Tips for Keeping Your Breasts Healthy

Breast Health

One in eight women—and some men-- in America will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime. But breast health goes beyond cancer. There are other conditions that are non-cancerous but require treatment, and some that not only require treatment but also increase your risk of breast cancer. Monthly breast checks at home, annual physical exams of your breasts by a health care provider, and breast screenings all help detect these conditions early when they are most treatable.

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Breast health conditions that can be detected early through screenings include:

Breast cancer
Cysts
Calcifications
Non-cancerous tumors
Fibrosis
Lobular carcinoma in situ
Fibroadenoma

At Penn Highlands, we have both the technology and the expertise to help women become familiar with what’s normal and what’s not when it comes to their breasts. We can provide you with a customized assessment that tells you your risk of breast cancer and recommend customized screening schedules based on your risk.

Breast Health Screenings

Regular preventive screenings and appropriate follow-up care is essential for early detection of breast health conditions, including breast cancer. Most screenings use some type of very low-level radiation to get an inside look at breast tissue to check for masses or abnormalities. Physicians called radiologists review these scans for indications of masses or abnormalities. At Penn Highlands, we have the region’s only radiologist specially trained in reading breast scans, Suzanne Iorfido, DO. After Iorfido completed her medical residency in general radiology, she went on to complete a specialty fellowship in women’s imaging at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C.

The three most common breast health screenings are:

Mammography: Mammograms are the first line of defense in the fight against breast cancer. Early detection is the key to beating cancer because when caught early, it’s much more treatable. Mammography uses X-ray technology to check for tumors and other signs of breast cancer. All four Penn Highlands Hospitals offer state-of-the-art mammogram technology, including both 2-D and 3-D mammography, in private and comfortable settings. The more advanced 3-D mammogram provides enhanced image clarity by imaging the breast in “slices” from many different angles. Three-dimensional mammography is particularly recommended for women with dense breasts.

The American Cancer Society recommends annual mammography screenings between ages 45-54, then screenings every other year after age 55. Women with a family history of breast cancer or other risk factors should talk with their physician about a personalized screening schedule.

Breast Ultrasound: If something shows up on a mammogram that doesn’t look right, a non-invasive breast ultrasound may be the next step. Breast ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to provide a clear picture of soft tissues that do not show up well on X-ray images. The primary use of a breast ultrasound is to help diagnose abnormalities, such as a lump or nipple discharge. Ultrasounds can help physicians determine if an abnormality is solid or fluid-filled, such as a cyst. Breast ultrasound can be particularly beneficial for women with dense breasts.

Stereotactic breast biopsy: If a mammogram or clinical breast exam does detect a lump in your breast, you’re in good hands at Penn Highlands Healthcare. We offer minimally invasive stereotactic breast biopsies, where a doctor removes a small sample of breast tissue to examine it for breast cancer or other problems. We also perform ultrasound-guided breast biopsies, where a doctor uses ultrasound imaging to pinpoint the exact tissue to be removed for examination.