Breast Cancer

Whether you need a screening mammogram or breast cancer treatment, Saint Luke’s Breast Centers offer a full range of services and access to the latest imaging technology. We offer the most advanced technology for detecting breast cancer early and treating it completely. 

Our program features: 

• Advanced breast screening technology, including 3D mammography, ultrasounds, and MRI
• A High-risk Breast Clinic, focused on supplemental services for individuals at heightened risk for breast cancer
• Genetic testing and counseling
• A Multidisciplinary Breast Clinic, so you can conveniently meet with all specialists overseeing your care plan during one comprehensive, three-hour appointment
• Breast nurse navigators, who guide patients and their families through the cancer diagnosis and treatment process
• One of the nation’s first centers dedicated solely to the treatment of metastatic breast cancer
• Genomic sequencing and precision oncology services for advanced cancers
• Supportive Oncology and Rehabilitation Services program to help patients overcome the physical and emotional challenges that often follow diagnosis and treatment 

We employ only fellowship-trained radiologists who specialize in breast imaging. Our specialized breast surgeons understand the intricacies of breast anatomy and have the expertise to handle complex and unusual cases. And our patients have access to the latest clinical trials and new treatment options through Saint Luke’s Cancer Institute. 

You have a better chance of surviving breast cancer if your health care provider finds and treats it early, when it’s small and hasn’t spread. The best way to find breast cancer early is to be screened regularly.  

Screening means being checked before you have any symptoms. Screening isn't possible for many kinds of cancer, but it is with breast cancer. Regular screening may help find the cancer earlier. This is called early detection. 

Screening for breast cancer in women of average risk can include:  

• Breast self-awareness. In the past, a breast self-exam was recommended. It was a detailed method of examining your breasts once a month. Most experts now advise breast self-awareness instead. This means having a sense of what's normal for your breasts. If you notice even small changes in how they look or feel, contact your health care provider right away. 
• Clinical breast exam (CBE). Talk with a provider about your risk factors and decide whether to have a CBE. 
• Mammography. A screening mammogram is a kind of X-ray used to help find breast tumors before they can be felt or cause other symptoms. During the test, your breast is pressed between two plastic plates that flatten and spread the tissue. Very low levels of radiation are used to take a picture of the inside of your breast. Many facilities have digital mammography. This displays results on a computer instead of on film. The test can be uncomfortable, but it lasts only a few moments. There are more details about mammograms below. 
• Breast MRI. An MRI uses magnets, radio waves, and a computer to make detailed pictures of the inside of the breast. Before the MRI, a contrast material (also known as contrast agent or media) may be put into your blood through a vein. This helps to better outline the breast tissue and possible tumors. MRI is only used to screen people who are at a high risk for breast cancer based on factors such as family history or genes.  

These screening methods can improve your chances of finding cancer early. Women at high risk for breast cancer may be advised to start breast cancer screening at a younger age. They may also be advised to have an MRI along with their routine mammograms. For some women with dense breast tissue, ultrasound may be done along with mammograms. Your provider can tell you more about your risks and what screenings are right for you.  

A mammogram finds tumors and calcium deposits in the breast. Most calcium deposits are not cancer. But a cluster of very tiny specks of calcium (microcalcifications) can be an early sign of breast cancer. If your mammogram shows anything abnormal, you may need more tests.  

A mammogram is the best way to find breast cancer early. But it may not always find cancer. And in some cases, it may find an abnormality that turns out not to be cancer. This is called a false positive.  

The benefits and limits of a mammogram vary. They’re based on factors such as age and personal risk.  

Experts have different advice for who should have mammograms. Starting at age 40, talk with your doctor about your risk and when to start screening. Discuss the pros and cons of screening before deciding when to start and how often to get a mammogram. Screening recommendations may be different for people at high risk for breast cancer. Screening mammograms are generally advised through age 74. Some people may choose to continue screening mammograms after this if they are healthy and expected to live 10 years or more. Talk with your health care provider about your specific situation.  

