Women's Breast Center
» Staff at Women's Breast Center » Our Program » The Most Advanced Technology	» Breast Surgery » Teamwork with Bennett Cancer Center » Expand Your Visit

Stamford Hospital's Women's Breast Center brings a clear technological advantage to breast care, in a warm and comfortable environment. With all-digital mammography, plus a wide range of screening and diagnostic options not available elsewhere, we are committed to staying at the forefront of available technology, delivering clinically excellent and compassionate care.

Our multidisciplinary approach to breast health means our physicians, nurses and support staff work collaboratively, in one convenient location. We expedite and streamline our services in order to reduce anxiety and eliminate the inconvenience of asking patients to return for additional tests, procedures and consultations.

To ensure you're getting the proper diagnosis, our team of radiologists, pathologists, and surgeons meet on a weekly basis to review all core breast biopsies with radiologic findings. We are the only hospital in the area to offer this unique team-approach service for patients.

Staff at Women's Breast Center

Our Co-directors

Cancer Genetic Counselor, Cancer Genetics

Nurse Coordinator

Our Program

Our comprehensive program supports total breast health and well-being for women in our community. Our services include:

• Routine screenings and mammography
• Breast cancer treatment
• Evaluation and surveillance for women at high risk for breast cancer
• Treatment of benign breast disease
• Referrals and education about breast health

Screening for Breast Cancer

Mammograms remain the most effective screening tool for breast cancer. It is recommended that you have your baseline screening mammogram at age 35, and annually starting at 40. Women who know they are at high risk for breast cancer should begin screening earlier, and possibly schedule more frequent mammograms.

Screening Mammogram

A safe and reliable technique to screen for abnormalities is by imaging the breast through low-dose X-ray. Mammography can detect a lump long before it is large enough to be physically felt by you or your healthcare provider.

Diagnostic Mammography

Although the diagnostic mammogram starts like a basic screening mammogram, it is performed on women with a known problem such as a lump or a previous incidence of breast cancer. During a diagnostic examination, the radiologist reviews the files while you are there. The radiologist can then decide immediately if additional views or a diagnostic ultrasound is needed.

The Most Advanced Technology

The Women's Breast Center is committed to having only the best technology, physicians and technical staff to offer the most accurate screening and diagnostic breast imaging.

Digital Mammography

A digital mammogram is faster and uses less radiation than the standard film mammogram. The resulting images are seen on a high-resolution monitor, which allows the radiologist to see greater detail. The digital mammogram is especially helpful in patients with dense breast tissue.

Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD)

Our radiologists use CAD to second-read mammograms. The technologist uses a computer to scan mammograms for abnormalities; according to recent research, this technique, along with screening ultrasound, may improve early detection of breast cancer.

Screening and Diagnostic Ultrasound

Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to record an image on a special screen. Ultrasound is often used in conjunction with the mammogram for diagnostic exams. Screening ultrasound is often recommended for patients with very dense breast tissue.

Breast MRI and MRI Guided Core Biopsy

Breast magnetic resonance imaging can detect breast cancers that are not visible with other imaging technologies. The principle of MRI is based on how the breast tissue is enhanced after the injection of a contrast agent (gadolinium). Patients who are considered high risk and patients who have been diagnosed with breast cancer may benefit from a breast MRI.

If there is an abnormality detected, the Women's Breast Center at Stamford Hospital is one of the few facilities in the country that can perform a core biopsy under MRI guidance. This MRI-directed core biopsy technology allows patients to avoid unnecessary breast surgery to investigate a spot that may not even be cancerous. In fact, we were the first facility in New England to perform this examination.

Stereotactic Core Needle Biopsy

Performed by one of our experienced radiologists, this exam is done under mammographic guidance. Using digital technology, the area of mammographic concern is located and biopsied with a Mammotome^® vacuum-assisted needle. This allows for an accurate diagnosis using minimally invasive technology.

Ultrasound Core Needle Biopsy

Using the same vacuum-assisted technology as MRI and stereotactic core biopsies, the radiologist will take a sample of tissue under ultrasound guidance.

Sentinel Node Biopsy

This is a diagnostic procedure utilized to determine whether breast cancer cells have spread to the lymph nodes. A radioactive dye is used to identify the central node in the axillary (underarm) area of the affected side to determine the extent of any early spread of the disease.

