Patients with a family history of breast cancer and other risk factors might need more than just an annual breast exam.
“Primary care doctors are familiar with a lot of the procedures for regular risk,” explains Mercy nurse practitioner Laura Hooper, “but they might not know what to do with patients with a high risk of breast cancer.”
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Now, they can refer patients to Mercy’s High-Risk Breast Clinic. Formed last October by Mercy Breast Center and Mercy Clinic Breast Surgery–Clarkson-Clayton, the pilot program gives women earlier access to physicians trained specifically to treat high-risk patients.
When women visit Mercy for an annual screening, they fill out information about various risk factors: medical history, family history, prior biopsies, lifestyle choices, and more. Patients with more than a 20 percent risk of breast cancer may be eligible for additional screening, such as genetic testing and ongoing surveillance.
Since the clinic opened, in October, 13 percent of nearly 5,500 eligible screened patients were referred to the clinic. “There’s a good percentage of people out there who don’t know they’re at risk,” says Hooper. By offering additional consultation and screening, health care providers hope to inform patients even sooner.
New advances in breast surgery at SSM Health
New technology at SSM Health is making breast surgery quicker. At one time, physicians would insert an uncomfortable wire into the breast hours before surgery to mark dangerous lumps. Now, doctors can insert a small magnetic bead, or Magseed, days in advance. SSM Health has also replaced a nuclear medical dye with Magtrace, a liquid marker that can be administered at the time of surgery. As Dr. Aislinn Vaughan, medical director at SSM Health Breast Care, says, “The goal is to make breast cancer and breast surgery as painless as possible.”
