Breast Care at Penn Highlands

Breast Care Specialists in Pennsylvania

Breast Health

Although mammograms are important, maintaining good breast health throughout your lifetime is about more than breast cancer prevention and detection. Breast cancer specialists at the Penn Highlands breast care center can help you learn the signs and symptoms of non-cancerous conditions such as cysts, fibrosis, fibroadenoma, calcifications, and benign tumors that can also increase your risk for breast cancer. Women in Pennsylvania also benefit from early detection and expert treatment of breast cancer at our one of eleven comprehensive breast centers. Our team of breast care specialists includes the region’s only radiologist specially trained in reading breast scans.

Breast Cancer Screenings

In tandem with monthly breast self-exams and regular clinical breast exams performed by your primary care physician or gynecologist, breast care specialists recommend regular preventive screenings for early detection of breast health conditions, including breast cancer. Most screenings use low-level radiation to create high-resolution scans of breast tissue. Physicians called radiologists review these scans to look for masses or abnormalities. Penn Highlands features the region’s only radiologist specially trained in reading breast scans. Women should ask their doctor about these three common breast cancer screenings:

  • Mammography: Mammography uses X-ray technology to check for tumors and other signs of breast cancer. Penn Highlands offers state-of-the-art 2-D and 3-D mammographies, in private and comfortable settings, throughout central Pennsylvania to ensure there is a breast care center near you. The more advanced 3-D mammogram provides enhanced image clarity by imaging the breast in “slices” from many different angles. This technology is often recommended for women who have been diagnosed with dense breasts. The American Cancer Society recommends annual mammography screenings between ages 45-54, then screenings every other year after age 55. If you have a family history of breast cancer or other risk factors, talk with your physician about a personalized screening schedule.
  • Breast ultrasound: 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. Breast ultrasound is primarily used to help diagnose abnormalities, such as a lump or nipple discharge, and also 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 comprehensive breast center. 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 abnormalities. We also perform ultrasound-guided breast biopsies, where a doctor uses ultrasound imaging to pinpoint the exact tissue to be removed for examination.
Breast Health Services at Penn Highlands Hospitals
Penn Highlands Brookville

Penn Highlands Brookville provide women of the region with:

  • Breast Health and Mammography
  • Stereotactic Breast Biopsy

100 Hospital Road
Brookville, PA 15825
814-849-2312

Penn Highlands Clearfield A Campus of Penn Highlands DuBois

Penn Highlands Clearfield provide women of the region with:

  • Breast Health and Mammography
  • MRI - Breast Scan
  • Ultrasound - Breast

809 Turnpike Avenue
Clearfield, PA 16830
814-765-5341

Penn Highlands Connellsville

Penn Highlands Connellsville provide women of the region with:

  • Mammography
  • MRI - Breast Scan
  • Ultrasound - Breast

401 East Murphy Avenue
Connellsville, PA 15425
724-628-1500

Penn Highlands DuBois

Penn Highlands DuBois provide women of the region with:

  • Mammography
  • MRI - Breast Scan
  • Stereotactic Breast Biopsy
  • Ultrasound - Breast

100 Hospital Avenue
DuBois, PA 15801
814-371-2200

Penn Highlands Elk

Penn Highlands Elk provide women of the region with:

  • Mammography
  • MRI - Breast Scan
  • Stereotactic Breast Biopsy
  • Ultrasound - Breast

763 Johnsonburg Road
St. Marys, PA 15857
814-788-8000

Penn Highlands Huntingdon

Penn Highlands Huntingdon provide women of the region with:

  • Mammography
  • MRI - Breast Scan
  • Stereotactic Breast Biopsy
  • Ultrasound - Breast

1225 Warm Springs Avenue
Huntingdon, PA 16652
814-643-2290

Penn Highlands Mon Valley

Penn Highlands Mon Valley provide women of the region with:

  • Mammography
  • MRI - Breast Scan
  • Ultrasound - Breast

1163 Country Club Road
Monongahela, PA 15063
724-258-1000

Penn Highlands Tyrone

Penn Highlands Tyrone provide women of the region with:

  • Mammography
  • MRI - Breast Scan
  • Ultrasound - Breast

187 Hospital Drive
Tyrone, PA 16686
814-684-1255

What Should I do to keep my Breasts Healthy?

The most important thing you can do is to become familiar with your breasts through monthly breast self-exams. These routine checks will help you notice changes such as lumps, dimpling, and discharge. In addition, be sure to get regular clinical breast exams and screenings, including mammograms or breast ultrasound. Living a healthy lifestyle reduces your risk of breast cancer and other health issues, so try to:

  • get regular exercise

What Sort of Breast Health Changes Should I Look for?

Monthly breast self-exams can help you become familiar with how your breasts normally look and feel. Tell your physician if you notice any of these changes to your breast:

  • Swelling
  • Skin dimpling, which can have the texture of an orange peel
  • Nipple retraction
  • Nipple discharge or irritated nipple skin
  • Breast or nipple pain
  • Swelling of the lymph nodes under your arm or near your collarbone

At Penn Highlands breast cancer center, we can assess your risk of breast cancer and recommend an appropriate screening schedule.

What are the risk factors for breast cancer?

Women at high risk for breast cancer may need more frequent screenings. You are at increased risk of developing breast cancer if you have:

  • A first-degree relative who was diagnosed with breast cancer under age 50, this includes your mother, sisters, or daughters
  • Multiple women in your family who have been diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer, or you have a male family member who was diagnosed with breast cancer
  • Past breast cancer diagnosis
  • Past breast biopsy has shown atypical or abnormal cells or a lobular carcinoma in situ
  • Positive test for BRCA1, BRCA2, or other genetic mutations associated with breast cancer
  • Used hormonal birth control or hormone replacement therapy for long periods of time
  • Had breast implants
  • Had chest radiation for treatment of lymphoma

Lifestyle factors that are associated with increased risk, including being overweight or obese, not exercising, smoking, and/or drinking more than 2-3 alcoholic drinks per day

Watch this video to learn more about the expert care provided by the breast cancer specialists at Penn Highlands breast care center.

Breast Health News

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Videos

Advanced Breast Care at Penn Highlands Healthcare
Breast Cancer Awareness – Get Your Mammogram​
Breast Cancer Awareness and Education
Breast Care for Penn Highlands Healthcare Patients
​Comprehensive Breast Care at Penn Highlands Healthcare
​Importance of Annual Breast Exam/Mammogram
Mammography – First Line of Defense Against Breast Cancer​
​Why Mammograms are Important​
Why Penn Highlands Healthcare for Breast Care