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.
Apart from the tiny little fact that it's no fun hearing a diagnosis of breast cancer, Nurse [redacted] and Dr. Michelle Specht did an excellent job of explaining my test results, answering my questions, and giving me confidence that my breast cancer will prove to be treatable and curable. I am so grateful to have the help of medical professionals ... Read More
Excellent experience!!
Very happy with everyone i met with
Dr. Specht is absolutely wonderful. I can't say enough good things about her. She's thorough. She knows what she's speaking of and she covers all areas. So I was very, very pleased and will definitely recommend her.
My doctor was very thoughtful, listened to me carefully and was encouraging and positive about my progress.
Dr Specht was Amazing as I've been told my many who referred her to me!!
Love Dr. Specht. She is always upbeat and knowledgeable about my condition
I wish ALL my doctors were as nice, professional, caring and as knowledgeable as Dr Specht
Dr. Specht was fantastic. She treated me with the utmost respect, explained my situation, and was just wonderful.
All positive things - pleasant, knowledgeable, kind, thorough.