Take Time,
Take Charge
“There is no true way
to prevent breast cancer,
and at this point in time our
best hope is for early diagnosis.”
photographs: Chilton MediCal Center; ribbon: FranCesCo ridolFi/getty iMages/istoCkphoto
Lisa Bash, MD, The Breast Center’s Medical Director
Atlantic Health System
Launches Breast Cancer
Second Opinion Program
No one cares more about your health than you. That’s
why it is so important to be your own health care advocate
– to fully understand your diagnosis and consider all possible
treatments, especially when you’re facing a complex disease
like breast cancer.
Atlantic Health System created its Breast Cancer Second
Opinion Program with that goal in mind.
The Breast Cancer Second Opinion Program, located at
Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Overlook Medical Center, is
designed to educate and empower each patient to take the
next step in her breast cancer journey, whether that patient is
newly diagnosed, facing a recurrence, or entering another
phase of treatment. With a single phone call, patients are
connected to an entire team of breast cancer specialists:
pathologists, radiologists, breast surgeons, plastic surgeons,
medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, genetic counselors,
and a breast nurse navigator.
The Breast Cancer Second Opinion Program offers more
than a medical consultation. Quite frequently, it provides the
reassurance and peace of mind that comes with research,
education and taking control of your cancer care.
breast ultrasound as an adjunct to mammography is recommended.”
Chilton is one of the only centers in the region to use only digital
breast tomosynthesis (DBT), or 3D mammography, which has been
shown in studies to be 41 percent more effective in detecting invasive
breast cancers. 3D mammography uses an X-ray to take multiple
digital images of the breast in seconds, allowing radiologists and breast
imagers to examine the tissue in small slices with enhanced clarity
and detail.
According to Dr. Bash, as a result, smaller tumors that would otherwise have been difficult to assess can now be identified in earlier
stages, improving survival rates. 3D mammography also decreases
false positives and the need for repeat mammograms.
It is also important to know that if further testing results in a
diagnosis of breast cancer, Chilton Medical Center offers an entire
care team to help patients plan their next course of action.
Designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the
American College of Radiology, the Chilton Breast Center offers
digital screening, diagnostic mammography and 3-D mammography,
as well as breast ultrasound, MRI and bone densitometry. Licensed
mammography technicians and dedicated board-certified radiologists,
who specialize in breast imaging, provide everything you need for
personalized breast health – whether that includes screenings or more. ❖
■ Confidence in your doctors’ recommendations and your
medical decisions
For more information or to make an appointment, please call
1-855-862-2778.
To schedule an appointment with the Second Opinion
Program, call 908-522-6210.
Benefits of a second opinion may include:
■ New or improved understanding of the diagnosis,
including the type and stage of breast cancer
■ Additional perspective regarding a patient’s care plan
CHILTON MAGAZINE WINTER 2016