Lake Charles Breast Health
Advanced Breast Diagnostics and Treatment
Make a mammogram appointment today! 337.494.4755 or 337.480.7444
Knowledge and self-awareness are powerful tools. Understanding and utilizing
these tools starts with Lake Charles Memorial’s Breast Health program.
That's why your first line of defense for breast cancer is a mammogram.
Developing a sense of what the everyday reality is for your breasts is
key. When you know what’s normal, you will be able to recognize
what’s not normal. And when something’s not normal, you can
promptly call your doctor.
Most women experience breast changes throughout their lives. Age, hormone
levels, and medicines may cause lumps, bumps, and discharges (fluids that
are not breast milk). Minor and serious breast problems can have similar
symptoms. Although cancer is always our first concern, many breast problems
are not cancer.
Memorial’s Breast Health program can diagnose and treat:
- Hyperplasia
- Cysts
- Fibroadenomas
- Intraductal papillomas
- Sclerosing adenosis
- Radial scars
- Breast masses
- Breast cancer
- Nipple discharge
- Abnormal mammograms
With minimally invasive techniques such as stereotactic breast biopsy to
assess a breast abnormality, our specialized team of surgeons, radiologists,
pathologists, gynecologists, radiation oncologists and medical oncologists
provide diagnosis and treatment options based on your particular diagnosis.
Commission on Cancer Accredited
Like every major national cancer center,
Lake Charles Memorial Cancer Center is accredited by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College
of Surgeons (ACoS). CoC accreditation assures that a cancer program meets
or exceeds 34 CoC nationally-recognized quality care standards and maintains
levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive patient-centered care.
Diagnostic and treatments include:
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Genuis 3D Digital Mammography: Medical technology is constantly evolving, improving and striving to find
new and better ways to diagnose and treat breast cancer. Genius™
3D Mammography views each layer of the breast like the pages of a book
for more thorough imaging of breasts of all shapes, sizes and densities.
It scans all the complexities of the breast tissue in greater detail which
allows better evaluation of the breast tissue layer by layer, making fine
details more visible and no longer hidden by overlapping tissue.
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High Resolution Sonography: Sonography is an imaging method that uses sound waves to look inside
a part of the body. In the most common version of this test, a small,
microphone-like instrument called a transducer is placed on the skin,
emits sound waves and picks up the echoes as they bounce off body tissues.
The echoes are converted into an image on a computer screen. A sonogram
helps distinguish normal findings like cysts or fat lobules from suspicious
breast changes that need biopsy.
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3D Magnetic Resonance Imaging: 3D magnetic resonance imaging of the breast provides excellent information
about lesions, normal and malignant tissues. An MRI uses magnetic fields,
not x-rays, to produce detailed images of the body. A contrast medium
(a special dye) is injected into a patient’s vein or given orally
(by mouth) to create a clearer picture of the breast. A breast MRI may
be used once a woman has been diagnosed with cancer to check the other
breast for cancer or to find out how much the disease has grown throughout
the breast.
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Image Guided Stereotactic Breast Biopsy: Using a local anesthesia to reduce discomfort, this image-guided biopsy
is able to remove several cores of sample tissue and used most often when
a distinct lump can’t be felt, but an abnormality is seen on a mammogram.
A needle is guided to the suspicious location with the help of 3D stereotactic
imaging technology. A small metal clip may be put into the breast to mark
where the biopsy sample was taken in case the tissue is cancerous and
surgery is needed.
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Genetic & Molecular Testing: Genetic and molecular tests have the potential to not only provide patients
with personalized diagnostic information, but also allow for specifically
tailored treatment plans, thus limiting resistance and toxicity. They
also supply prognostic information about cancer in its early stages, thereby
determining whether aggressive, early management is necessary. We can
administer the following genetic tests:
BRCA,
Mammoprint,
Oncotype,ER/PR, and
Her2.
