New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Advise Mammograms at Age 40
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now recommends women start getting mammograms at age 40, as breast cancer rates are increasing in younger women.
About Michelle Specht, MD
Dr. Michelle Specht is a graduate of Wesleyan University and Cornell University Medical College. She completed her surgical training at New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center. She spent two years during her surgical training as a research fellow. Following her residency, Dr. Specht completed a fellowship in Breast Surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Since 2004, Dr. Specht has been on staff at Massachusetts General Hospital and Newton Wellesley Hospital and on the faculty of Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Specht's interests are focused on optimizing surgical treatment of breast cancer. She is particularly interested in patient's who must undergo multiple surgeries to complete treatment for their breast cancer. She is actively involved in evaluating new techniques to help minimize multiple operations for the treatment of breast cancer.
Departments, Centers, & Programs:
Clinical Interests:
- Diagnosis and treatment of breast disease
- Intra-operative imaging
- Lymphedema after breast cancer treatment
- Nipple sparing mastectomy
- Optimizing lumpectomy for breast cancer
- Paravertebral block anesthesia during breast surgery
Treats:
- Adult
Locations
Mass General Surgery: Surgical Oncology
55 Fruit St.
Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care
7th Floor
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 617-724-4000
Mass General Cancer Center
55 Fruit St.
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 617-726-9200
Mass General Cancer Center in Waltham
52 Second Ave.
Suite 1110
Waltham, MA 02451
Phone: 781-487-6100
Medical Education
- MD, Cornell University
- Residency, New York Presbyterian
- Residency, The New York Hospital
- Fellowship, Cornell University Medical Center
- Fellowship, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
American Board Certifications
- Surgery, American Board of Surgery
Accepted Insurance Plans
- Aetna
- Beech Street
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare
- Cigna
- Commonwealth Care Alliance
- Coventry
- Fallon Health
- Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
- Humana
- Maine Community Health Options
- Mass General Brigham Health Plan
- MassHealth
- Medicaid ME
- Medicaid NH
- Medicaid RI
- Medicaid VT
- Medicare
- Medicare ACO
- Multiplan
- Railroad Medicare
- Senior Whole Health
- TriCare
- Tufts Health Plan
- United Health Care
- Wellpoint
- WellSense
- WellSense NH
Note: This provider may accept more insurance plans than shown; please call the practice to find out if your plan is accepted.
Research
Same Day Surgery for Mastectomy with Reconstruction
Nipple sparing mastectomy with immediate reconstruction
Intra-operative imaging
Margin assessment
Treatment of lymphedema after breast cancer
High-risk patients
Publications
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Select Publications:
- McGugin CJ, Coopey SB, Smith BL, Kelly BN, Brown CL, Gadd MA, Hughes KS, Specht MC. Enhanced Recovery Minimizes Opioid Use and Hospital Stay for Patients Undergoing Mastectomy with Reconstruction. Ann Surg Oncol. 2019 Oct;26(11):3464-3471.
- McGugin C, Spivey T, Coopey S, Smith B, Kelly B, Gadd M, Hughes K, Dontchos B, Specht M. Radiofrequency identification tag localization is comparable to wire localization for non-palpable breast lesions. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2019 Oct;177(3):735-739.
- Miller CL, Coopey SB, Rafferty E, Gadd M, Smith BL, Specht MC. Comparison of intra-operative specimen mammography to standard specimen mammography for excision of non-palpable breast lesions: a randomized trial. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2016 Feb;155(3):513-9.
- Specht MC, Miller CL, Russell TA, Horick N, Skolny MN, O'Toole JA, Jammallo LS, Niemierko A, Sadek BT, Shenouda MN, Finkelstein DM, Smith BL, Taghian AG. Defining a threshold for intervention in breast cancer-related lymphedema: what level of arm volume predicts progression? Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2013 Aug; 140(3):485-94.
- Coopey SB, Smith BL, Hanson SA, Buckley JM, Hughes KS, Gadd MA, Specht MC. The Safety of Multiple Re-Excisions after Lumpectomy for Breast Cancer. Ann Surg Oncol. 2011 Dec;18(13):3797-801.
I am very glad that she is my provider for this woman going through. She's a wonderful person and I'm happy to help her.
I found Dr. Specht to be outstanding in all respects. She is extremely knowledgeable, able to explain in depth to me the prognosis, procedures and the disease I have.
Very pleasant and thorough
Dr. Specht was professional , concise and put me at ease right away.
She left me feeling totally confident in her ability to provide me with the best medical care. I am very grateful for the notes she left with me and have referred to them a couple of times already.
Overall I've had an excellent experience with all the NWH staff during a stressful and scary diagnosis. Everyone I've encountered has been wonderful.
She was very open and considerate of my needs and requests. She was patient and clearly explained all procedures to me. And to top it off, she was personable and very approachable. Overall I felt listened to and heard.
I would recommend Dr. Specht unequivocally. I thought she was wonderful. I was so impressed that when she sat down to speak with me, she had a piece of paper and she made notes that she gave to me. This has never happened before in a doctor's office or appointment. I certainly would recommend her to anyone. I feel I got excellent care and she was ... Read More
Dr. Specht explained things very thoroughly. She spent a lot of time going over my pathology report. I like how down to earth and personable she is, along with her willingness to do whatever it takes to make you feel comfortable and informed. My questions in the office and after the office visit were answered with complete clarity and honesty. I ... Read More
Extraordinary! Dr. Specht listened intentively to my sharing the history of breast issues of my own my mother and my sister. She clearly could see that I was concerned about my issues with my breasts and allowed me to express those concerns.