Breast Imaging Center

We offer patients some of the latest tests and procedures available in a setting that is warm and supportive.

Comprehensive Breast Care
Breast care is naturally a very personal concern. We never forget that at The Breast Imaging Center. So while we bring you a high level of quality, we are also sensitive to your needs for privacy and comfort. We are here to listen and answer your questions and concerns. The Breast Imaging Center is a part of SLUCare for Women and is located at Saint Louis University Hospital. We share their philosophy of combining specialized knowledge from a variety of disciplines. Every member of our team is committed to providing you with high quality, comprehensive and compassionate care.

The director of the Breast Imaging Center, Donna Prohazka, MD, is a board-certified diagnostic radiologist specializing in breast imaging. Dr. Prohazka graduated from Cornell University and earned her medical degree from Dartmouth Medical School. She completed her internship in medicine and her residency in diagnostic radiology at a Tufts University-affiliated hospital in Massachusetts. Dr. Prohazka then completed a fellowship in mammography with Dr. Norman L. Sadowsky at the Faulkner-Sagoff Centre in Boston. Dr. Prohazka serves as a clinical reviewer for the American College of Radiology Mammography Accreditation Program. In addition to mammography, Dr. Prohazka's special areas of expertise include ultrasound and ultrasound-guided procedures. She also has a keen interest in patient education.

EARLY DETECTION AND SCREENING
Mammography (x-ray examination of the breast) is of the utmost importance for the early detection of breast cancer since it is estimated that about 180,000 cases will be diagnosed and 44,000 women will die of the disease this year. The causes and prevention of breast cancer remain unknown. The best protection is to detect it as early as possible and treat it promptly. Early detection is maximized through a combined approach of breast self-examination, regular physical examination and mammography at recommended intervals.

Women today have tighter schedules, growing family obligations and careers. As your responsibilities grow and change, you need professional services designed to meet your breast concerns. That's why we've done everything we can to make this vital screening convenient and stress-free. Our mammography service, directed by a breast imaging specialist, offers a comprehensive breast cancer detection program that is convenient and cost-effective. We have designed an attractive setting for your comfort and privacy. Our mammography facility has been fully accredited by the American College of Radiology and certified by the Food and Drug Administration. In addition to our breast screening and expanded imaging service, we have readily available educational resources with videos, literature and a model for learning breast self-examination techniques. We encourage all of our patients to use these valuable resources and to actively participate in their own breast health care.

THE MAMMOGRAM:
If you are not having any breast symptoms you may schedule your own screening mammogram. Screening mammography is critical in early detection. Your screening mammogram will be performed by a specially trained radiologic technologist. During a routine screening, two pictures of each breast will be taken while your breast is compressed between two smooth, flat plastic surfaces on a device attached to the mammography machine. Although compression may cause mild discomfort, many women do not find the screening painful. Breast compression is important because it spreads breast tissue apart. Good compression can make the difference between finding or missing an early breast cancer. The entire routine screening mammogram visit is usually less than an hour. Most insurance companies, including Medicare, may cover some or all of the cost of mammography. Your mammogram can reveal both harmless and cancerous growths, even when they are too small to be felt in your monthly self-exam or by your doctor. If further evaluation is required, additional diagnostic mammography, ultrasound, stereotactic or ultrasound core biopsy and MRI are available at our facility. In addition, advanced in minimally invasive breast biopsy technology, the Mammotome Breast Biopsy System, is available. Fine needle aspiration may also be performed with immediate on-site interpretation rendered by an experienced specialist. If you are experiencing a breast problem (such as a lump, thickening, a painful area, swelling, nipple or skin retraction, or nipple discharge) or have had breast cancer or breast implants, we ask that you be referred from your physician. A diagnostic mammogram may be recommended. A diagnostic mammogram is a problem-solving mammogram. Depending on your problem, additional mammographic views or ultrasound may be done. The exam is tailored to your specific problem.

BREAST CARE Guidelines
The Breast Center joins the American Cancer Society in recommending the following breast care guidelines for women. If your mother or sister has breast cancer, earlier screening may be indicated.
Ages 20 - 39:
· monthly breast exam (BSE)
· doctor's physical exam of breasts every year
Age 40 and up:
· monthly breast exam (BSE)
· doctor's physical exam of breasts every year
· screening mammogram every year

Why You May Need a Breast Biopsy
A change in your breast, such as an abnormality detected by a mammogram or a lump found by you or your doctor, may or may not be cancerous. In order to determine whether an area of concern is malignant (cancerous) or benign (not cancerous), a physician must perform a biopsy. A breast biopsy is the removal of a sample of breast tissue for examination, and is the way to determine if an abnormality is cancerous or not.

Mammotome Breast Biopsy System
The Breast Imaging Center of Saint Louis University Hospital now provides women with an alternative to traditional breast biopsy methods through the Mammotome Breast Biopsy System. This technological advancement helps physicians obtain breast tissue to determine whether a patient has breast cancer without performing surgery. It only requires local anesthesia. There are no stitches and scarring is generally minimal.

Designed specifically for use as a breast cancer diagnostic tool, the Mammotome has proven more reliable in diagnosing breast disease than traditional methods known as spring-loaded biopsy systems. It is minimally invasive and less costly than open surgical biopsy.

Some Facts About Breast Cancer
Breast cancer occurs when cells within the breast become abnormal and divide without control. It is the most common form of cancer in American women. One out of eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Risk factors for the disease include:
 - Aging
 - Personal history of breast cancer
 - Family history of breast cancer
 - Previous breast biopsy
 - Early menstruation
 - Childbirth after 30 or no childbirth
 - Menopause after 50

More than 75 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease. The majority of all breast cancer diagnoses are in women over age 50.

To promote early detection of breast cancer, women should perform a breast self-examination at least once a month. However, the best method for early detection is mammography (X-ray examination of the breast). According to the American Cancer Society, women should have their first mammogram at about age 40, then once every year thereafter. Also, a baseline or initial mammogram can be obtained at 35 to 40 years of age.

The good news is that if detected early, breast cancer often may be treated successfully. The 5-year relative survival rate for all women diagnosed with breast cancer is 84 percent. Survival is much better if the disease has not spread and the prognosis is poorer if the disease has spread by the time it is diagnosed.