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Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility Renewals

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High Risk Breast and Ovarian Cancer Surveillance Program

Get the screening tests, counseling and support that you need.

Know Your Risk Protect Yourself Labs & Imaging Contact Us

Know Your Risk

Every woman carries some level of risk for breast and ovarian cancer. If you carry a mutation in a gene associated with hereditary breast or ovarian cancer, your risk will be even higher. ChristianaCare’s High Risk Breast and Ovarian Cancer Surveillance Program can help.

The two most common genes associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancers are BRCA1 and BRCA2. Recent advances have led to the discovery of other genes associated with an increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer and scientists continue to look for more genes that may play a role in increasing risk.

Protect Yourself from Breast and Ovarian Cancer

If your risk assessment indicates an increased risk for breast or ovarian cancer — either because of your personal or family history or because of a genetic mutation — ChristianaCare’s High-Risk Breast and Ovarian Cancer Surveillance Program can help.

Your visit will include:

Complete medical history and physical exam.
Breast health education
Same-day scheduling for laboratory and imaging tests (mammogram, ultrasound or MRI, as needed)

Laboratory and Imaging Tests

Based on your age and personal risk factors for breast and ovarian cancer, your breast health nurse will recommend one or more of the following tests:

Clinical breast exam and breast self-exam education — Your breast health nurse will do a complete clinical breast exam and show you the right way to check your own breasts every month.
Digital mammogram — ChristianaCare uses the latest cutting-edge digital (computerized) mammography equipment to capture detailed X-ray views of the breast from every angle. A mammogram is important for early detection of breast cancer as it can pinpoint a lump or other abnormality years before it can be felt even by a trained nurse or physician.
Breast MRI — Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI, uses powerful magnetic fields and radio waves to take pictures of the tissue inside the breast. MRI may be recommended for women with very dense breast tissue or those who have a known genetic risk for breast cancer.
CA-125 and transvaginal ultrasound — A CA 125 blood test measures the amount of a certain protein in your blood and is used to look for early signs of ovarian cancer in women with very high risk for the disease. Transvaginal ultrasound uses sound waves to look at the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries to detect a mass or tumor.

Our specially trained breast health nurses will coordinate everything you need to help you get the screening tests, counseling and support that you need all in one convenient appointment at the ChristianaCare Breast Center.

Contact Us

Make an appointment today to complete your personal cancer risk assessment with a licensed genetic counselor, and to learn more about how you can be part of Delaware’s high-risk family cancer registry. Call 302-623-4593, option 1, or toll-free at 1-800-811-8116.

Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute

4701 Ogletown-Stanton Road,
Newark, DE 19713

Get directions and find out more

Call 302-623-4500