A comprehensive breast cancer screening at UH Ahuja Medical Center could be a lifesaver
By Laura Briedis
The medical community takes Breast Cancer Awareness Month to heart—and for good reason. It saves lives.
Observed every October, it plays a vital role in encouraging women to get screenings and take charge of their health. Though breast cancer is the second-most common cancer diagnosed in women. If caught early it is highly curable.
“When we diagnose breast cancer in Stage 1, there is a 99% survival rate at five years,” says Amanda Amin, MD, co-director of the breast program at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center. To that end, the Breast Center at UH Ahuja Medical Center provides comprehensive breast cancer screening and diagnostic tools, as well as advanced treatment plans.
Opened last summer as part of the hospital’s extensive phase two expansion, it serves as a one-stop resource, where all of the subspecialties are in one location.
“The center is a combination of a robust breast imaging space and numerous multidisciplinary providers, including surgical, medical and radiation oncologists, plastic surgeons, nurse practitioners, and breast specialist support staff.”
Understanding Your Risk
Accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, Ahuja Medical Center has implemented new standards and started to perform risk models this year.
“We are focused on having women understand their risk for breast cancer,” Dr. Amin says. “For patients who have a high risk, they may need more than just an annual mammogram.”
“Our radiology team performs risk model assessments on everyone who comes in for a mammogram as part of the regular screening to help patients understand their future risk,” Dr. Amin says.
Some factors that may put women in the high-risk category include family history of breast or ovarian cancer, having dense breast tissue and lifestyle choices.
“Those who are at high risk of developing breast cancer over their lifetime are encouraged to be seen in our high risk clinic, where the staff can provide tailored treatment and help mitigate their risk,” Dr. Amin says. “So if a breast cancer does occur over time, we are catching it at its earliest stage when it is highly curable, or, if we intervene with medicines, perhaps they never develop breast cancer.”
“We are the only institution in town that offers high-risk screening with Fast Breast MRI,” she adds. “An alternative for those who find an MRI challenging, we also offer Contrast Enhanced Mammography as a new advanced screening tool.”
Breast Conserving Surgery
For those patients who are diagnosed with breast cancer, there are promising new treatments and procedures.
“We have strong interest in breast conserving surgeries,” Dr. Amin says. “Though a mastectomy is a good option for some women, oftentimes, since our imaging is so good and we are identifying cancer at remarkably early stages, many women are candidates for breast conserving surgeries. We use wireless location techniques to precisely remove only the amount of breast tissue needed, so the change to the volume and shape of the breast is quite minimal. We approach it in cosmetically pleasing ways by using incisions that are hidden around the border of the areola or in the inframammary fold.”
“We also have data that demonstrates survival is improved with breast conservation over mastectomy,” Dr. Amin says. “We want women to understand that bigger surgery does not equal better outcome.”
Currently, there also are clinic trials exploring the opportunities to omit radiation after breast conservation, so sometimes the only treatment needed is the incision of the cancer itself.
“I am passionate about women’s health,” Dr. Amin says. “Women taking care of women is very special. The things I do as a surgeon can alter a woman’s appearance and femininity, so a patient’s overall mental health and well-being are incredibly important to me.”
University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center is located at 3999 Richmond Road in Beachwood. For more information call 440-919-9520 or visit UHHospitals.org/Ahuja.