Regular breast cancer screening is the best strategy for finding cancer early. Identifying breast cancer before it has grown or spread allows us to treat it quickly and improve survival.
At Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, we use the newest technology and techniques to screen for breast cancer. Our mammography team offers expertise with all types of breast imaging to provide a comprehensive evaluation you can trust.
Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines
Breast cancer screening helps us identify cancer even before you notice breast cancer symptoms. Women at average risk for breast cancer should follow these guidelines:
- Women who are 40 years old: May begin yearly screening with a mammogram.
- Women over 40: Get a mammogram every year.
- Women 55 and older: Continue with an annual mammogram or switch to a mammogram every other year until your life expectancy is less than 10 years.
If you have a high breast cancer risk (20 to 25 percent or greater according to risk assessment tools), you may need a breast MRI as well as a mammogram every year. To understand your risk, take our breast cancer risk profiler and talk to your primary care provider or OB/GYN.
Breast Cancer Screening: The Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Advantage
We provide high-level breast cancer screening close to where you live. At Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, you can expect:
- Expert team: Our technologists and radiologists subspecialize in the breast. They provide an accurate screening result, offering experience and knowledge that’s not widely available. Meet our team.
- Advanced imaging: We provide 3D mammograms at all locations and offer breast MRI for both screening and diagnostic purposes. The technology we use allows us to personalize your screening to identify cancer earlier.
- Compassionate support: If additional imaging or testing is needed, our specialized mammography team helps you understand next steps, answer your questions and coordinate your appointments.
- Financial support: We don’t let financial challenges keep women from getting mammograms. Our Endowment for the Suzanne H. Arnold Center for Breast Health helps women pay for breast screening and diagnostic services. Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health’s Healthy Woman program also offers help paying for your mammogram. Ask about financial assistance when you call to schedule your mammogram.
- Convenient appointments: We offer breast cancer screening on evenings and Saturdays to work around your schedule. Make an appointment at any of our screening locations, with no physician referral required for women age 40 and over.
How We Screen for Breast Cancer
Our dedicated radiologists use in-depth knowledge and expertise to provide you with results you can trust. We understand how to personalize each screening to diagnose breast cancer early. Our screening services include:
3D Mammogram
We use 3D mammograms, also known as digital breast tomosynthesis, to look for cancer. This advanced technology uses low-dose X-rays to create a three-dimensional picture of your breast tissue.
Traditional (2D) mammography only produces pictures of the top and sides of the breast. A 3D mammogram captures images in “slices” of the breasts. These precise pictures help us identify changes in breast tissue that cannot be seen with 2D images. Studies show that when compared with 2D, 3D mammography increases breast cancer detection by 29 percent and decreases callback for additional imaging by 15 percent.
Breast MRI
Our radiologists use breast MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) for breast cancer screening in high-risk patients or when they need additional information after mammography. A breast MRI does not replace a mammogram. When used together, these tools offer a more comprehensive evaluation for patients who need it.
We partner with the MRI Group to provide screening and diagnostic MRI for breast cancer. Read their frequently asked questions about breast MRI and watch what to expect during your breast MRI.
Breast Ultrasound
We use breast ultrasound to further investigate changes in breast tissue that may be seen on a mammogram of felt during physical exam. This noninvasive technology uses sound waves to create images. Breast ultrasound may help us see whether a breast lump is solid or cystic (filled with fluid). While ultrasound doesn’t replace a mammogram, we may use it to further evaluate certain findings in the breast.
Where We Offer Breast Cancer Screening
The Suzanne H. Arnold Center for Breast Health at the Suburban Pavilion is a state-of-the art facility. Our team provides screening and diagnostic mammography, ultrasound and core needle biopsy in a comfortable setting. The Center for Breast Health is accredited by the American College of Radiology and designated a Center of Breast Excellence. The center is located next to the Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute.
In addition to the Suzanne H. Arnold Center for Breast Health, we offer screening mammogram at several locations across the region. All locations offer convenient online scheduling:
- LG Health Columbia
306 N. 7th St., Columbia, PA 17512
- LG Health Downtown Pavilion
540 N. Duke St., Lancaster, PA 17602
- LG Health Kissel Hill
51 Peters Rd., Lititz, PA 17543
- LG Health Lebanon
1701 Cornwall Rd., Lebanon, PA 17042
- LG Health Norlanco
424 Cloverleaf Rd., Elizabethtown, PA 17022
- LG Health Parkesburg
950 S. Octorara Trail, Parkesburg, PA 19365
- LG Health Willow Lakes
212 Willow Valley Lakes Dr., Willow Street, PA 17584
- Suzanne H. Arnold Center for Breast Health at the Suburban Pavilion
2100 Harrisburg Pike, Lancaster, PA 17601
Schedule a Mammogram
We make screening for breast cancer easy and convenient. You can schedule a mammogram online or call 717-544-5941 to make an appointment.