High-risk breast cancer

Care teams at Ascension Saint Thomas support women at high-risk for breast cancer with prevention, imaging and a personalized care plan.

High-risk breast cancer care in Nashville

Ascension Saint Thomas breast health specialists provide personalized care, prevention and screening for women at high risk for breast cancer

About high-risk breast cancer care at Ascension Saint Thomas

At Ascension Saint Thomas in Nashville, your doctor and care team are here to listen, support you and answer your questions. Understanding your risk and getting recommended screenings may help detect cancer early. Your care team works with you to create a personalized care plan and connect you to the care that you need.

Support for women at risk for breast cancer

Being at high-risk for breast cancer can come with many questions and concerns and may require earlier breast screening and additional testing. At Ascension Saint Thomas, we created PINK, a high-risk breast program designed to support women with an increased risk for breast cancer.

PINK at Ascension Saint Thomas focuses on:

Preventive care for breast cancer
Imaging and testing
Navigation and support
Key risk factor monitoring

PINK is a dedicated program for women to help them manage their breast health through prevention and monitoring. Women who may benefit from this program include those with:

A family history of breast cancer
A known genetic mutation, such as BRCA1, BRCA2 and other breast cancer-related genes
A history of abnormal breast biopsies
Prior radiation exposure to the chest
Other breast cancer risks factors

Comprehensive high-risk breast cancer care

Our comprehensive high-risk breast cancer program provides personalized care plans tailored to your individual risk. Breast specialists perform risk assessments to help determine your lifetime risk for breast cancer. Based on your risk, our dedicated Advanced Practice Provider (APP) breast-certified women’s health nurse practitioner will support you with next steps for early detection and long-term breast health.

If breast cancer is detected, you’ll have access to a team of breast surgeons and cancer specialists in Nashville who work together to create a treatment plan that’s right for you.

The PINK high-risk program includes:

Advanced imaging
Breast health education
Clinical breast exam
Genetic counseling and testing
Lifestyle counseling
Risk-reducing therapies

Breast cancer is often more treatable when found early. Women at high-risk can benefit from more frequent and advanced screening, such as breast MRI in addition to mammography.

Schedule a consultation

Schedule a consultation with our high-risk breast care team today.

CALL 615-284-7465

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How we diagnose breast cancer

Cancer specialists who know you and your condition review your treatment and progress. Your care team focuses on identifying whether the tumor is noninvasive or invasive, determining where the tumor began and whether the cancer has spread. We use advanced molecular and genetic testing to help guide treatment planning. To diagnose breast cancer, your doctor may recommend testing, such as:

The latest imaging supports mammogram screening and diagnostic tests for advanced care, including 3D mammograms, breast ultrasound, abbreviated breast MRI, and magnetic seed and needle (wire) localization biopsy.

Blood tests can give your doctor a lot of information. They can detect whether certain elements in your blood are in a normal range, and can help confirm or rule out certain conditions.

If you have a higher risk or family history of cancer, your doctor may recommend genetic screening, testing or counseling.

Breast biopsy tests are used to evaluate breast cells and help your doctor confirm your diagnosis and cancer stage.

How we treat breast cancer

Your treatment options for breast cancer may include medication, therapy or surgery.

Breast reconstruction is surgery to create a new breast shape in place of a breast that has been removed (mastectomy). It can be done with implants or with tissue from another part of your body. Sometimes both are used to rebuild a breast shape. The breast mound created comes as close as possible to the shape and look of a natural breast.

Surgery may be done to reconstruct either one breast (unilateral) or both breasts (bilateral). The goal of the unilateral reconstruction is to create a breast mound that matches the other breast. If both breasts have been removed, the goal of the surgery is to create both breast mounds about the size of your natural breasts.

This type of surgery, also known as a lumpectomy or partial mastectomy, only removes the tumor in its entirety. The goal of this surgery is to remove the cancer, while saving as much of the healthy breast tissue as possible. Our surgeons can discuss immediate breast reconstruction, including consultation with a plastic surgeon.

Hormones are chemicals made by glands, like the thyroid, pancreas, adrenal glands, ovaries and testicles. Hormones help some types of cancer cells grow. Some cancers that might be sensitive to hormones and be treated with hormone therapy include breast, prostate, thyroid, endometrial, and adrenal cancers. Hormone therapy can make the cancer cells grow more slowly or stop them from growing.

As a cancer treatment, hormone therapy may mean taking medicines that block the activity of the hormone, prevent the body from producing the hormone or alter the hormone. Sometimes hormone therapy involves surgically removing the gland that's making the hormones.

Specially trained physical therapists deliver therapy to help manage lymphedema symptoms, such as swelling and pain.

Advanced radiation therapy is used to target and destroy cancer cells while preserving the surrounding healthy tissue.

Your cancer care team provides support from nutrition education and counseling to breast cancer support groups and spiritual care. At Ascension Saint Thomas Cancer Care sites of care, our healing gardens and chapels are always open to patients and your loved ones. We offer supportive care and activities for the whole you.

Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that boosts your body’s immune system to help it recognize and attack cancer cells. It uses substances that are either made in the body or in a lab to shrink tumors or slow tumor growth.

Frequently asked questions about our breast cancer care services

At Ascension Saint Thomas cancer care, your doctor and care team get to know you well, and you’ll receive care for the whole person — from physical health and well-being to mental and emotional health to support for your family and caregivers. We provide innovative medication treatments, the latest surgical technologies and techniques, high-tech radiation facilities and support services. Our breast surgeons are part of a national team of cancer specialists sharing the latest in cancer care knowledge and research.

Getting regular breast health screenings and health check-ups may help find breast cancer early, when it’s most treatable. We recommend women get a mammogram each year, starting at age 40, or earlier if you have a family history of breast cancer. When you choose women’s health and breast specialists at Ascension Saint Thomas Cancer Care in Nashville, Tennessee, for your care, you are connected to all the care you need – from routine screenings to advanced care.

We can connect you with resources and programs that may be able to help you and your family with options for financial assistance. Our financial counseling team is here to listen to your concerns and work with you to help find options that meet your needs. Your cancer care navigator can connect you to a financial counselor.

At Ascension Saint Thomas cancer center and clinics, we offer convenient parking. Talk to your care team if you have transportation needs.

Surgical oncologists and anesthesiologists provide enhanced recovery pathways as part of your surgical care plan. They are an important part of our cancer treatment programs. Each pathway is personalized for different types of cancer treatment, to help speed up your recovery after surgery. Your care team uses these protocols to help you prepare for what to expect before, during and after surgery.