Our breast care model combines the strength of clinical breast screening and diagnostic testing, genetic counseling, and surgeon consultation in order to deliver convenient, collaborative, and timely evaluation and management of breast health.
A mammogram is an X-ray of your breast. Changes in breast tissue often show up in a mammogram long before you can feel them during a self exam. This greatly enhances the ability to detect early stages of breast cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends baseline mammograms between the ages of 40 and 45, and annual routine mammograms after age 40.
An ultrasound may be ordered if a suspicious area is detected during your mammogram. Ultrasounds use sound waves to create an image of your breast, which appears on a video monitor. An ultrasound provides much more detailed information than a mammogram.
Once a lump or abnormality in the breast is detected, it may be necessary to perform a biopsy to determine whether the growth is benign or cancerous. In a breast biopsy, some cells are removed from a suspicious area and examined under a microscope. Image-guided biopsies are performed with the guidance of an ultrasound, MRI, or, in the case of stereotactic biopsies, a mammography machine.
