Health, healing, and hope—the Baskin Breast Care Center at Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC) strives to offer these to everyone who passes through our doors. Our team also looks beyond the Baskin Breast Care Center to spread health, healing and hope throughout western Yavapai County.
How do we accomplish this? Our Breast Care Center’s multidisciplinary team—physicians, nurses, imaging professionals, volunteers and more—are committed to providing comprehensive and coordinated breast care in a compassionate and supportive environment. We bring together vital diagnostic tools, care coordination, health education and essential support programs in one convenient location.
Our screening, diagnostic and other services include:
The Baskin Breast Care Center team is here to guide anyone diagnosed with breast cancer to the best treatment possible. We partner with surgeons to help patients coordinate care and:
- Understand biopsy results
- Plan for surgery
- Determine post-surgery treatment options (radiation and/or chemotherapy)
- Make a decision regarding reconstructive surgery
The Breast Care Center team also works with community-based oncologists, treatment facilities, and YRMC Infusion Therapy Services to meet the needs of patients.
Our breast MRI system—one of approximately 50 nationwide—delivers dramatically superior images, speedier results and greater comfort. Physicians sometimes request breast MRI in order to further evaluate areas of concern detected during a mammogram, ultrasound or physical exam. After a positive biopsy, breast MRI is used to thoroughly evaluate the rest of the breast tissue.
A physician may recommend breast ultrasound after a suspicious mammogram finding or if a patient has specific breast symptoms such as a lump or breast tenderness. This diagnostic tool uses sound waves to produce images of breast tissue.
This technology was developed specifically for breast tissue to produce exceptionally clear images. High-definition breast ultrasound exams can be customized for different types of breast tissue—fatty or dense, for example. It also features a lightweight transducer – the handheld device used during an ultrasound – which also enhances images.
High-definition breast ultrasound is used as follow up to a suspicious finding from a mammogram or as an annual screening for women at high-risk for breast cancer. From the patient's perspective, high-definition breast ultrasound is similar to a traditional ultrasound, but the procedure typically takes less time.
Our two digital mammography units meet the high standards set by the American College of Radiology. The sharp images we capture during digital mammography are easily shared with your caregiver network through our Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system.
This imaging technique helps locate a mass within the breast’s ductal system.
DXA, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry is similar to a mammogram in that the radiation dose is very minimal and the information is extremely important. This simple, painless exam measures bone density. During a DXA exam an x-ray generator is located below the patient and an imaging device, or detector, is positioned above. The detector passes over the patient, generating images on a computer monitor. The exam lasts approximately 10 minutes. The radiologist interprets the exam and then shares the results with the patient’s doctor.
During a needle aspiration, a physician extracts fluid from a mass in the breast or lymph node. The cells in the fluid are then studied by a pathologist in order to make a diagnosis.
During this procedure, an image-guided tool is used to biopsy areas of the breast that have palpable masses—breast lumps or abnormalities that can be detected during a clinical breast exam. It’s also used to biopsy any suspicious areas that are only visible on imaging tests. Core needle biopsies can be performed using stereotactic, ultrasound or MRI guidance.
This is a type of core needle biopsy that uses a computer-guided needle to gather breast tissue for diagnosis. Stereotactic biopsy helps eliminate the need for surgical biopsy.
This new technology, known as breast tomosynthesis, creates a 3-dimensional image that helps radiologists see more of the breast tissue than they can with a standard 2-dimensional mammogram. This helps to reduce false positive results leading to fewer patients having to be brought back for additional testing—a longtime goal of healthcare providers.