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Breast Cancer Services

What is Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is a malignant or potentially life-threatening tumor. Not all breast lumps or tumors are malignant. According to the National Women's Health Information Center, most lumps are benign or non-cancerous, although any unusual lump should always be examined by a doctor.

Men can develop breast cancer; however, the disease by far occurs more in women. In fact, it's estimated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that one in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.

For more information about breast cancer, including risk factors, types of breast cancer and treatment procedures, visit our Health Library. Don’t forget to print out the risk worksheet to help determine your risk for breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Detection

A mammogram is a special x-ray of the breast. Mammography can detect lumps and other forms of breast disease that may be too small to be felt by an experienced examiner. This early detection is your best opportunity for a total cure. X-ray equipment dedicated exclusively to performing mammograms is used. This allows us to use x-ray levels that are three to nine times lower than normal x-ray levels.

The American Cancer Society recommends that women have a baseline mammogram between the ages of 35 and 40 and receive a mammogram yearly after age 40. Women at high risk should have mammograms more often. Risk factors for women include:

Increased age
If she has never had children
If she had her first child after age 30
Cigarette smoking
High-fat diets

Remember, however, that 80% of breast cancers occur in women with no risk factors. One in eight American women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Another woman is newly diagnosed with the disease every three minutes. Three steps to early detection are:

Breast self exams every month beginning at age 18
Clinical breast exams by a healthcare professional every three years between the ages of 18 and 39, and every year from age 40
Screening mammograms annually from age 40

Mammogram Locations

Catholic Health offers mammograms at the following Buffalo, NY area facilities:

For more information on Imaging and Radiology services offered at Catholic Health, click here.

Groundbreaking Treatment at Sisters Hospital

The Breast Cancer Program at Sisters of Charity Hospital was the first in Western New York to perform partial breast radiation following lumpectomy. The procedure uses a new “balloon” device that delivers exact amounts of radiation to the cancer site. This procedure spares the healthy breast and surrounding tissue.

More Information

For more information on breast cancer services provided by Catholic Health, please call our HealthConnection line at (716) 447-6205, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday - Friday.