Welcome.
We know why you’re here, and we are ready to help you find reassuring and helpful information, no matter where you are in your pursuit of optimal breast health.
Perhaps you are looking for a reliable screening mammogram and want to learn more about the process. We can help.
Maybe your physician ordered follow up imaging. We can help.
Maybe you have a new diagnosis and you want to better understand your condition and your options. We can help.
BayCare offers a full range of breast health services that can help you in breast cancer prevention, early detection and a full range of treatment options. No matter where you are in your pursuit of optimal breast health, our compassionate and knowledgeable medical experts are here for you. We can help.
How to Maintain Breast Health
There is no proven way to prevent breast cancer, but according to the American Cancer Society, there are certain things you can do to lower your risk:
- Decrease alcohol consumption
- Maintain a healthy weight, especially after menopause
- Maintain a weekly exercise schedule of 70 minutes of moderate to intense exercise
- Consider birth control and hormone therapy options carefully, as their effects can vary
- Breastfeed your children if possible
In addition, all women should be familiar with the regular shape and feel of their breasts and see their doctor immediately if there are any changes or concerns.
Screening Mammograms
Even though mammograms aren’t recommended until later in life, it’s a good idea to start talking to your doctor about your potential risks around age 30. Your potential risk may determine when you should have your first mammogram and how often you need to have them. You should see your doctor immediately if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:
- Lumps in or on the breast
- Change in nipple appearance
- Pain in or on the breast
- If the breast suddenly feels hard, warm or tender
- Breast size, shape or color change
- Itching or irritation in or on the breast
- Unusual discharge from the nipple
The 15 BayCare Outpatient Imaging Centers are gateways to our seven comprehensive Breast Centers, which provide screening mammograms, diagnostic testing, biopsies and surgery.
Choose the most convenient BayCare Breast Center location for your next screening mammogram or one of our additional services.
Schedule Your Next Screening Mammogram Appointment Online
For more information or a physician referral, call (888) 906-8892.
I Have Breast Cancer: What Do I Do Now?
In the event of a breast cancer diagnosis, members of our expert breast care team can guide you throughout the treatment process from diagnosis to rehabilitation.
We offer multispecialty care from surgeons, radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists and plastic surgeons. If you are not sure which kind of specialists or care you need, our nurse navigators can help guide you through an appropriate course of care, and inform you of additional helpful classes, support groups and services as well.
Understanding breast cancer
When you are first diagnosed with breast cancer, you will probably feel extremely overwhelmed. Your emotions may range from sheer terror to hope and then to depression, helplessness, and back to optimism time and time again. Undoubtedly, a cancer diagnosis is one of the biggest things anyone will deal with in the course of their life.
And you’re going to have questions:
What’s going to happen to me?
What are my treatment options?
Who are the best people to take care of me?
What does this mean for my job/career?
Who will take care of my family?
When will I be better?
Am I going to die?
In this situation, one of the best things you can do is educate yourself and your loved ones. There are many excellent online resources to explore, including our brief breast cancer overview. However, one of your best information sources will be speaking directly with your physicians and nurses, who will provide not only your medical care, but also links to hospital and community resources that can help and support you in many ways. You do not have to go through this fight alone. We can help.
Why BayCare?
BayCare offers comprehensive breast health services for women of all ages. Our breast centers combine the latest technology with leading medical expertise and compassionate care, and with numerous locations around Tampa Bay, you’re never far from a highly trained clinical team that has your best imaging, diagnostic and treatment needs in mind.
Our breast centers provide a full range of services, including state-of-the-art detection and diagnosis, minimally invasive treatment options and education. We also offer 3-D mammograms, which take images from multiple angles to create a three-dimensional view of your entire breast.
This new tool in the fight against breast cancer has many benefits including earlier detection of small cancers. The precision of 3-D reduces the need for repeat scans and makes dense breast tissue easier to view, meaning fewer unnecessary biopsies or tests.