Breast Care

We understand that breast evaluation can be a frightening experience – at Andover Surgical, we strive to provide caring, prompt, and up-to-date breast health services. We are able to perform many breast biopsies in the comfort of our office using ultrasound guidance to accurately target the area of concern. This state-of-the-art procedure is led by Dr.Nancy Cho Landay, certified by the American Society of Breast Surgeons in Breast Ultrasound and is also certified by the American Society of Breast Surgeons in the Mastery of Breast Surgery Pilot Program.

Other Breast Health Services include:

Breast Cancer Facts

The most common sign of a breast cancer is a new lump or mass. A lump that is painless, hard, and has uneven edges is more likely to be a cancer, but breast cancers can also be soft, tender and rounded. It’s important to have any breast lump you notice evaluated by a doctor. Other signs of breast cancer can include swelling of all or part of the breast, skin irritation or dimpling, breast pain, nipple pain, a new turning-in (inversion) of the nipple, nipple discharge other than milk, scaling, redness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin, and a lump in the armpit. You should consult your doctor if you notice any of these findings.

One in eight U.S. women, sometime in their lifetime, will be found to have invasive breast cancer. Nearly 190,000 women in the U.S. in 2009 will be diagnosed with breast cancer. There are currently 2 ½ million breast cancer survivors living in the U.S.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer other than skin cancer in U.S. women. It is the second most common cause of cancer death in U.S. women after lung cancer.

Rates of death from breast cancer are decreasing probably because of earlier diagnosis and treatment.

We do not yet know exactly what causes breast cancer, but there are risk factors which are known to be linked to breast cancer. Some of these risk factors are things that can be changed, such as smoking and obesity, while others, such as gender, race, and family history cannot.

Five to ten percent of breast cancer is felt to be due to genetic changes (mutations) on certain genes, most commonly the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. It is important to remember that 70-80% of women with breast cancer have no family history of the disease.

The earlier breast cancer is found, the better the chances are that treatment will work.

About 1 in 10 women who get a mammogram will need more pictures taken. Most of these women do not have breast cancer, so don’t be alarmed if this happens to you. Only 2-4 out of 1000 mammograms leads to a diagnosis of cancer.

There are many different picture (imaging) tests available to evaluate the breast tissue for possible breast cancer. These include mammography, ultrasound, MRI, and ductography (galactography).

A biopsy is done to determine whether or not there is a breast cancer or other breast abnormality. There are many types of biopsies available and the type of biopsy is best chosen after consultation with your surgeon regarding your specific clinical situation. These include fine needle aspiration, ultrasound-guided core biopsy, stereotactic core biopsy, and open biopsy.

ACS Breast Screening Guidelines

The American Cancer Society recommends the following guidelines to find breast cancer early in women without symptoms:

Tests and Procedures