Breast Cancer
The Breast Health Center at UM St. Joseph Medical Center offers advanced imaging diagnostics, medical and radiation oncology, breast and reconstructive surgery, integrative therapies and comprehensive support programs in a warm and caring setting specially designed for our patients’ needs.
Nationally recognized for excellence by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a program of the American College of Surgeons, the Breast Health Center engages a full range of specialists in the care of each patient. This includes providers with expertise in pathology, nursing, lymphedema management, nutritional services, social work, and genetic counseling, and more.
The Breast Health Center's comprehensive care team includes breast surgeons Dr. Suliat Nurudeen, Medical Director of the Breast Health Center, and Dr. Ethan S. Rogers and other dedicated breast cancer and medical oncology specialists. Each week, our cancer care team meets to discuss patients’ care and progress. Together, the team develops treatment plans that are thoughtfully and thoroughly individualized for the best health of each patient.
Screening
The Breast Health Center is dedicated to the precise and earlier detection of pre-malignancies, or pre-cancers, and malignancies, or cancers, in the breast using all-digital imaging, including advanced mammography and ultrasonography, on-site breast MRI and stereotactic imaging-guided biopsies.
A screening mammogram uses low-dose x-rays to detect signs of breast cancer—breast lumps or changes in breast tissue. The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that women begin screening as early as age 40, but guidelines vary depending you’re your health, your family history and other risk factors. It’s important to have regular conversations with your doctor about your breast health, to determine a personal screening schedule that’s best for you.
What to Expect at Your Screening Mammogram
At a breast screening appointment, a doctor will discuss your medical history, including any family history of breast cancer. Your breasts will be examined for characteristic symptoms, including:
- Lumps or thickening
- Nipple discharge or inversion
- Redness or changes in the skin or contour of the breast
For assistance scheduling a screening mammogram, please contact our breast center at 410-427-5510.
High Risk Treatment Program
To determine an individual's risk level for breast cancer, the team reviews a range of health factors, such as personal medical history, family history, and prior biopsies.
Our High-Risk Treatment program, led by Dr. Ethan Rogers, provides individualized risk assessment, screening, and preventive cancer treatment for women and men with known risk factors and/or for those patients with a concern for potential high-risk status.
The team includes breast oncology surgeons, medical oncologists, plastic surgeons, radiologists, a genetic counselor—who provides patients and family members with education about screening options and testing for hereditary cancer risks--a social worker, and many other dedicated staff members.
Determining Your Risk
There is new hope for patients at high risk for breast cancer. Emerging and newer forms of radiation therapy combined with ever-evolving, state-of-the-art scanning technologies are vastly improving our ability to destroy a growing range of cancers.
The first step in determining your risk level for breast cancer is to complete this brief and secure online risk assessment. Dr. Rogers reviews each to determine the personalized risk level of each patient. Individuals deemed to be at a low or average risk will receive a letter from Dr. Rogers confirming your results. Individuals deemed to be at a high risk for developing breast cancer will receive a phone call explaining the results and suggesting next steps. Women and men at high-risk are encouraged to schedule a consultation with Dr. Rogers or another breast cancer specialist.