Montclair Magazine Back To School 2016 | Page 67

TOP DOCTORS Montclair Breast Center 37 NORTH FULLERTON AVE. | MONTCLAIR | (973) 509-1818 | WWW.MONTCLAIRBREASTCENTER.COM THE INDIVIDUALIZED AND THOROUGH CARE ADMINISTERED BY DOCTORS AT Montclair Breast Center has earned the facility a top doctor rating. “We are unique,” says Melissa Lee, MD, “and unlike a general radiology center.” Dr. Lee and her colleagues, Doctors Nancy Elliot, Marcie Hertz, Gail Quackenbush and Stacey Vitiello, excel at personalized care. They adhere to the tenet that no two women are alike. Therefore, the mammography consultations are tailored to the specific characteristics of each patient’s breast. An emphasis is placed on personal risk factors, such as dense or cystic breast tissue. Montclair Breast Center performs 3D mammography on all patients and was one of the first centers in the area to do so. This screening tool helps increase the ability to interpret results by displaying overlapping layers of breast tissue, allowing the radiologist to find smaller cancers. To allay the anxiety that comes with getting a mammogram, all imaging is followed by a personal face-to-face review with a fellowship-trained breast radiologist. There are no delays in receiving results and any concerns are addressed immediately. If a biopsy is recommended, it can be performed the same day. Dr. Lee and her colleagues have established ways to reduce breast cancer risk and detect cancer at earlier stages. These include surgical prevention, risk-reducing medication and increased surveillance. A statistical assessment tool calculates a patient’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. For women with a strong family history, genetic counseling is available. A customized program of prevention and early detection strategies for each patient is developed. “If we diagnose cancer, most times it is Stage 0 or 1, in which chemotherapy is not required” says Dr. Lee. “But our real goal is prevention, especially with high risk patients.” She explains that they recommend yearly mammograms beginning at age 40, depending on family history. “Yearly mammograms catch cancer earlier. The earlier it is caught, the better the outcome.” Montclair Breast Center also performs ultrasounds – used extensively as a screening and diagnostic tool, MRIs, minimally invasive needle biopsies, genetic testing and counseling for women who carry the BRCA1 or BRAC2 gene, bone density testing and surgical treatment. Patients are assured innovative, state-of-the-art technology because the doctors realize the importance of remaining ahead. Montclair Breast Center was recognized as a preeminent center for breast care by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers after passing a rigorous year-long evaluation and review process. It is the only private, free-standing facility to have achieved this designation. Melissa Lee, MD SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION The staff’s efficiency expedites the evaluation process and facilitates communication between the patient’s breast imaging doctor, surgeon and other breast specialists. Patients benefit from the expertise, experience and compassion of the doctors and staff. BACK TO SCHOOL 2016 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE 65