Invasive ductal carcinoma care at Mayo Clinic
At Mayo Clinic, people with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) are cared for by specialists who focus exclusively on breast cancer and its many subtypes. Truly integrated teams collaborate to deliver highly personalized care — combining advanced diagnostics, innovative treatments and deep clinical experience. Consistently ranked among the nation's top hospitals for cancer care, Mayo Clinic is known for bringing clarity, coordination and confidence to breast cancer care.
Your Mayo Clinic care team
Breast medicine specialists in the Mayo Clinic Breast Clinic coordinate care with experts in many other specialties. These internal medicine doctors who focus solely on caring for people with breast cancer and other breast conditions will meet with you to understand your needs and make recommendations for the next steps. Often, your appointments can be coordinated over a matter of days in one facility.
Mayo Clinic offers a truly integrated practice, with a variety of specialists regularly working together and meeting to discuss cases. This ensures that you receive care that takes into account all of your needs. Your care team carefully weighs all of your treatment options to create a plan that's personalized for you.
Your breast cancer care team might include:
If you have other health conditions that could be affected by cancer treatment, your team may include additional specialists. For instance, cardiologists from the Cardio-Oncology Clinic may join your team if you have concerns related to your heart. If there are concerns about your kidneys, nephrologists from the Onco-Nephrology Clinic may join your team.
Advanced diagnosis and treatment
Mayo Clinic doctors work in highly coordinated teams to provide personalized care for people with invasive ductal carcinoma. Advanced diagnostic capabilities, expert pathology review and access to genomic testing support more precise decision-making from the start. Patients also have access to a full range of treatment options, including surgery, systemic therapies, radiation and clinical trials.
- Advanced breast imaging. The latest in breast imaging gives your care team a more accurate understanding of your condition. Newer technologies, such as contrast-enhanced mammography and molecular breast imaging, are particularly helpful in detecting breast cancer in dense breast tissue.
- Expertise in pathology. Pathologists who are experts in breast cancer review biopsy and surgical samples to make an accurate diagnosis. They provide accurate and timely information about the cancer, such as hormone receptor status and HER2 status, to help your care team plan for your treatment.
- Personalized treatment. Your healthcare team designs your treatment for you, based on the characteristics of your cancer and your preferences. Surgical options include breast-conserving therapy and mastectomy, including robotic nipple-sparing mastectomy. Other treatments include systemic therapies, such as estrogen blocker therapy and targeted therapy, and radiation approaches that are tailored to the individual.
- Precision radiation options. Mayo Clinic provides many options for radiation therapy treatment, including proton therapy. Proton therapy allows your care team to precisely target the radiation to the cancer while minimizing exposure to healthy tissue. This may be particularly helpful for treating cancers near the heart and lungs. Mayo Clinic also offers shorter treatment schedules and ways of positioning the body during treatment that can help reduce side effects.
- Access to clinical trials. Clinical trials may give you access to emerging therapies and additional options for treating breast cancer.
Expertise and rankings
Mayo Clinic doctors are widely respected for their expertise and experience in diagnosing and treating invasive ductal carcinoma and other types of breast cancer.
Outside organizations recognize Mayo Clinic breast cancer specialists through accreditations, grants and rankings:
- Mayo Clinic is one of a select group of medical centers in the United States to be recognized as a Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) for breast cancer research, funded by the National Cancer Institute. To earn a highly competitive SPORE grant, institutions must demonstrate a high degree of collaboration between first-rate scientists and clinicians and show excellence in translational research projects.
- Mayo Clinic doctors and researchers participate in research cooperatives, such as the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, which gives people with cancer access to the latest clinical trials.
Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center meets the strict standards for a U.S. National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer center. These standards recognize scientific excellence and a multispecialty approach focused on cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, are ranked among the Best Hospitals for cancer by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, is ranked as the top hospital in Minnesota and Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, is ranked as the top hospital in Arizona.
Locations, travel and lodging
Mayo Clinic has major campuses in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona; Jacksonville, Florida; and Rochester, Minnesota. The Mayo Clinic Health System has dozens of locations in several states.
For more information on visiting Mayo Clinic, choose your location below:
Costs and insurance
Mayo Clinic works with hundreds of insurance companies and is an in-network provider for millions of people.
In most cases, Mayo Clinic doesn't require a physician referral. Some insurers require referrals or may have additional requirements for certain medical care. All appointments are prioritized on the basis of medical need.
Learn more about appointments at Mayo Clinic.
Please contact your insurance company to verify medical coverage and to obtain any needed authorization prior to your visit. Often, your insurer's customer service number is printed on the back of your insurance card.