Methodist Breast Center Apart
Does it matter where you have your mammogram done? The answer is yes.
Stephen Phillips, M.D., and Correna Terrell, M.D., Breast Radiologists
Correna Terrell, M.D., and Stephen Phillips, M.D., Breast RadiologistsMethodist Sugar Land Hospital's new Breast Center offers women
a life-saving difference.
No one wants to think about breast cancer. And who looks forward to an annual mammogram? Perhaps because of that sense of dread, few women consider the skill or experience of the radiologist performing their screening. And they certainly don't anticipate whether their chosen facility can provide adequate follow-up care should their screening suggest it.
The Breast Center at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital wants to change all that.
Choose wisely
Breast cancer is the leading form of cancer for women, with close to 200,000 new cases discovered in the United States annually. Yet even with today's advanced screening methods, women who are diagnosed with cancer typically wait an agonizing — and unnecessary — 90 days between the date of their annual screening mammogram, where a problem is first identified, and their diagnosis.
That typical delay is caused by the fact that most screening centers don't have the technology or expertise to provide more in-depth studies of the breast, and days and even weeks can lag as different clinics, offices and hospitals work together to schedule appointments and transfer records.
At the Breast Center at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, a multi-disciplinary, highly skilled team of breast care specialists provides the most comprehensive and compassionate diagnostic and therapeutic service possible, all in one comfortable, convenient setting.
What that means is that women undergoing an annual screening can have confidence that Methodist breast radiologists — devoted full-time to breast imaging — have the expertise to properly evaluate their results.
And for those women who need further testing and follow-up, there is comfort in knowing that their care will be provided quickly, conveniently and most important, effectively — with a focus on communication and emotional support.
In other words, it does matter where you go for your mammogram.
the difference: Expertise
At most other facilities, staff radiologists are responsible for reading everything from mammograms to broken bones.
But not at the Breast Center at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. Stephen Phillips, M.D., and Correna Terrell, M.D., world-class breast imaging specialists, are devoted full-time to breast care. These two physicians have extensive experience in breast imaging and they share a patient-centric, communications-based approach to their care.
Dr. Phillips joined Methodist Sugar Land Hospital from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He is board certified in diagnostic radiology and fellowship trained in breast imaging and intervention. He is a Fellow in the American College of Radiology and has a long history of teaching, researching and writing for medical journals on breast radiology.
Dr. Terrell is also board certified in diagnostic radiology and served a four-year residency at Cleveland Clinic in diagnostic radiology and breast imaging. She was chief of breast imaging at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio, the U.S. Air Force's largest medical facility.
"We take a very active role in patient care," says Dr. Phillips. "We spend a good deal of time talking with — and listening to — our patients, because it helps them understand not only the tests we are performing, but also the options of care that are available to them if necessary."
Dr. Phillips continues, "We also take a lead role in working with the patient's primary care physician or referring physician should there be a need for additional testing or diagnosis. This level of care and coordination means that a patient can undergo a mammogram and, if necessary, an ultrasound or MRI often on the same day, pending insurance approval. In addition, the center conducts stereotactic and other types of biopsies on-site."
Breast cancer
screening guidelines
screening guidelines
The American Cancer Society and other medical groups recommend that women with an average risk of breast cancer begin annual mammograms at age 40 and continue as long as the individual is in relatively good health.
Women with a family history of breast cancer should discuss screening options with their physician. However, many breast specialists are recommending that women with a strong family history of cancer begin annual screenings at an earlier age with breast ultrasound or MRI in addition to regular mammograms. Self breast examinations are good to do monthly starting at age 20.
Women with a family history of breast cancer should discuss screening options with their physician. However, many breast specialists are recommending that women with a strong family history of cancer begin annual screenings at an earlier age with breast ultrasound or MRI in addition to regular mammograms. Self breast examinations are good to do monthly starting at age 20.
a key role
In addition to top-quality physicians, the Breast Center at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital also employs the latest, most sophisticated diagnostic and therapeutic technology, including:
- Digital mammography
- Breast MRI
- Diagnostic ultrasound
- MRI-guided biopsy
- Ultrasound biopsy
- Stereotactic biopsy
Dr. Phillips adds, "Methodist Sugar Land Hospital's powerful 3 Tesla MRI machine — typically found only in the nation's top academic medical centers — provides state-of-the-art image resolution and features bilateral breast imaging and motion correction. We are the only hospital in Fort Bend County to have a 3T MRI."
"We have the capability to provide the best, most effective diagnostic equipment and procedures possible all here under one roof," says Dr. Terrell. "There is no 'one single way' to study breast tissue or possible lesions because each woman is different, and each situation is different. So we have options available to us that other imaging centers don't, and together with our breast care team and our patients, we decide on the course of action that is best for the patient's individual needs."
The Breast Center at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital also has an in-house pathology department, so that biopsy samples can be reviewed and studied — with input from the entire breast care team.
"There is a very collegial approach here," says Dr. Phillips. "We will often sit with the pathologists to look at tissue samples and discuss findings in detail, face-to-face, versus just reading a report several days later. That level of communication and interaction leads to better outcomes for our patients."
When there is cancer
In the event of a cancer diagnosis, patients have direct access to Methodist Sugar Land Hospital's Cancer Center, which provides a wide range of treatment options.
For some patients, new high-dose radiation (HDR) brachytherapy is possible, which reduces the time needed for treatment to five days rather than six weeks. HDR brachytherapy uses strategically placed catheters to deliver precise levels of radiation directly to the tumor, which also helps save surrounding breast tissue.
"The number of catheters used depends on the tumor location and is planned specifically for each patient," explains Clive Shkedy, M.D., board-certified radiation oncologist and medical director of Methodist Sugar Land Hospital's Cancer Center. "The patient doesn't experience discomfort during the procedure."
Another leading-edge therapy available at the Cancer Center is intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), an advanced mode of high-precision radiotherapy that utilizes computer-controlled linear accelerators to deliver precise radiation doses.
Methodist Sugar Land Hospital also has skilled breast surgeons, oncologists and reconstructive surgeons on staff, who work closely with the breast care team to ensure continuity of care. The hospital's breast surgeons coordinate care with reconstructive surgeons so that in cases where it is possible, breast tissue removal and reconstructive surgery can be done in one procedure.
The support patients need
For patients, support begins with the physicians and staff and their caring, personal approach to treatment and extends to formal cancer support groups and the American Cancer Society's Look Good…Feel Better program. The hospital also provides social workers, nutritionists, counselors and others to ensure that patients — and their families — have the foundation necessary for healing.
For more information on the caregiver, grief and cancer support groups offered at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, please call 281-274-7164.
Schedule Your Mammogram: 281-242-PINK
