Breast Cancer Care at AHN Grove City Hospital

Whether you’re getting breast imaging done or navigating a new breast cancer diagnosis, you may have a lot of questions about what comes next. AHN Cancer Institute at Grove City Hospital is here to provide answers and personalized care for you and your loved ones.

Why is breast imaging so important?

Breast cancer can be easier to treat when found early. Starting at age 40, every woman should get a yearly 3D breast X-ray, called a mammogram, to look for any lumps or abnormal changes.

“Mammograms can catch cancer before there are any symptoms,” said Haneen Kutayni, MD, diagnostic radiologist at AHN Grove City Hospital. “They save lives — and our team is here to make the process as easy and comfortable as possible.”

In addition to standard mammograms, AHN Grove City Hospital offers several other types of breast imaging:

• Breast ultrasounds that are done using a hand-held device to take images of the inside of the breast for all patients, especially young ones (under age 30).
• Breast MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) using a special scanner to get images for cancer detection. Breast MRI is not available at AHN Grove City Hospital; however, it’s available at some other AHN hospitals, including AHN Wexford.
• Whole-body CT scans using X-ray imaging to evaluate whether cancer has spread.

Most unusual mammogram findings aren’t causes for serious concern. If you get breast imaging done and your doctors find something unusual, they will take several steps to review the images and make a diagnosis, including:

• Looking for abnormal tissue in your images.
• Taking breast tissue samples and sending them to a lab for testing.
• Having a nurse navigator call you with results and next steps.

Finding the right treatment for you

If you are diagnosed with breast cancer, your care team will explain your diagnosis and develop a treatment plan based on tumor size, location, and spread.

Your voice will always be at the forefront of decisions about your care. Your doctors will help you understand what options are available to you before moving forward with treatment.

AHN Grove City Hospital offers chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, and breast surgery. Your doctor may refer you to other AHN hospitals for radiation treatments.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy (chemo) can shrink tumors before surgery, kill cancer cells, or stop cancer from growing or spreading after surgery. Chemo treatments usually last three to six months but can sometimes extend up to a year.

Common side effects include:

• Nausea.
• Fatigue.
• A weakened immune system.• Hair loss.

Hormone replacement therapy

Hormone therapy is for cancers affected by hormones. Treatment lasts for about five years, and sometimes up to 10 years for ‘maintenance treatments’ afterward to prevent cancer from coming back.

Common side effects include:

• Mood changes.
• Tiredness.
• Weight gain.
• Hot flashes.

Your care team at AHN Grove City Hospital is always here to talk with you about side effects and ways to make you feel more supported and comfortable during treatment.

Breast surgery

Depending on the size of your cancer and whether it’s spreading, you may need to get breast surgery as part of your treatment.

There are two main types of breast cancer surgery:

• Partial mastectomy (lumpectomy) – Removing a tumor from the breast, along with a small amount of surrounding breast tissue.
• Mastectomy – Removing all original breast tissue, including skin and nipple in some cases. Other cases may involve skin/nipple sparing mastectomy (when the skin and nipple are preserved).

As a patient at AHN Grove City Hospital, you also have the option to choose reconstructive surgery after treatment to restore the appearance of your breasts after cancer, so you feel more comfortable in your body.

“Reconstruction after breast cancer isn’t just about physical healing — it’s about restoring a sense of self,” said Charis A. Venditti, MD, breast surgical oncologist at the AHN Surgery Institute at AHN Grove City Hospital and AHN Saint Vincent Hospital. “We help women feel more comfortable and secure again.”

Talking about surgery can be overwhelming, but your doctors will be there every step of the way to answer your questions and help you understand your options.

A trusted partner in breast cancer treatment

A breast cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. AHN Cancer Institute at Grove City Hospital is dedicated to early detection, compassionate care, and thorough treatment plans that work for your life. Learn more about breast cancer treatment services offered at AHN Grove City Hospital.