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Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy: This surgery evaluates nearby lymph nodes for cancer cells by injecting
a dye and/or a radioactive tracer into the area of the cancer which travels
to the lymph nodes, arriving at the sentinel nodes first. The surgeon
removes the sentinel lymph nodes (usually about one to three nodes) The
pathologist examines them for cancer cells. If the sentinel lymph nodes
are cancer-free, there is a good possibility that the remaining lymph
nodes will also be free of cancer and no further surgery will be needed.
If the sentinel lymph nodes show evidence of cancer, then the surgeon
may perform an axillary lymph node dissection.
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Axillary Lymph Node Dissection: This surgery removes lymph nodes from under the arm, which are then examined
by a pathologist for cancer cells. Some women have more nodes than others.
So, you might be told that there were 17 nodes examined. Or, you might
be told that there were 7 or even 40. However, the total number of nodes
is less important than the number that is positive.
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Breast-sparing Lumpectomy: This breast conservation surgery removes the tumor as well as a small,
clear (cancer-free) margin of healthy tissue around it. Most of the breast
remains. For invasive cancer, follow-up radiation therapy to the remaining
breast tissue is generally recommended. A lumpectomy may also be called
a partial mastectomy.
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Skin-preserving Mastectomy: This surgery removes the entire breast and breast tissue. Newer mastectomy
techniques can preserve breast skin and allow for a more natural breast
appearance following the procedure. Surgery to restore shape to your breast
— called breast reconstruction — may be done at the same time
as your mastectomy or during a second operation at a later date.
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ESP Block: As with most surgeries postoperative pain after mastectomy may persist
in up to 60 percent of patients. Efforts to reduce post-operative pain
and inflammation include a multimodal approach with aims to improve both
short and long term pain. This approach includes administration of anti-inflammatory
and narcotic pain medications in addition to more selective pain relief
strategies including interventional anesthesia techniques. A novel procedure
called the Erector Spinae Plane Block (ESP Block) may be performed by
an anesthesiologist prior to procedures involving the upper abdomen and
chest. The ESP block is a procedure where an ultrasound guided regional
anesthetic is injected into a specific location in the muscles of the
back. This leads to 48-72 hours of pain relief immediately following the
surgery during a time when pain can be at its worst.
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Chemotherapy: Depending on the stage and molecular characteristics of the cancer, chemotherapy
or targeted therapy (including hormone therapy) may be part of the treatment.
Our medical oncology team customizes chemotherapies based on the patient
and the specifics of the cancer using complex drugs to destroy cancer
cells by stopping their ability to grow and divide. Chemotherapy is generally
given after surgery to lower the risk of recurrence or sometimes before
surgery to shrink the tumor.
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Radiation Therapy: Our radiation oncology specialists tailor treatments that offer superior
therapeutic results—often in half the time. Treatment may be complicated
by the structure of the breast and breast tissue’s irregular shape
and contours.
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Immunotherapy: When paired with chemotherapy, immunotherapy is changing the treatment
of cancer by harnessing the body's natural strength to fight cancer—empowering
the immune system to conquer more types of cancer. It uses substances
made by the body or in a laboratory to improve immune system function
which can help make the cancer cells more receptive to chemotherapy drugs.
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Hormone Therapy: After treatment for breast cancer ends, your healthcare team will develop
a follow-up care plan which may include regular physical examinations
and medical tests, like mammography, to monitor your recovery for the
coming months and years. It will also involve managing any ongoing or
late effects of treatment.
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Oncology Certified Nurses: Nurses who obtain certification by the Oncology Nursing Certification
Corporation (ONCC) provide tangible evidence that nurses have the knowledge
required to effectively provide care to patients experiencing the complex
problems associated with a diagnosis of cancer. Currently, 43% of our
oncology registered nurses system-wide are certified by the ONCC with
100% of our main campus chemotherapy nurses certified.
- Cancer Patient Navigator
- Support Groups
Memorial Breast Health Oak Park Campus
(337) 494-4755
Memorial Breast Health Women's Campus
(337) 480-7444
Click here to take the high risk breast assessment