The earlier that breast cancer is detected, the higher the chance that treatment will be successful. Holy Name Hospital's Breast Center aims to meet that challenge.
At the Breast Center, you will find a comfortable, soothing place in which all of your breast care needs can be met. The center provides comprehensive screening and diagnostic services for women and men of all ages.
Breast cancer does not just attack women. Approximately 1,700 men in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.
Our staff of board-certified radiologists, registered nurses, female technologists, and specially trained staff will make your visit as pleasant as possible. Surgeons and pathologists on staff at Holy Name round out the breast care team. Feel free to ask us anything about your breast health or other aspects of your life.
The Breast Center provides the following services:
- All Digital Mammography services that are accredited by the American College of Radiology and certified by the Food and Drug Administration, two important designations that are attained only if a facility's staff, equipment, radiation dose, and imaging quality meet stringent standards.
- Routine (yearly screening) and diagnostic mammograms performed by female technologists
- Other breast imaging studies, including breast ultrasound and breast MRI.
- Interventional breast imaging studies, including ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration, core needle biopsy and the ATEC Breast Biopsy and Excision System.
- Mammography results sent directly to your physician. You will also receive a letter in a timely fashion, according to FDA standards.
- Consultation with a radiologist if requested.
The Breast Center also provides bone density screenings to check for osteoporosis.
For more information or to make an appointment for a screening or diagnostic mammogram or a bone density screening for osteoporosis, call the Breast Center at 201-833-7100.
Schedule a mammogram
The reports of what might or might not put you at risk for breast cancer can leave your head spinning. Six simple questions can help clear the air. If any of these answers concern you, talk to your doctor. And remember: The majority of women who get breast cancer don't fall into specific high-risk categories.
- How old are you? Risk increases with age. Most breast cancer cases occur in women age 50 and older.
- When did you get your first period? Women who start menstruating before age 12 have an increased risk for developing breast cancer later in life.
- At what age did you have your first child? Women who had their first full-term pregnancy after age 30 or who have never had a child have an increased risk.
- How many first-degree relatives have had the disease? Many women who get breast cancer have no family history. But a positive diagnosis in your sisters, daughters, or mother — especially before age 50 — increases your own chances. This risk may increase more if there’s a family history of both breast and ovarian cancer.
- Have you had any previous breast biopsies — whether positive or negative? When a doctor removes a sample of tissue or cells from the breast to check for cancer, a woman is at a higher risk for breast cancer. The tests don’t cause cancer by themselves, but whatever has prompted the concern might.
- What is your race? This is the least influential factor. Yet it can still help determine your risk. For example, Caucasian women are hit most often by breast cancer. But African-American women have the lowest survival rates.
Many women who get breast cancer do not have any of the above risk factors. Screening is important. Women between ages 20 and 39 should have a regular breast exam every three years by your healthcare provider. Beginning at age 40, the American Cancer Society recommends annual exams and mammograms.