Breast Care Center

American College of Radiology Award Breast Cancer Imaging Center of Excellence

Mercy Breast Care Center has been designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology

Medical experts recognize mammograms are an essential part of safeguarding the health of women over 40. The American Cancer Society (ACS) reports 18% of all breast cancers occur in women ages 40 to 49. Yet studies show mammography has reduced breast cancer-related deaths by 36-44% among women in their forties. Considered the most accurate method of detecting early-stage breast cancer, mammograms help save lives.

If you are over 40 and have never had a mammogram – or a recent mammogram revealed the need for further breast evaluation – you may be unsure of your next step.

At Mercy our desire is to set you at ease about mammography and related diagnostic procedures. Mercy Breast Care Center, located at our main campus, takes a personal, confidential approach with each patient, providing not only medical services, but also a variety of programs for special breast health needs and individual case management when necessary.

SCREENING MAMMOGRAPHY

Women over 40 without breast complaints should undergo an annual x-ray examination of the breast, also known as a screening mammogram. Used as a preventive tool, the goal of screening mammography is to find cancer too small to be felt by you or your doctor.

Each of the six Mercy mammography sites offers private rooms and a female staff of certified technologists. Our state-of-the- art mammography equipment delivers low-dose x-ray radiation, and all units have been accredited by the American College of Radiology.

Select locations provide early morning and Saturday appointments. All mammograms should be scheduled after receiving your doctor’s referral.

During a screening mammogram, you are required to undress above the waist and put on the provided wrap. A technologist then positions your breasts for the mammogram. The procedure takes approximately 20 minutes and includes a few seconds of breast compression. You will receive your mammogram results within 30 days.

If anything requires further evaluation, you will be contacted within five working days.

AN ABNORMAL MAMMOGRAM

Sometimes a screening mammogram may reveal a breast abnormality that requires additional assessment using an appropriate diagnostic procedure. At Mercy Breast Care Center, our nurse coordinator will provide you with support and information, answer any questions you or your family may have, and act as a liaison between you, referring physicians, and – if necessary – surgeons and medical oncologists. The nurse coordinator also stays with you during all procedures at Mercy Breast Care Center and maintains contact with you throughout any subsequent treatment.

The American Cancer Society guidelines for the detection of breast cancer in women without symptoms are:

Women 40 and older should have a mammogram every year.
Women 40 and older should have a physical breast examination every year, performed by a health care professional such as a physician, physician assistant, nurse or nurse practitioner. This exam should take place near – and preferably before – the annual mammogram.
Women ages 20-39 should have a physical breast examination every three years performed by a health care professional.
Women 20 and older should perform breast self-examinations every month.

To contact the nurse coordinator, call 330-580-4727.

DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES

Current medical technology now makes it possible to diagnose breast cancer without surgery. In addition to screening mammography, Mercy Breast Care Center offers a full range of mammography and other minimally invasive biopsy procedures, including:

Diagnostic Mammogram – More detailed than a screening mammogram, a diagnostic mammogram is an x-ray of the breast used when a woman has a breast complaint (breast mass, nipple discharge, etc.) or an abnormality is found during a screening mammogram.

Breast Ultrasound – Used to help identify breast cysts and other abnormalities, an ultrasound may be utilized alone or in conjunction with mammography. The ultrasound is a particularly useful test for women under 30 or women with dense breast tissue.

Breast Biopsy – Being told you need a breast biopsy can be a frightening experience. However, the majority of breast biopsies do not reveal cancer. Using equipment specifically designed for breasts, the biopsy takes about an hour to perform, costs less than surgical biopsy, requires only a local anesthetic and does not leave scars.

Breast MRI and Breast MRI Needle Localization – Mercy was the first Stark County hospital to offer breast MRI and breast MRI needle localization. The breast MRI, which employs magnetization and radio waves instead of x-rays to produce detailed images, may be used in addition to other diagnostic procedures.

Mercy Breast Care Center also provides ductograms, stereotactic breast biopsies, needle localizations and breast ultrasound-guided biopsy.

SUPPORT SERVICES

Mercy Breast Care Center offers a variety of programs focused on special breast health needs of women, including breast cancer prevention, education and support services.

For more information about support services, call 330-430-2777.

ANGEL NETWORK

Although African American women are less likely to develop breast cancer than other races, statistics show their mortality rate is higher. To address this concern, Mercy Cancer Center adopted a local chapter of the African American Women Nurturing and Giving Each Other Life (ANGEL) Network.

Supporting African American women that want to take charge of their breast health, Mercy’s ANGEL Network – funded in part by a grant from the Northeast Ohio Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure – promotes early-detection programs, access to screenings and breast health education.