Breast Needle Localization

This procedure is performed by the radiologist prior to surgery to localize the area of mammographic, ultrasonic or MRI concern. A small wire is placed in the breast, which localizes the abnormality for the surgeon to accurately excise the mass.

Breast Surgery

Breast Surgeons

Our breast surgeons are surgical oncologists who specialize in treating all aspects of breast disease - from benign to malignant. As a teaching site for Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, Stamford Hospital's Department of Surgery is widely recognized for its superior levels of expertise and clinical excellence. As members of the Columbia faculty, our surgeons are highly skilled and board-certified. Many are affiliated with a range of national breast disease organizations including the American Society of Breast Surgeons, the American Society of Breast Disease, and the Society of Surgical Oncology. Breast cancer cases are reviewed at our multidisciplinary breast cancer conference, ensuring that every woman receives the invaluable expertise of our entire cancer team.

If you need breast cancer surgery, our surgeons will work with you to review options of breast conservation - keeping the breast intact versus mastectomy - to remove all of the cancerous breast tissue. Many women who are undergoing mastectomy choose immediate breast reconstruction. Our reconstructive plastic surgeons act closely with the breast cancer team to provide patients with a range of breast reconstructive options:

• Breast implant - An implant filled with salt water or silicone gel is placed under the chest muscle to build a new breast-like shape.
• Tissue flaps - Flap reconstruction uses muscle, fat and skin from your body (usually from the abdominal or back area) to create a new breast. These types of reconstruction are called transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flaps or latissimus dorsi myocutaneous (LD) flaps.

Breast Cancer Second Opinion Program

Making surgical decisions can be difficult, particularly when a patient is confronted with a new diagnosis of breast cancer. Women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer at another institution may want a comprehensive evaluation of all treatment options. For these women, our team of breast surgeons, radiologists and pathologists - in cooperation with the physicians at the Bennett Cancer Center (medical oncologists and radiation oncologists) - is available to help identify and prioritize your options. For women with suspected or diagnosed cancer, this is a vitally important service, covered by most insurance carriers, since not all medical centers offer a full range of treatment options. Recognizing the importance of expediency, our schedulers make these second-opinion appointments a high priority.

High Risk Breast Cancer Program

The High Risk Breast Cancer Program provides the increased level of specialized monitoring and medical care high-risk women need, bringing together medical expertise and state-of-the-art technology for screening and diagnosis. Armed with information specific to their health profile, most women feel an enormous sense of relief at being able to take control of a potentially frightening situation.

Specialized Services for Women at High Risk for Breast Cancer

• Referral to our Cancer Genetics Program for risk evaluation and medical testing. An individualized assessment of personal cancer risk will be performed in order to evaluate what role genetic factors may contribute to an individual's risk of developing breast cancer. Genetic testing for cancer susceptibility genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 is available to provide quantitative assessment of lifetime breast and ovarian cancer risk.
• Specialized surveillance, including more frequent breast screenings utilizing digital mammography with CAD (Computer Aided Diagnosis ), high-resolution ultrasound and breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
• Ductal Lavage and Ductoscopy - screening modalities likened to "Pap smears" of the breast. These procedures are used to detect abnormal changes in the cells lining the breast ducts before they become malignant - when breast cancer can be prevented by appropriate risk reduction strategies.
• Referral to the Bennett Cancer Center to meet with a medical oncologist to discuss chemoprevention - taking medication, such as Tamoxifen, to prevent breast cancer before it begins.

Teamwork with Bennett Cancer Center

In the event you are diagnosed with breast cancer, your treatment (which may include chemotherapy and radiation therapy) will be continued at Stamford Hospital's Bennett Cancer Center. Our team of physicians works closely with the oncologists at the Bennett Cancer Center in developing a plan of care. Our nurse coordinator will continue to provide support and guidance as needed - working with you to streamline procedures, to obtain education and referral information, and to ensure that your care is coordinated and consistent and that communication between you and your medical team is clear. A bimonthly conference on breast cancer patients brings together surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, medical oncologists and radiation oncologists to develop multidisciplinary treatment plans, making sure every woman benefits from the combined expertise of the entire group.