

• Hormone therapy, usually tablets taken for several years
• Chemotherapy
• Targeted therapy, including treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer
• Immunotherapy, for some triple-negative breast cancers

When breast cancer has spread, treatment aims to control the cancer, ease symptoms and support your quality of life, and it is adjusted over time. Dr Hurwitz's PhD at Monash University focuses on improving care for people with metastatic breast cancer.

Tests on the cancer, such as hormone receptor and HER2 testing, and sometimes genetic tests, help match treatment to the type of breast cancer you have.

Dr Hurwitz is principal investigator on a number of breast cancer trials, with a focus on the right trial for the right patient.