• Physical exams

• Fine-needle aspirations of palpable cysts

• Surgical procedures, including lumpectomy, mastectomy, and sentinel lymph node biopsies

• Mammography- and ultrasound-assisted excisional biopsies

• Referral to plastic and reconstruction surgeon (as needed)

• Breast cancer risk assessment

  • High-risk screening protocol

  • Genetic testing when indicated

• Education and management of benign breast findings

• Biopsies and cytology slide examinations
• Oncotype DX® genetic analysis tests

The Breast Center’s board-certified radiologists are skilled in performing a number of biopsies on site to detect cancerous breast tissue. These include ultrasound-guided cyst aspiration; biopsies guided by mammograms, ultrasound, and MRI; and minimally invasive stereotactic biopsies. The Cancer Center’s breast surgeons also perform surgical biopsies of breast tissue.

If you are diagnosed with breast cancer, Saint Michael’s Cancer Center provides comprehensive, fully coordinated breast cancer treatment, including surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. Support includes nutrition counseling, social work services, support groups, and referrals to community services. Patients may choose to see a plastic and reconstruction surgeon as part of their complete breast cancer treatment.

Calcifications (calcium deposits) or microcalcifications (small calcium deposits) are the smallest particles that can be seen on a mammogram. They are normal in aging breast tissue that has gone through changes over the years, including cysts, injuries, or mastitis (infection).

Because calcifications can be a sign that cancer is present, our radiologists study these particles closely if they appear on a mammogram. The radiologist may advise having additional close-up mammogram images taken to give a better view of the breast area. To clarify a diagnosis, the radiologist may recommend further testing or waiting several months to re-examine the area again with a new mammogram. A biopsy may be performed at that time.

Dense breast tissue refers to the way breast tissue looks on a mammogram. Dense breast tissue is very common and does not mean that something is wrong. A person with dense breast tissue has more tissue in the milk glands, milk ducts, and supportive tissue than fatty breast tissue, which is made up of fat cells.

Dense breast tissue looks solid white on the mammogram image. It is hard to see through, as is breast cancer, which is also solid white on a mammogram. Advanced 3-D mammograms enable radiologists to pinpoint areas of dense tissue in order to see if anything is abnormal. Your doctor may also recommend additional tests, including ultrasound and MRI, to review any suspicious areas.

Many patients who choose a mastectomy to treat breast cancer opt for breast reconstruction surgery. The plastic/reconstructive surgeons at Saint Michael’s Medical Center are regional leaders in successfully performing the highly technical and cosmetically superior DIEP (deep inferior epigastric artery perforator) flap reconstruction procedure, in which a new breast is formed from transplanted flaps of a patient’s abdominal tissue.

Because DIEP flap surgery is complex, and involves extensive surgical experience in successfully restoring blood flow to damaged or transplanted tissue (revascularization), this procedure is not performed at every hospital or medical center. However, when a new breast is constructed entirely with a patient’s own tissue, the results are generally more natural and there are no problems with breast implants. A DIEP flap procedure minimizes the risk of hernia.

The recovery time following the DIEP flap surgery is four to six weeks. However, as with all types of breast reconstruction, following the initial DIEP flap surgery there will be two or three additional stages of reconstruction. These will be performed a few months apart to obtain the best results. Occasionally a final cosmetic surgery will be performed to make the breasts as symmetric and natural-looking as possible. Techniques such as fat transfer or grafting may be used to create a more natural appearance.

A fibroadenoma is a benign (non-cancerous) firm tumor found most often in women 20 to 40 years old. It is common, slick, and movable in the breast. A fibroadenoma feels if it will slip out of your fingers because it has a smooth outer surface. The tumor may be large and put pressure on other areas of the breast, but it may not be painful. If you feel a lump, your doctor will recommend a mammogram and possibly a biopsy of the lump. Your doctor may advise that you have it removed, even though it is harmless, so that it does not hide a cancer somewhere else in the breast.

Fibrocystic changes is a term used by physicians to describe some non-cancerous conditions that can be present in the breast. These may be lumps or masses that occur and change during your menstrual cycle and may cause pain and tenderness. Hormonal changes during your period can cause extra fluid and cells to occur in your breasts, causing them to feel lumpy.  At least half of all women have irregular lumpy breasts, and almost all women have fibrocystic changes that are so tiny they can only be seen using a microscope.

Because your breasts will feel different before and after your period, it is best to examine them on a regular basis, preferably at the end of your cycle. If you have felt a lump at the beginning of your cycle and it has not become smaller or softer at the end, let your physician know. Every woman has a normal pattern of lumpiness in their breasts, but only through self-exams will you get to know your own pattern.

If your doctor has told you that you are at high risk for developing breast cancer, this is a caution to carefully monitor your health. Your doctor will recommend a screening program of monthly breast self-exams, clinical exams by a healthcare professional, and mammograms. He/she may also recommend genetic testing.

You can also lower your risk for breast cancer with the following:

• Maintain a healthy weight; obesity can increase your risk.
• Exercise regularly.
• Watch how much alcohol you drink, no more than one drink per day. A drink is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits (hard liquor).
• Quit using tobacco, whether you smoke cigarettes, chew tobacco, or vape tobacco products.

Mastitis is inflammation and infection of the breast, which occurs when bacteria enter into the milk ducts through an open area in the nipple. Breastfeeding mothers are mostly likely to have mastitis, however, it can occur in women who are not producing milk. It is rare in men. Mastitis is treated with antibiotics.

If you have a biopsy of a breast lump, the tissue is sent to a laboratory, where a pathologist (a physician specializing in diagnosing disease from tissue specimens) analyzes the tissue and prepares a pathology report. The pathologist’s analysis reveals whether the breast tissue is benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous), and the report helps your doctor develop a treatment plan. Your physician may share this report with you and can explain its findings and the next steps in your treatment.