MERCY BOUTIQUE

When a serious illness affects a person’s physical strength and appearance, self-esteem and emotional well-being are often undermined. Mercy Boutique was created to be a sanctuary of hope and healing for cancer survivors and individuals with other medical conditions. Products include custom breast prostheses, mastectomy forms, specialty bras, lymphedema products, wigs, swim forms, scar reduction sheets and many other beauty-enhancing items.

At Mercy Medical Center, we’re committed to helping you take charge of your breast health. Whether you need to schedule your annual mammogram, require diagnostic breast procedures, or have special breast health needs, Mercy Breast Care Center offers you quality, compassionate care in a comfortable, private environment.

CLINICAL STUDIES

Mercy Breast Care Center currently participates in several national clinical trial organizations including National Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) and Clinical Trial Support Unit (CTSU). Each of these groups offers a number of trials specific to breast cancer. Clinical trials are research studies that answer specific questions about new ways to improve cancer care and/or to assess the safety and efficacy of new approaches to prevent, detect, diagnose and treat cancer. Often enrollment in a clinical trial can provide access to newer drugs that might not otherwise be available. Other clinical trials utilize currently available drugs in different regimes that appear more promising than standard therapy.

For more information about breast cancer trials, call one of our research coordinators at 330- 588-4588, 330-588-4589 or 330-489-1274.

SCREENING MAMMOGRAPHY LOCATIONS

MERCY MEDICAL CENTER
1320 Mercy Drive NW, Canton, OH 44708
MERCY HEALTH CENTER OF JACKSON
7337 Caritas Circle NW, Massillon, OH 44646
MERCY HEALTH CENTER OF NORTH CANTON
6200 Whipple Avenue NW, North Canton, OH 44720
MERCY HEALTH CENTER OF LOUISVILLE
1302 West Main Street, Louisville, OH 44641
MERCY HEALTH CENTER OF CARROLL COUNTY
125 Canton Road, Carrollton, OH 44615
MERCY HEALTH CENTER OF TUSCARAWAS COUNTY
1031 West High Avenue, New Philadelphia, OH 44663

Diagnostic mammograms must be scheduled at Mercy Medical Center’s main campus, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

For a screening or diagnostic mammogram appointment, call Mercy Breast Care Center at 330-489-1493.

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Featured Topics

Quality Standards

Qualitystandards-graphic2 Breast Cancer The Mercy Cancer Center takes great pride in the care we deliver. To monitor the quality of that care, we track specific quality measures and compare them to benchmark measures. We think consumers have the right to know this information so you can draw your own conclusions regarding your health care choices. Quality data can be confusing so Mercy Cancer Center is taking the initiative to publish this information in an understandable format. We invite you to review this information and please call us if you have questions. We are committed to providing the very highest quality cancer care. Breast cancer quality data is the first to be published. Please refer back to our web site in the coming months to see quality data for other cancer diagnoses. Breast Cancer Quality Data Mammography MQSA Certification 5-Year Breast Cancer Survival Rate Percentage of Early Stage Breast Cancer Minimally Invasive Breast Biopsy Breast Conservation Surgery Radiation Treatment with Breast Conservation Surgery Mammography MQSA Certification When you have a mammogram, you want to be confident that your healthcare facility is certified and meets the highest standards for personnel qualifications, equipment, radiation dose, quality assurance programs, recordkeeping and reporting. Congress enacted the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) to ensure women have access to quality mammography services. To become MQSA certified, mammography facilities must employ only registered mammography technologists and undergo a thorough annual inspection conducted by federally trained and certified State surveyors who review over 50 quality indicators. Mercy National % Annual Inspections with No MQSA Violations 100%* 76.4% 100% at all Mercy locations: Main Campus, North Canton, Jackson, Louisville, Carrollton 5-Year Breast Cancer Survival Rate Overall survival from breast cancer is the most important goal. Survival is tied to the stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis. Five-year survival rate (the percentage of women who are still alive five years after diagnosis) is the standard measurement that is used to express the outlook for your disease. The cancer stage - noted as a number from 0 to IV - is based on the size of the tumor and whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. The lower the number, the less disease. It is important to remember that these survival rates are based on averages. Some women with advanced breast cancer live significantly longer than seven years and researchers are constantly developing new treatment alternatives to prolong breast cancer survival. Mercy National Combined Stage 0-II 87.4% 87.1% Combined Stage III-IV 40.9% 42.9% Combined All Stages 82.7% 82.3% Source: CIRF Cancer Registry Reported to National Cancer Database Percentage of Early Stage Breast Cancer Because disease stage at diagnosis significantly influences survival, it is critical to diagnose breast cancers as early as possible. Mercy Cancer Center tracks the percentage of breast cancers diagnosed at Stage 0 through II which offer women the greatest advantage of long-term survival. Mercy National % of Breast Cancers Diagnosed at Stage 0-II 91.4% 83.2% Source: CIRF Cancer Registry Reported to National Cancer Database Minimally Invasive Breast Biopsy Minimally invasive breast biopsy involves taking a core of breast tissue rather than performing an incision to remove a breast tissue sample. Research shows that conventional surgical biopsies present certain disadvantages including prolonged time to diagnosis, breast scarring, increased pain for the patient and substantially higher costs than the minimally invasive options. It is important to note that not all breast lesions can be biopsied by minimally invasive techniques, but it is a biopsy technique that should be considered when appropriate. Mercy National % of Minimally Invasive Breast Biopsies 75.6% 65% Source: CIRF Cancer Registry Reported to National Cancer Database Breast Conservation Surgery The National Institutes of Health has recommended breast conservation surgery (lumpectomy) rather than mastectomy for the majority of women with early stage, invasive breast cancer. Lumpectomy decreases the potential for adverse effects from surgery and minimizes physical alterations. More importantly, studies have proven that long-term survival is no different. Despite these facts, some women still opt for mastectomy. Mercy National % Breast Conservation Surgery 65.8% 65% Source: CIRF Cancer Registry and Oncology Roundtable Survey Radiation Treatment with Breast Conservation Surgery The purpose of breast conservation therapy is to give women the same cure rate they would have if they were treated with a mastectomy but to leave the breast intact, with an appearance and texture as close as possible to what they had before treatment. Breast conservation surgery (lumpectomy) is almost always followed by radiation therapy. The purpose of the radiation treatment is to decrease the recurrence of breast cancer in the remaining breast tissue. Years of clinical study have proven that breast conservation therapy offers the same cure rate as mastectomy. Mercy National % Patients with Breast Conserving Surgery that Received Radiation 93.4% 85.0% Source: CIRF Cancer Registry and NCCN 9th Annual Conference Other Measures of Quality The mark of excellence can also be defined by other important quality indicators that are not demonstrated through statistics. Mercy Cancer Center is committed to excellence in cancer care as evidenced by: Three-year accreditation with accommodation as a Comprehensive Community Hospital Cancer Center by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer Timely and accurate submission of all patient data to the National Cancer Data Base Accreditation of Stereotactic Breast Biopsy Services by the American College of Radiology Bi-weekly multidisciplinary Breast Cancer Conferences Weekly multidisciplinary Tumor Conferences Mercy Medical Center Medical Staff comprised of 94% Board Certified Physicians

