Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women. LifeBridge Health offers screening, diagnostics and the full array of treatment options to detect and treat breast cancer.

Screening and Diagnosis

Breast cancer diagnosis involves the use of screening tools.  Three tests are commonly used to screen for breast cancer and are utilized at the The Herman and Walter Samuelson Breast Care Center at Northwest Hospital:

1. Breast Self-Exam (BSE) � When a women checks her own breasts for lumps or anything else that seems unusual.

2. Clinical Breast Exam (CBE) � When a doctor or other health professional examines a woman�s breasts by carefully feeling the breasts and under the arms for lumps or anything else that seems unusual.

3. Mammogram � An X-ray of the breast that  may be able to find tumors that are to small to feel by breast self-exam or by clinical breast exam.

Treatment

Breast cancer treatment includes four different types of therapies.  Each person�s treatment is different and may consist of one or a combination of these four.

1. Surgery  
Many patients with breast cancer have surgery to remove the cancer from the breast. Some of the lymph nodes under the arm are usually taken and examined  under a microscope to see if they contain cancer cells.  LifeBridge Health has many surgeons who offer state-of the-art treatment for all solid tumors. Surgical procedures include:

Lumpectomy: A surgical procedure to remove a tumor (lump) and a small amount of normal tissue around it.

Partial mastectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the part of the breast that contains cancer and some normal tissue around it.

Lymph node dissection: A surgical procedure to remove some of the lymph nodes under the arm  for biopsy.

Total mastectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the whole breast that contains cancer. Some of the lymph nodes under the arm may be removed for biopsy at the same time as or after  the breast surgery. If lymph nodes are removed, it is done through a separate incision.

Modified radical mastectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the whole breast that contains cancer, many of the lymph nodes under the arm, the lining over the chest muscles and, sometimes, part of the muscles in the chest wall.

Radical mastectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the breast that contains cancer, chest wall muscles under the breast and all of the lymph nodes under the arm.

Treatment given after surgery to increase the chances of a cure is called adjuvant therapy. Adjuvant therapy can be a combination of radiation therapy, hormone therapy and/or chemotherapy.

2. Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy X-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells.  The Department of Radiation Oncology at Sinai Hospital provides the most advanced radiotherapy for many cancers. 

3. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing. The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.  The  Medical Oncology/Hematology at Sinai directs the chemotherapy program throughout LifeBridge Health.

4. Hormone therapy
Hormone therapy is a cancer treatment that removes hormones or blocks their action and stops cancer cells from growing. An example of hormone therapy is Tamoxifen.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are research studies conducted with patients who volunteer.   The studies examine basic questions and try to find better ways to prevent, screen for, diagnose or treat a disease. Patients who take part in cancer clinical trials receive up-to-date care from experts as part of the trial.

For trials currently available to breast cancer patients click here:

Physicians

Surgeons
Miles Harrison, M.D.
Alan Davis, M.D.
Rhonda Fischel, M.D.

Medical Oncologists
Stephen Noga, M.D.
Rodrigo Erlich, M.D.
Nancy Vander Velde, M.D.
Marvin (Jack) Feldman, M.D.
David Riseberg, M.D.

The Herman and Walter Samuelson Breast Care Center at Northwest Hospital:
Located at Northwest Hospital Center, The Herman and Walter Samuelson Breast Care Center offers the most advanced diagnosis and treatment in the Baltimore region. In addition to state-of-the-art mammography, diagnostic breast ultrasound equipment and stereotactic biopsy help physicians make  accurate diagnoses.

Outpatient Chemotherapy Infusion Services
Our Infusion Center located at Sinai Hospital has been designed for comfort.  Overlooking a peaceful garden, it is a welcoming place for patients receiving chemotherapy.  It is staffed by oncology certified nurses and nurse practitioners.

Image Recovery Center
Undergoing treatment for cancer can take a toll on a patient�s whole body and self-image. The specialists here know how to help improve a cancer patient�s  self-image. The Image Recovery Center, located at Sinai Hospital, is led by Marianne Kelly, founder of the Image Recovery Program. She is a cancer survivor and has been a professional hair designer for 30 years. She is also certified in image consulting, makeup artistry and breast prosthesis fitting.

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