Risk factors for breast cancer include:  
 

• Gender. Breast cancer in women is much more common than in men.
• Race or ethnicity. White people develop breast cancer slightly more often than African-American people. But African-American people tend to die from breast cancer more often. This may be due to differences in access to medical care. This may also be partly due to the fact that African-American people often have a more aggressive type of tumor (aggressive tumors grow and spread quickly). Why this happens is unknown. The risk of having breast cancer and dying from it is lower in people who are Hispanic, American Indian, or Asian.
• Older age. Most people with breast cancer are older than age 55.
• History of breast cancer. If you’ve had cancer in one breast, you’re at an increased risk of having it in the other breast or another part of the same breast.
• Past chest radiation for another cancer.  If you’ve had high-dose radiation therapy to your chest, you have an increased chance for breast cancer. The risk is even higher if it happened when you were a child or teen. It’s important to remember that radiation therapy involves high doses of radiation. The small doses used for breast cancer screening do not increase your risk.
• Family history. Having a parent, sibling, or child with breast cancer increases your risk.
• Benign breast disease. People with certain noncancer (benign) breast conditions, such as hyperplasia or atypical hyperplasia, may have an increased risk for breast cancer. The only way to know if you have benign breast disease and what kind is by having a biopsy.
• Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). LCIS is a noninvasive growth of abnormal cells in the lobules of the breasts (milk-producing glands). LCIS is not considered cancer. But it increases the risk of getting breast cancer. LCIS is typically diagnosed from a biopsy that is done on the breast for another reason.
• DES (diethylstilbestrol) exposure. People who took this medicine while pregnant to lower the chance of miscarriage are at higher risk. People whose birth parent took DES during pregnancy with them may also have a slightly higher risk. 
• Early menstrual periods. People whose periods began before age 12 have a slightly higher risk for breast cancer.
• Late menopause. People are at a slightly higher risk if they began menopause after age 55.
• Not giving birth to a child, not breastfeeding, or giving birth to your first child after age 30.  These people have a slightly higher breast cancer risk.
• Dense breast tissue. People whose breasts have larger areas of dense tissue on mammograms are at increased risk for breast cancer. 
• Drinking alcohol. Breast cancer risk goes up if you drink just one glass of wine, beer, or a mixed drink a day. The more you drink, the higher your risk. It's best not to drink alcohol. If you chose to drink, limit yourself to no more than one drink per day.
• Long-term use of estrogen and progestin medicines after menopause.  This is known as hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The hormones are most often used together. The longer you’ve used HRT, the higher your risk. If you stop taking the medicines, your risk should go back down to normal after five years. If you decide to use HRT, use it at the lowest dose and for the shortest time possible.
• Excess weight, especially after menopause.  This risk factor is complex. Research shows conflicting results about the link between weight and breast cancer. Overall, your risk of breast cancer is lower if you stay at a healthy weight with a body mass index below 25. If you’re overweight and you get breast cancer, the excess weight also affects your chances of being cured. And it affects your chances of the cancer coming back after treatment.
• BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Certain inherited changes in genes are another risk factor. Hereditary breast cancer accounts for about 1 in 20 to 1 in 10 breast cancer cases. BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are the most common genes linked to breast cancer. These are tumor suppressor genes that usually have the job of controlling cell growth and cell death. When they're changed, they don't do their job correctly, and cancer tumors may grow. Changes in these genes account for most cases of hereditary breast cancer. They're linked to other kinds of cancer, especially ovarian cancer. In the U.S., BRCA changes are most common in women of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry.  

There are other, less common genes that can impact breast cancer risk.  

What are your risk factors? 

Talk with your health care provider about your risk factors for breast cancer and what you can do about them. There are different tools that can be used to help estimate your risk. These can help you to set up your own best prevention and screening plan.

Saint Luke’s has access to more than 200 National Cancer Institute-sponsored clinical trials and industry-led studies through our agreement with the internationally recognized Washington University School of Medicine. 

Saint Luke's Clinical Trials