Breast Health

Preventing, diagnosing and treating breast pain, lumps, cancer and more with state-of-the-art imaging, medical and surgical services.

Breast Cancer Care at UTMB Health

UTMB-radiologist-points-to-a-suspicious-mass-in-ultrasound-breast-imageRoutine care is the best way to keep you and your breasts healthy. Although detecting breast cancer at its earliest stages is the main goal of routine breast care, other benign conditions, such as fibrocystic breasts or cysts, are often discovered during routine care. This is why clinical breast exams are important along with patients having breast "self awareness".

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in the United States, other than skin cancer. One out of 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer at some point in their lives.

If you are diagnosed with breast cancer, the most important thing for you to remember is that help is available. For many, early detection and modern therapy with a combination of surgery, radiation, drugs, or hormones now offer good weapons to help beat the effects of breast cancer.

At UTMB Health, we provide comprehensive care for breast cancer patients. The patient can meet her surgeon, the medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, and plastic surgeon all at the same location, and often all on the same day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Breast Health

  • How often should I go to my doctor for a check-up?

    You should have a physical every year which should include a clinical breast exam and pelvic exam. If any unusual symptoms or changes in your breasts occur before your scheduled visit, do not hesitate to see a UTMB Health breast specialist immediately.

  • Does a family history of breast cancer put someone at a higher risk?

    Although women who have a family history of breast cancer are in a higher risk group, most women who have breast cancer have no family history. Statistically only 5-10% of individuals diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history of this disease.

  • Are mammograms painful?

    Mammography does compress the breasts and can sometimes cause slight discomfort for a very brief period of time. Patients who are sensitive should schedule their mammograms a week after their menstrual cycle so that the breasts are less tender. Your doctor may say it is fine to take acetaminophen an hour before the x-ray is performed to prevent discomfort too.

  • How does menstrual and reproductive history affect breast cancer risks?

    Women who began their menstrual cycles before age 12, have no biological children, or had their first child at 30 or older, or began menopause after 55 are at a higher risk. This means that research has proven that the number of menstrual cycles a woman has over time influences risk.

Breast Health Clinical Trials

See all Breast Health Clinical Trials

Oncology Clinical Trials Research Staff

Jessica Robertson, CCRP
Sr. Clinical Research Coordinator
(409) 772-1983
jearober@utmb.edu

Sebrina Tello
Clinical Research Coordinator
(409) 772-1985
satello@utmb.edu

Our Locations

In the Health Blog
Pamela French: Think Pink

'People I hardly knew stepped up'

Inspired by a friend's battle with cancer, Pamela French decided she wasn't going to be the "sick girl" when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Even when it tried to take everything she had, she fought back and kept it from taking her life.

image of Breast Cancer Survivor Kristin Ozuna that links to the feature on her in the Daily News Think Pink Special Section that's sponsored by UTMB Health

'Trust yourself'

When a doctor told Kristin Ozuna she was too young for cancer, she trusted her body and her gut until she found her way to UTMB and got the diagnosis - and care - she needed.

image of Breast Cancer Survivor Tina Herring that links to the feature on her in the Daily News Think Pink Special Section that's sponsored by UTMB Health

'Every day you have to choose to live'

Diagnosed with cancer during COVID, Tina Herring wants women to remember that breast cancer isn't a death sentence.