Mercy Heart Center

Red An Impressive List Of "Firsts" WORLD'S FIRST: Angioplasty in an emergency department NATION'S FIRST: Accredited Chest Pain Center Cardiac catheterization in a community hospital ER use of cardiopulmonary bypass to resuscitate victims of heart attack Transseptal valvuloplasty on a mitral valve with surgically implanted Carpentier ring OHIO'S FIRST: Drug-eluting stent angioplasty Minimally invasive coronary bypass performed Biventricular Internal Cardiac Defibrillator Implant Accredited Heart Failure Institute STARK'S FIRST: Chest Pain Center certified for angioplasty 24/7 Transseptal mitral valvuloplasty Intracoronary ultrasound Percutaneous aortic balloon valvuloplasty Unprotected left main coronary stent Radial stent coronary angioplasty Akron/Canton's first gamma brachytherapy Accredited Cardiac Rehab Program Mercy Medical Center Cardiovascular Milestones: A History of Pioneering Excellence in Heart Care (click to view) Mercy Heart Center commits the very finest medical resources to caring for its heart patients. Doctors and healthcare teams are leaders in cardiovascular treatment, distinguished not only by their skill, experience and knowledge, but by their excellent track record in helping patients return to active and productive lives. Mercy has helped pioneer some of the nation’s most innovative heart procedures and was the first hospital in Northeast Ohio to perform Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery, a “closed-chest” procedure, which postpones or eliminates the need for open-heart surgery. Mercy Heart Center medical staff performed this area’s first hybrid revascularization, which combines the da Vinci© robotic single-vessel small thoracotomy (SVST) procedure with angioplasty. Mercy Emergency Chest Pain Center (ECPC) became America’s first chest pain center to become fully accredited by the Society of Chest Pain Centers. The ECPC is home to a Cardiac Catheterization Lab within Mercy’s Emergency Department, where a Mercy cardiologist was the first in the world to perform an angioplasty inside an emergency department. Studies show that angioplasty, performed within 90 minutes of arrival to the emergency department, is the best way to save the life of a patient experiencing a heart attack. With the area’s only emergency department cath lab, Mercy has the capabilities to dramatically reduce the time between heart attack and lifesaving angioplasty. Try our Heart Attack Risk Calculator and, if you have any questions, please contact us at HeartCenter@CantonMercy.org. Mercy Heart Center on the Air Tony Joseph, M.D., President, The Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium was featured on the Ron Ponder Show - News-Talk 1480 WHBC (February 2012) - Click Here to Listen 2011 - Mercy Heart Center reaccredited as a Heart Failure Institute by the Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium.