Breast Cancer

Schedule an appointment with a Catholic Health breast health specialist if you are experiencing signs and symptoms, including:

• A lump or thickening in or near your breast or underarm that persists through your menstrual cycle
• An area that is distinctly different from any other site on either of your breasts
• Blood-stained or clear discharge from your nipple
• Change in the size, shape or contour of your breast
• Dimpled, puckered, scaly or inflamed skin on your breast or nipple

Catholic Health board-certified radiologists use diagnostic imaging for pinpoint accuracy in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Our imaging services include:

• Breast biopsy
• Breast MRI
• Breast ultrasound
• Mammography
• 3D mammography
• Molecular breast imaging
• Ultrasound

Lymph node removal is a surgical procedure to remove one or more of your lymph nodes. This surgery is used to determine if cancer has spread from its original starting point into your lymph nodes.

If cancer is found, your surgeon may take out all or part of your lymph nodes to reduce the chances that the cancer will return.

A lumpectomy is surgery to remove a lump in your breast that may be cancer. Your surgeon also removes some of the tissue around the lump. This is done to make sure no cancer cells remain in the area.

A mastectomy is a surgical procedure to remove one or both of your breasts. All or part of your breast is removed, depending on your cancer. There are several types of mastectomies. Some remove your entire breast, including your skin, nipple and areola. Others take out lymph nodes with your breast.

Prophylactic mastectomy is surgery to remove one or both of your breasts. The procedure is typically done to lower your risk of developing breast cancer if you are high-risk.

Breast reconstruction surgery is a procedure to rebuild the shape of your breast after a mastectomy, partial mastectomy or lumpectomy. One type of reconstruction uses silicone or saline implants. Other methods use muscle, skin and fat taken from your back, buttocks or abdomen.

You can have breast reconstruction at the same time as a mastectomy or after other treatments, such as radiation, are completed.