RiverView Health reminds everyone that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time annually devoted to educating and early detection of breast cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year in the United States, about 270,000 women get breast cancer, and 42,000 women die from the disease. Nearly one in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lifetime.
Unfortunately, all of us will likely be affected by breast cancer in some way, either through a personal diagnosis or a close friend or family member, shared Dr. Brett Vibeto, general surgeon at RiverView Health. Screening is crucial. Early diagnosis can push survival rates to 99%.
RiverView offers a variety of services related to breast health.
Primary Care Provider
Every woman should perform a breast self-exam at home once a month. Make sure you have a primary care provider who is leading your health journey and to whom you can report any abnormal findings.
Your provider should be the first person you reach out to if you have any of the following symptoms:
New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit)
Thickening or swelling of part of the breast
Irritation or dimpling of breast skin
Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast
Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area
Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood
Any change in the size or the shape of the breast
Pain in any area of the breast
Depending on your circumstances, your provider may conduct a clinical breast exam at your annual visit. During a clinical breast exam, the provider will look for any differences in size or shape between your breasts, check your skin for any rashes or dimplings you may be experiencing, and any abnormal lumps or bumps.
Keep in mind that different people have different symptoms of breast cancer. Some people do not have any signs or symptoms at all. In addition, the symptoms above can happen with other conditions that are not cancer. If you have any signs or symptoms, be sure to see your provider right away.
Annual Mammogram
If you are a woman over 40, an annual mammogram is strongly recommended. A mammogram is an X-ray picture of the breast used to look for early signs of breast cancer. Regular mammograms are the best tests doctors have to find breast cancer early, sometimes up to three years before cancer can be felt.
Janeen Brule, a radiological technologist, has performed mammograms at RiverView for over twenty years. She stresses the importance of an annual mammogram. “ Women definitely should be getting their mammograms yearly from 40 to 80 because chances of finding cancer at an earlier and more curable stage are what we are all aiming for, “Brule stated. It’s heartbreaking when a woman who has missed a year or two of mammograms then comes in and ends up with a positive biopsy.”
If cost is a factor in whether or not you go in for a mammogram, RiverView participates in the Sage Screening Program. The Sage Program helps keep Minnesotans healthy through screening and early detection of breast and cervical cancer, as well as colorectal cancer screening services for Minnesota’s uninsured and underinsured. Screenings are free for people who qualify. The toll-free number is 888-643-2584.
Brule also stated that every patient should have a primary care provider who reviews test results and provides guidance if the results lead to a callback.
A referral for a mammogram is not needed. Call RiverView’s Diagnostic Imaging Department at 281-9428 to schedule a mammogram.
Breast Ultrasound
If your provider wants another look at an abnormal or unclear area on a mammogram, they may recommend a breast ultrasound. A breast ultrasound is an imaging test to get pictures of the inside of your breast. Your provider might also recommend getting a breast ultrasound in addition to a mammogram for breast cancer screenings.
A breast ultrasound can show whether a breast lump is a fluid-filled breast cyst (usually not cancerous) or a solid mass (which could be cancer and may need further testing). Providers can also use a breast ultrasound during a biopsy to make sure they take a sample of tissue from the right spot. A pathologist then looks at the tissue under a microscope to diagnose or rule out breast cancer.
Breast Biopsies, Lumpectomies, Mastectomies
A breast biopsy may be recommended if a suspicious area of the breast is detected or a mammogram, ultrasound, or other breast exam comes back with unusual findings.
A breast biopsy is a procedure that involves using a biopsy needle or surgery to remove a sample of your breast tissue for examination. A breast biopsy is the only diagnostic procedure that can definitively determine if a suspicious area is cancerous.
RiverView provides biopsies by radiologists in the Diagnostic Imaging Department and surgical biopsies/lumpectomies by Dr. Vibeto in the operating room. The type of biopsy needed depends on the size, location, and other characteristics of the suspicious area in the breast.
During a biopsy, several samples, each about the size of a grain of rice, are collected and analyzed. Depending on the location of the mass, other imaging techniques, such as a mammogram or MRI, may be used to guide the positioning of the needle to obtain the tissue sample.
During surgery, Dr. Vibeto works to remove the affected breast mass. The tissue is sent for evaluation, where pathologists work to confirm whether breast cancer is present in the mass. They also evaluate the edges of the mass to determine whether cancer cells are present in the margins.
If cancer cells are present at the margins, you may need another surgery to remove more tissue. If the margins are clear, then the cancer has been removed adequately.
Dr. Vibeto also performs mastectomies to treat breast cancer. A mastectomy is surgery to remove a breast. Sometimes, other tissues near the breast, such as lymph nodes, are also removed. No matter the results of any of the screenings or procedures listed above, know that your RiverView healthcare team is here for you through every step of your healthcare journey.

