UH Geauga Medical Center offers advanced breast care and treatment options, close to home

By Laura Briedis

Although breast cancer is very common, affecting one in eight women, it is also very treatable with 98 to 99 percent of women being cured. At the Breast Center at University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center, the team is there to help patients with any breast issues and is especially there every step of the way for those 13 percent who are diagnosed with breast cancer every year.

“Patients don’t need to go downtown to the main UH campus for screening and procedures as UH Geauga Medical Center offers high-level breast care close to home,” says Maria Madden, MD, FACS, who is the medical director at the Breast Center at UH Geauga Medical Center. “Many of our physicians live and work in the same area, so we are invested in the community, which adds to the family atmosphere of the center.”

“We recommend that women have a mammogram every year starting at age 40,” says Dr. Madden. “However, if you have a family history you should consider having your first mammogram 10 years earlier than the first-degree relative when she was diagnosed. For patients with a strong family history, we can refer them to genetic counseling. If they have a high risk gene, there are preventive measures they can take.”

Though less than 10 percent of new breast cancers are diagnosed in women under age 45, Dr. Madden says women should start doing monthly self-exams at home starting at age 25.

“If you feel a hard lump that is persistent and doesn’t disappear after your cycle, you should have it checked out,” she says. “Early detection is still the best weapon against breast cancer.”

UH Geauga Medical Center uses the most advanced screening technologies to identify tumors, including a new breast ultrasound that provides higher resolution images.

At the Breast Center, the standard mammogram is the digital 3D tomosynthesis breast screening. Another screening tool available at University Hospitals is the Fast Breast MRI, a 10-minute, self-pay, supplemental examination that scientific studies have shown to be effective in finding invasive breast cancers, especially for women who have dense breast tissue.

Though the advanced equipment is instrumental, the staff also makes a difference.

The Breast Center houses all of the disciplines involved in breast care—from genetic counselors to pathologists to surgical oncologists to plastic surgeons—working as a team under one roof.

It has just added a new advanced practice provider who is another resource for patients. “We added this position to help shorten the time from a mammogram to a biopsy,” says Dr. Madden. “Our nurse practitioner will help you schedule follow-up procedures and be there to help you navigate through the process.”

The Breast Center at UH Geauga Medical Center is focused on making diagnosis, treatment and post-treatment care as easy and anxiety-free as possible—in an intimate, close-to-home setting. The center’s multidisciplinary team of breast care specialists guides each patient through all levels of treatment—with the help of a nurse navigator who serves as an advocate and educator for patients and their caregivers throughout their cancer care. The nurse helps patients with everything from getting a ride to their appointment to answering questions about medication.

“I usually am the first person a patient sees after being diagnosed with cancer,” says Dr. Madden. “So I explain to patients all the modalities we have to treat breast cancer. Every patient is different, so every course of treatment is different.”

The Breast Center at UH Geauga Medical Center is accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers. You can schedule a breast screening by calling 440-901-6237, or visit UHhospitals.org/BreastCancer for more information. Dr. Madden’s practice is located at 13221 Ravenna Road, Bldg. 1, Ste. 12, in Chardon.