Bone, Liver, Lung and Other Scans :

These are usually done when the pathology report shows malignant cells have reached lymph nodes.  The scans reveal whether cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

Detection:

The history of breast cancer treatment has evolved from highly ablative to minimally invasive procedures.  During the 1950's, breast cancer treatment involved radical mastectomy, which removed the entire breast as well as the underlying musculature.  This evolved into modified radical mastectomy in the 1960's, which only removed the abnormal breast and axillary lymph nodes.  It wasn't until the 1970's that axillary node dissection, lumpectomy, and radiation therapy became the standard for diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.  This was aided by improved screening techniques and public awareness that allowed for early detection.  As of the late 1990's, sentinel node biopsy has been incorporated with lumpectomy and radiation therapy as a less invasive means of treatment. 

As mammography has helped for smaller tumors to be discovered, often before spread, minimally invasive approaches have been suggested as a means of treating early stage breast cancer without lumpectomy.  Laser Therapy is a new research method that offers a possibility for destruction of early stage cancer within the breast without the need for lumpectomy.