Don't Delay Screening Mammograms Save Lives
Tuesday, October 18, 2022 Courtesy of King’s Daughters Medical Center
Other than certain types of skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer affecting women in the U.S. Statistics tell us that one in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Of these, eight out of nine who are diagnosed have no family history of breast cancer. Since breast cancer is so prevalent, yearly screening mammograms are vital to catching the disease as early as possible, even before symptoms appear. If you’ve been putting off your mammogram, now is the time to schedule. “Breast cancer screening is one of the most important things women can do for their health,” said Doretha Pridemore, RN, clinical supervisor of the King’s Daughters Breast Care Center. “We’ve seen many patients put off their screening due to the pandemic and just everyday busy schedules. When it comes to saving lives, early detection plays a major factor. Do not wait.” Screening mammograms are recommended to start at age 40 for those at average risk and continue yearly. Women should discuss their personal risk of developing breast cancer, as well as the benefits of screening mammography, with their primary care provider to make a decision regarding what’s best for them personally. 3D Mammography King’s Daughters offers 3D technology, which has been clinically shown to find 20% to 65% more invasive breast cancers than 2D mammography alone. “During a 3D mammogram, the machine does a sweeping motion across the breast and takes 1mm image slices of the tissue, which breaks the tissue down so that you can see through it better than you could before, ” said Pridemore. These slices allow the radiologist to view each individual layer of the breast, which allows them to more easily detect abnormalities. Perhaps the best benefit of 3D mammography is early cancer detection. “You’re detecting things a whole lot earlier,” said Pridemore. “We are able to detect something as small as 2mm, which virtually would have gone unnoticed before.” Schedule your screening today! 3D mammography is available at the King’s Daughters Breast Care Center in Ashland, Ky., and at King’s Daughters Medical Center Ohio in Portsmouth. The King’s Daughters mobile mammography unit also travels throughout southeastern Ohio and eastern Kentucky, visiting schools, physician offices, workplaces, places of worship, and more. This includes King’s Daughters Family Care Centers in Prestonsburg, Paintsville, Grayson, Olive Hill, and Sandy Hook in Kentucky and Ironton and Jackson in Ohio. Nearly every insurance plan covers screening mammography at 100%. If you don’t have insurance, King’s Daughters has grants available to help pay for screening, as well as other services should they be needed. A provider referral is not required for a screening mammogram. To schedule a mammogram, please call us at 606.408.1111.