About the BreastCare Center
Comprehensive Evaluation and Treatment
The BreastCare Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center features a complete range of diagnostic evaluations including:
We consult on, assess, treat and manage a wide array of breast concerns such as:
Your Experience at BIDMC
If you have an abnormal mammogram, or symptoms that may indicate breast disease or cancer, we work together with your referring physician to provide:
We review your medical record and symptoms, and then design a course of treatment that is right for you. Care can include meeting with a breast surgeon, or visiting our multidisciplinary clinic. In our multidisciplinary clinic, you can see a breast surgeon, medical oncologist and radiation oncologist on the same day, in one location, for convenience and ease. You may meet with one or several doctors at the same time, who are also available to one another for immediate discussion about your care.
Whether you see one of our surgeons, or visit our multidisciplinary clinic, you can expect:
- A physical examination
- A review of your existing imaging studies
- A discussion about next steps
If you have had a biopsy, it is important for us to review the report and have our pathologists look at the actual slides from the biopsy.
Multidisciplinary Conference
During your visit, after you meet with our specialists, our multidisciplinary team of experts will conference together to review your information and combined recommendations for care. Our radiologists present your imaging studies and our pathologists review the results of your tissue biopsy. Breast surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, and nurse practitioners voice their opinions. Together as a team – focused solely on you – we reach agreement on the best treatment options for your particular breast cancer. Before you leave the BreastCare Center, we will present you and your support person with a comprehensive plan of care. This written plan describes your treatment and follow-up recommendations.
Our clinic and multidisciplinary conference offers you an integrated approach to evaluation and treatment to:
- Enhance diagnostic accuracy
- Provide the most appropriate care, based on the location and extent of your breast cancer
- Give you the broadest range of treatment choices
- Personalize your care, and address your questions and concerns
Coordinated, Compassionate, Innovative Cancer Care
A founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC), we offer access to the most clinically innovative, comprehensive care for breast cancer available anywhere. The DF/HCC –- comprised of seven Harvard-affiliated medical centers –- is funded by a grant from the National Cancer Institute.
At BIDMC, clinically accomplished specialists will coordinate your care. Focused solely on breast cancer, our multidisciplinary team includes:
- Dedicated world-class breast pathologists specializing in the accurate diagnosis of breast cancer and other breast diseases
- Radiologists dedicated to breast imaging
- Dedicated breast surgeons with special training in breast surgery, and plastic surgeons specializing in innovative reconstruction techniques such as muscle-sparing reconstructive procedures
- Radiation oncologists with research and clinical expertise in the most advanced breast radiation therapy techniques
- Medical oncologists who, as members of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, offer the most advanced treatment therapies for breast cancer and participation in a wide range of national clinical trials and research studies
- Oncology nurses and social workers exclusively devoted to the care and support of women with breast cancer
- Nurse practitioners concentrating in women’s health and breast-care concerns
- Rehabilitation Therapists specializing in maintaining range-of-motion and building strength after breast surgery
- Nutrition and stress management programs to improve overall health after cancer care
- Genetic counselors and medical oncologists specializing in cancer genetics and risk assessment
Family History
The Cancer Genetics and Prevention Program focuses on the hereditary risk of cancer, including breast and ovarian cancer. Some individuals have a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer. Our team of cancer-risk specialists, including a genetic counselor, can review your detailed family history and discuss:
- Your risk of inheriting cancer
- The risks and benefits of genetic testing
- How to reduce the chance of developing related cancers in the future
- How to increase the chance of early detection
- The clinical studies currently underway at BIDMC
Focusing on Your Needs
The BreastCare Center is uniquely focused on managing the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of each of our patients. Besides providing day-to-day and long-term care and support, we offer access to BIDMC’s extensive network of cancer support resources, including:
