Comprehensive Breast Care Program

Breast & Imaging Center

The Breast & Imaging Center at Guthrie’s Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre provides a range of comprehensive breast care services, conveniently located in one facility. The Breast & Imaging Center offers mammography, clinical breast exams, breast care education, specialized diagnostic care and more, all delivered by certified and highly-experienced and dedicated staff. Additionally, the Breast & Imaging Center is accredited by the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA), meaning extensive equipment testing has been performed to ensure that the radiation doses delivered during mammograms are low and accurate, and that the radiation technologists and radiologists have the required skills to give patients a quality mammogram. Choose from the options below to learn more about what the Breast & Imaging Center can do for you.

Our 24-Hour Guarantee
About Mammography
Breast Health/Mammography Guidelines
What to Expect at Your Appointment
Where Can I Get a Mammogram?
Diagnostic Tools

Our 24-Hour Guarantee

If an abnormality is detected in your mammogram, we will act immediately to establish the next course of action. Ultrasound imaging is available and can be performed on site before the completion of your preliminary visit. Within 24 hours of receiving your results, you will have the opportunity to meet with one of our surgeons if necessary.

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About Mammography

Mammography is specialized, low-dose x-ray imaging of the breast. Click here for more detailed information.

For your peace of mind, here are some facts about mammography at all of Guthrie’s mammographic facilities in New York and Pennsylvania:

Guthrie is accredited by the American College of Radiology.
All of Guthrie’s mammography technologists have up-to-date continuing medical education credits, which means they are staying on top of the newest developments in the field.
All Guthrie technologists perform thousands of mammograms per year, and radiologists read thousands per year. The more mammograms performed and read, the greater the facility’s accuracy rate in detecting cancer.
The majority of Guthrie’s radiologists have ten-plus years of experience in reading mammograms.
All of Guthrie’s mammography machines are checked weekly to ensure accuracy.
All of Guthrie’s mammography units are inspected annually by a radiation physicist and by the Food and Drug Administration, under the Mammography Quality Standards Act.
When inspected, Guthrie must also produce information about the continuing medical education credits of the radiologists and technologists and the quality control records of the film processor and mammography units. Mammogram films and the accompanying radiologist reports are also randomly viewed to be sure they are being read correctly.

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Breast Health/Mammography Guidelines

The American Cancer Society outlines the following as guidelines for breast health:

Women ages 20 to 39 should have a clinical breast exam by a doctor or nurse every three years
Women ages 20 to 39 should perform a monthly breast self-exam.
A woman should have a baseline mammogram at age 40.
Women age 40 and over should have an annual mammogram, an annual clinical breast exam and should also perform a monthly breast self-exam.

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What to Expect at Your Appointment

A mammography appointment consists of four parts – a clinical breast exam performed by a nurse or nurse practitioner, breast education, breast health assessment and the actual mammogram. (If you have already had a clinical breast exam with your own primary care provider or obstetrician/gynecologist, that portion of the appointment will be eliminated.) Click here for more detailed information about how a mammogram works. The breast health assessment uses a formula called the Gail Model to assess your risk based on certain factors such as age at first period, age at first live birth of a child and other questions. Women determined to be at high risk following the results of this assessment are referred to Guthrie’s High-Risk Breast Clinic.

If an abnormality is detected in your mammogram, we will act immediately to establish the next course of action before you leave from your appointment. Ultrasound imaging is available and can be performed on-site before the completion of your preliminary visit. Within 24 hours of receiving your results, you will have the opportunity to meet with one of our surgeons if necessary.

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Where Can I Get a Mammogram?

Mammography services are available at a number of Guthrie facilities. Please see the list below for the mammography location nearest you. For an appointment, simply call office of your choice or call toll-free 1-888-4GUTHRIE (1-888-448-8474).

Pennsylvania

Robert Packer Hospital Breast & Imaging Center in Sayre, (570) 888-5858
Guthrie Clinic Towanda, (570) 265-6165
Troy Community Hospital, (570) 297-2121
Guthrie Clinic, Vestal, (607) 798 -1452

New York

Guthrie Medical Big Flats, (607) 739-3874
Corning Hospital, (607) 937-7671
Guthrie Medical Corning Centerway, (607) 936-9971
Guthrie Medical Corning Steuben, (607) 962-5042
Guthrie Medical Ithaca, (607) 257-5858
Guthrie Medical Owego, (607) 687-6101
Guthrie Medical Pine City, (607) 734-3929

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Diagnostic Tools

A wide range of diagnostic tools are available to clinicians if a mammogram or clinical breast exam reveals an area of concern. Here are some of the methods available:

Stereotactic core breast biopsy -- a nonsurgical method of obtaining a tissue sample using advanced Mammotome® technology, which extracts an accurate tissue sample non-invasively, with reduced recovery time and minimal scarring. A stereotactic core biopsy is performed if the area of concern is in a difficult-to-feel area, or is visible only on mammography. To obtain a sample, the patient lies on her stomach on a table with a circular hole in it. Her breast falls through this hole, is compressed and images are taken to identify the area. A computer calculates the position of the biopsy needle, it is inserted and removes the suspicious tissues. The sample is sent for evaluation. Guthrie is accredited by the American College of Radiology to perform this procedure.
Ultrasound -- high-frequency sound waves sent from a transducer, a microphone-like instrument, through the breast tissue. As the transducer moves over the breast tissue, the sound waves are bounced back to a sensor within the instrument and a picture on a monitor shows the internal structures of the breasts. Ultrasounds are usually used when an abnormality has been found in a breast during a mammogram. The test determines if the suspicious area is solid tissue or a cyst filled with fluid. Ultrasound can accurately determine the composition of a lump more than 95 percent of the time.
Galactogram -- an x-ray of the breast taken after the milk ducts have been injected with a dye, in order to inspect for blockages in ducts
Excisional biopsy -- surgical removal of affected tissue for diagnosis
Fine-needle aspiration -- a very fine needle attached to a syringe is inserted into the suspicious area of the breast and suction is applied to remove cells. Cells are examined for abnormalities.
Ultrasound-assisted breast biopsy -- a small, hand-held machine called a transducer is moved slowly over the breast to confirm the biopsy location. Once the location has been determined, a needle is inserted in the breast to draw out portions of suspicious breast tissue for analysis. The ultrasound transmits a visual image during the entire procedure, enabling the radiologist to view the procedure on a video screen and ensure accurate placement of the needle. The tissue is sent to the pathology lab for analysis.
Needle localization -- performed on areas difficult to locate by feeling or visible only on mammography. The area is identified by mammography and a fine wire is inserted to rest there. A second mammogram confirms placement of the wire. The localization wire is taped to the breast and the patient is transferred to surgery for the surgeon to remove the identified area.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) -- is considered by many to be the most exciting development in radiology since CT scanning. This technique was developed shortly after CTscanning but required moretimeto mature dueto its increased complexity. The unit at the Guthrie Healthcare System uses the latest technology, consisting of a 1.5 Telsa superconducting magnet which was recently upgraded to magnetic resonance angiography. This high field unit is unique within our region and produces image quality that is not surpassed by any other in the world. MRI involves placing the patient in a strong magnetic field and stimulating the patient's protons with radiowaves. This avoids the use of x-rays. The contrast material used in MRI has fewer side effects and is needed less often than in CT. MRI allows us to easily obtain views for slices in any plane. MRI is more sensitive than other techniques in most cases.

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