Time to Prevent Breast Cancer
Make Your Digital Mammography Appointment Today
According to the National Breast
Cancer Foundation, breast cancer
incidence in women has increased
from one in 20 in 1960 to one in
eight today. That’s the bad news. The good
news is that if detected early, the five-year survival
rate for breast cancer exceeds 95 percent.
That’s why Debbie Hoke, manager of Diagnostic Services at Jewish Hospital Medical Center South (MCS), encourages all women she knows to have annual mammograms. “It’s been said time and time again, but early detection really is the best protection against breast cancer,” said Hoke.
Greater Accuracy Available at MCS
A 2006 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that as a screening measure for breast cancer, digital mammography is more accurate than conventional film mammography at detecting disease in women with dense breasts, women younger than age 50 and premenopausal women.The full-field digital mammography system used at MCS enables physicians and clinicians to better pinpoint disease and plan treatment.
More Comfortable Mammography
To ease the discomfort many women feel when they have a mammogram, Hoke said her staff of technologists in the mammography unit at MCS use MammoPad®, an FDA-approved foam cushion, during every examination.While all women can benefit from the use of MammoPad, Hoke said it is especially beneficial for women with breast sensitivities due to:
- Very small or very large breasts;
- Skin prone to tearing and bruising;
- Breast cancer;
- Hormone replacement therapy;
- Recent breast biopsy or surgery; or
- Breast implants.
‘A Better Experience’
MCS also provides its mammography patients with warm, comfortable spa robes instead of thin paper gowns during their mammography procedures. Hoke said the robes have come to symbolize the enhanced mammography experience that is provided for patients at MCS and its sister mammography facilities within the Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare system.“We have created a better mammography experience for our patients that is unlike any other in this area,” said Hoke. “Our hope at MCS is that this enhanced experience helps increase the number of women in Bullitt County who have annual mammography examinations.”
