High-Risk Breast Health
Understanding Breast Cancer Risk
At Core Physicians, we understand that some people face a higher risk of developing breast cancer. Our High-Risk Breast Health Program provides personalized care, advanced screening and ongoing support to help you understand and manage your risk.
Breast Cancer Risk Factors
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in American women, with one in seven women at risk of developing the disease. Our program provides comprehensive risk assessment, counseling, and close monitoring for those at increased risk.
You may have a higher risk of breast cancer if you have:
- Advanced age
- Early menarche or late menopause
- Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry or Caucasian ethnicity
- Increased breast density
- No pregnancies or first live birth at an older age
- Personal and/or family history of breast or ovarian cancer
- Inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations
- Current or past hormone replacement therapy (estrogen/progesterone)
- Obesity
- Alcohol consumption of more than one drink per day
- Prior radiation exposure
If you have one or more of these risk factors, talk with your physician about whether a referral to the High-Risk Breast Health Program is right for you.
Services We Offer
Our High-Risk Breast Health Program includes:
- Personalized risk assessment based on individual risk factors and family history
- Clinical breast exams
- Customized surveillance plans tailored to your needs
- Counseling on strategies to lower risk, including breast self-exam instruction, lifestyle guidance, and preventive measures
- Referrals to advanced diagnostic procedures such as digital mammography with computer-aided detection (CAD), ultrasound, MRI, and image-guided biopsies (including MRI-guided)
- Referrals to specialized services such as genetic counseling, genetic testing, nutrition, gynecology, and plastic surgery
- Access to breast cancer prevention clinical trials
Early detection and accurate diagnosis are essential to managing your breast health effectively. Mammography should not stand alone — it is best complemented with clinical breast exams, a risk evaluation, additional imaging when needed, and sometimes biopsy.
Coordinated Care
Our program works in close collaboration with your primary care provider, gynecologist, breast surgeon, plastic surgeon, and specialists at Exeter Hospital, including Genetics, Nutrition, Nursing, and Oncology. Your referring physician receives detailed information about your mammogram results, medical management, and follow-up recommendations to ensure continuity of care.
