Breast Center | Blessing Health System

Experience the Blessing Difference: The Breast Center

The Blessing Breast Center is a soothing space, focused on your breast health. When it comes to preventing breast cancer, the best defense is early detection. Our caring staff focuses on catching breast cancer early, helping you minimize your risk. Doctors across the region consistently send their patients to the Breast Center because we can handle everything from screening mammography to breast biopsy and post-surgical care. We offer:

Comfortable atmosphere: Our staff wants to make mammography easy for you. We keep your wait time to a minimum and offer amenities like coffee, cappuccino, hot tea and cookies. Our mammography suites each have private dressing rooms attached, with warm blankets available. See Mammography: What to Expect for more information.
3-D mammography: 3-D mammography (digital breast tomosynthesis) helps us spot irregularities that regular mammography may not detect. We highly recommend 3-D mammography for all women, but especially for women with dense breast tissue. Read more about 3-D mammography and our breast tissue density reporting.
Advanced Technology: Invenia™ ABUS 2.0, Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS) uses ultrasound to detect breast cancer in breast dense tissue. About 40% of women have dense breast tissue, which appears white on a mammogram just like masses would. With ABUS, masses appear black, making them easier to see. The Blessing Breast Center also offers a new option to detect lymphedema earlier. SOZO® uses L-Dex® technology, which sends a low-level electrical signal through the body. This can deliver a precise snapshot of fluid status and tissue composition in less than 30 seconds.
More Comfortable Mammogram: The SmartCurve™ breast stabilization system improves patient comfort without compromising image quality. The SmartCurve system features a proprietary curved surface that mirrors the shape of a woman’s breast to reduce pinching and allow better distribution of force over the entire breast.
National Accreditation: Blessing Health Hannibal has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in stereotactic breast biopsy as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR), earning the organization’s gold seal of accreditation.

Breast MRI: If you are at high risk for breast cancer or your mammogram shows an irregularity, we may perform a test called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This noninvasive imaging test uses a magnetic field, radio waves and a computer to produce detailed images of the breast.
Diagnostic mammography: If you have discovered a lump (or your primary care provider has), we use diagnostic mammography to obtain more detailed images of the suspicious area. We also use diagnostic mammography for a second look if a radiologist spots something of concern on your mammogram. We review these diagnostic tests immediately, so you know before leaving if we recommend another imaging test or a biopsy.
Multiple options for breast biopsy: To provide more information about abnormal breast tissue, we can perform minimally invasive biopsies right here at the Breast Center. Breast biopsies take tiny samples of abnormal cells that doctors use to check for cancer. We offer many types of biopsy, including ultrasound-guided biopsy and stereotactic biopsy (X-ray-guided biopsy). We also offer 3-D-guided biopsy, which lets us see much smaller cancers than before, and diagnose cancer even earlier.
Dedicated breast cancer navigators: A breast cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming. Our navigators are available to help guide you through treatment and recovery. We care as much about you and your experience as we do taking care of your medical situation. She will attend appointments with you and take notes for you. She can also help you get answers to questions about health insurance or other issues you are facing.
Financial assistance: Healing is our passion, and we want screening and diagnosis to be available to all women, regardless of income. Our financial assistance program covers mammograms, biopsies and other diagnostic procedures and treatment for women who qualify. Learn more about financial assistance.

For your convenience, you do not need an order from your primary care provider to come for your yearly screening mammogram. If you need further screening, our caring and dedicated staff will guide you through additional tests, including the latest breast biopsy technology.

Support the Breast Center

We want to educate women about breast health and make sure no woman skips a mammogram because of finances. When you purchase our breast cancer awareness merchandise or support an event raising money for the Breast Center Fund at the Blessing Foundation, you help with both. Click here to learn about any area events that may be upcoming.