Breast Health Center

Introduction

The Breast Health Center at Tufts Medical Center

, now entering its third decade of a commitment to women with both benign and malignant breast disease, is a multidisciplinary team comprised of surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and social service and support group personnel. Additional excellence is offered in high-risk screening and genetic counseling, nutritional support, and prevention and management of lymphedema.

Our surgeons are committed to the newest techniques in minimally invasive surgery. As an alternative to the traditional axillary node dissection, we have pioneered the use of the sentinel lymph node biopsy and have now performed the procedure in more than 200 women. Use of this procedure has allowed us to perform surgery on an outpatient basis, avoid the use of drains, and minimize the risk of axillary/arm complications such as lymphedema.

We have also made a commitment to breast preservation. For patients requiring a mastectomy, our surgeons are expert in the use of skin-sparing techniques, allowing the breast to be removed while preserving the normal envelope of skin. This allows our plastic surgeons to reconstruct the breast with an optimal cosmetic result.

The Breast Health Center is available for all women with both benign and malignant breast disease. We provide multi-specialty consultation for patients requesting a second opinion and review all cases in a weekly multidisciplinary breast conference. We also offer patients easy access to several clinical trials and new, innovative investigative therapies.