Lake Charles Breast Diagnostics
Advanced Breast Screening Technology
Make a mammogram appointment today! 337.494.4755 or 337.480.7444
Our breast cancer diagnostic professionals use the most advanced tests to determine the specifics of the type of cancer to determine therapy and treatment protocols that are the best course of action.
3D Mammography
Mammograms can find small tumors or irregularities in the breast. The latest
3D mammography
provides more accurate breast cancer screenings for dense and non-dense
breasts. A Genius™
3D exam allows the doctor to view each layer of the breast like the pages
of a book with fine details more visible and no longer hidden by tissue
above or below. Based on the American College of Radiology guidelines,
mammograms are recommended annually for:
1. Asymptomatic women age 40 and older who are at average risk for breast cancer.
2. Asymptomatic women under age 40 who are at increased risk for breast cancer.
- Woman with known mutation or genetic syndrome with increased breast cancer risk: yearly starting by age 30, but not before age 25
- Untested woman with a first-degree relative with known BRCA mutation: yearly starting by age 30, but not before age 25
- Woman with a 20% or greater lifetime risk for breast cancer based on breast cancer risk models: yearly starting by age 30, but not before age 25, or 10 years earlier than the age at which the youngest first-degree relative was diagnosed, whichever is later
- Woman with a history of chest (mantle) radiation received between the ages of 10 and 30: yearly starting 8 years after the radiation therapy, but not before age 25
- Woman with biopsy-proven lobular neoplasia, atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH), ductal carcinoma, yearly
- In-situ (DCIS), invasive breast cancer, or ovarian cancer: yearly from time of diagnosis,regardless of age
3. There is no defined upper age limit at which mammography may not be
beneficial. Screening
with mammography should be considered as long as the patient is in good
health and is willing
to undergo additional testing, including biopsy, if an abnormality is detected.
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.
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.
Image-guided Stereotactic Biopsy
This procedure removes several large cores of sample tissue. Local anesthesia
is used to reduce
discomfort. This biopsy is done when a distinct lump can’t be felt,
but an abnormality is seen
with an imaging test, such as on a mammogram. During this procedure, a
needle is guided to the best 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
more surgery is needed. An image-guided biopsy can be done using a fine
needle, core needle, or vacuum-assisted biopsy, depending on the amount
of tissue that needs to be removed.
Surgical biopsy removes the largest amount of tissue. A surgical biopsy
may be incisional (removes part of the lump) or excisional (removes the
entire lump). Most often, non-surgical core biopsies are recommended to
diagnose breast cancer. This means that only one surgical procedure is
needed to remove the tumor and to take samples of the lymph nodes.
A pathologist studies the removed tissue and can tell which area of the
breast the cancer started
in (ductal or lobular), whether the tumor has spread outside this area
(invasive or in situ), and how different the cancer cells look from healthy
breast cells (the grade). If the tumor was removed, the margins (edges
of the tumor) will also be examined to see if cancer cells are present
and to measure their distance from the tumor. Laboratory tests on the
tumor sample help identify specific genes, proteins, and other factors
unique to the tumor and determine the most effective treatment options.
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.
View our comprehensive Breast Health Brochure here.
Memorial Breast Health Oak Park Campus
(337) 494-4755
Memorial for Women Breast Health
(337) 480-7444
