Personalized breast screenings
Breast specialists at the Via Christi Breast Wellness Center in Heritage Plaza near the campus of Ascension Via Christi St. Francis in Wichita, Kansas, deliver compassionate, personalized breast care. We start by listening to understand you and your health concerns. And we’re dedicated to delivering care that’s right for you.
Comprehensive breast care services close to home
Our doctors at Via Christi Breast Wellness Center have the experience to diagnose and treat adults experiencing breast pain. Breast imaging is used to analyze dense breast tissue for hard-to-detect breast tumors. Our multidisciplinary team provides care for women with a family history of breast cancer, including genetic testing and counseling. We provide advanced care for women who have had a previous breast cancer diagnosis and treatment and those with breast biopsy-based risk factors.
Diagnostic breast imaging
Getting regular breast screenings may help find breast cancer early, when it is most treatable. If your mother, grandmother, maternal and paternal aunt, sister, or daughter has been diagnosed with breast cancer, getting a screening mammogram may be right for you.
Cancer screening guidelines recommend women get a mammogram every year, beginning at age 40. A doctor’s referral is needed for screening or diagnostic breast mammogram or MRI.
- 2D screening mammogram (a low-dose, high-quality image)
- 3D diagnostic mammogram (tomosynthesis)
- Breast MRI for advanced imaging that enhances dense breast tissue
Breast and lymph node biopsies
During the biopsy, a sample of breast tissue is removed and analyzed for cancer or other abnormal cells. Two types of biopsies are done at Via Christi Breast Wellness Center:
- Image-guided breast biopsy
- Lymph node biopsy
Other women’s health services
- DEXA bone density scan
- Fitness training for women
- Lymphedema screening
- Nutrition counseling
- Thyroid imaging
If more advanced testing is recommended, you’ll be connected to radiology at our nearby hospital, Via Christi St. Francis, or an imaging center in Wichita.
Talk to our cancer care nurse navigator
You do not need to navigate your care alone. If you are diagnosed with cancer, we’ll pair you with a cancer care nurse navigator. Your care navigator will help you schedule appointments, connect with other services you need, and answer your questions. No question is too small — when you have a concern or feel unsure, don’t hesitate to talk with your care team and ask your questions.
Cancer care team that focuses on women’s health
Cancer care is personal. So is how we care for you. When you choose Via Christi, you are connected to a network of women’s health specialists, including:
- Breast imaging radiologists
- Breast surgeons
- Plastic surgeons specializing in breast reconstructive surgery
- Medical oncologists
- Gynecologic cancer care
- Radiation therapy
- Cancer wellness care teams
As part of your care plan, your doctor may recommend surgery. Surgeons at Via Christi specialize in breast surgery for breast cancer and non-cancerous breast disease. Our breast surgeons perform breast-conserving surgery when possible. Plastic surgeons can evaluate if breast reconstruction immediately following mastectomy is an option for you.
Frequently asked questions about breast wellness services
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What is genetic testing and counseling – CORA?
Our care team provides genetic tests for BRCA1, BRCA2, and other hereditary genes that may increase your risk for breast and ovarian cancer. Our genetic nurse navigator schedules your genetic tests and coordinates a consultation with a telehealth genetic consultant. The virtual appointment can be done at the Breast Wellness Center or from your home.
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Why is lymphedema screening needed?
Lymphedema, a swelling in the body due to a buildup of lymph fluid, can develop after cancer chemotherapy, surgery or radiation therapy. Our care team provides lymphedema screening and, if detected, can connect you with physical therapy to help manage this condition.
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Are there nutrition and wellness programs and resources?
Nutrition education, counseling, support groups, yoga, spiritual care, and cancer rehabilitation therapy are available.
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Do you have an oncology-trained behavioral health specialist?
Our behavioral health professional specializes in a holistic approach to oncology supportive care.
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What would make me high risk for breast cancer?
Women who have inherited changes (mutations) to certain genes, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, are at higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer. High risk for breast cancer is defined as a greater than or equal to 20% lifetime risk, or in other words, a 1 in 5 chance of developing breast cancer over a lifetime. We encourage women and men to call the Via Christi Breast Wellness Center if they have close relatives with a history of cancer, especially if they have:
- A family member who was diagnosed with cancer before the age of 50 (e.g., mom was diagnosed at the age of 40)
- Multiple breast cancers in a family member
- Family history of triple-negative breast cancer at any age
- Three or more breast cancers on the same side of the family, regardless of age at diagnosis
- More than one blood relative with the same type of cancer
- Someone in the family who had multiple types of cancer (e.g., dad had both prostate and colon cancer)
- Family history of pancreatic cancer
- Any male family member with a breast cancer diagnosis
- Any family history of ovarian or breast cancer
- A known breast cancer genetic mutation, such as BRCA1 or BRCA 2
- A known cancer-related genetic mutation, such as Lynch syndrome
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How to measure your breast risk?
Use this tool to better understand risk factors for breast cancer.
