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| March 05, 2010 |
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| MMH staff believe mammograms save lives |
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Despite new guidelines, Medina hospital staff believe mammograms save lives
Experts: You are your best advocate in preventing breast cancer
The Journal-Register
Published: March 04, 2010 10:01 pm
MEDINA — By Holly Toal
Most women will agree that getting a mammogram is not one of the most enjoyable experiences, but the experts at the Medina Memorial Health Care System are urging women to get screened for breast cancer, because it just might save their lives.
With the recent release of a study by of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which recommends that women do not need to get a mammogram until age 50, some women feel unsure about what precautions they should take when it comes to breast health.
“The hospital’s position is to follow the guidelines of the American Cancer Society,” said Jenifer Maynard, director of medical imaging at Medina Memorial Hospital. “You have to be your own advocate.”
In November 2009, the task force published guidelines on screening for breast cancer. These recommended that film mammography be performed once every two years on women who are 50 to 74 years old.
Working in a field where she sees how quickly a “questionable area” in a woman’s breast can change, Maynard said she was shocked when she heard the results of the study.
Even after the study was released, the American Cancer Society did not change its recommended guidelines, which state that women age 40 and older should have a mammogram every year and should continue to do so for as long as they are in good health.
The American College of Radiology also stands firm with its opinion that people should continue to follow ACS recommendations. It points out that the task force is made up of representatives from major health insurers, “but not a single radiologist, oncologist, breast surgeon, or any other clinician with demonstrated expertise in breast cancer diagnosis or treatment.”
Maynard added: “There’s no breast cancer expertise on this panel.”
The task force study supports its conclusions by stating that the harm of breast cancer screening includes inconvenience, psychological harm and additional medical visits due to false positive screening.
Maynard said the task force states it is emotionally distressing to go though the screenings when you are not considered to be at risk for cancer, and she asks the question: What’s worse — taking preventive measures to reduce the risk of getting cancer, or learning too late that you have it?
Only about 15 percent of diagnosed breast cancer patients have a family history, which means about 85 percent of diagnosed breast cancer patients did not, according to Maynard.
“The radiation exposure for a mammogram is basically natural background radiation,” Maynard said, meaning that it is comparable to the amount of radiation a person comes in contact with by being near a computer, a microwave, a cell phone or another piece of technology.
“With the digital mammography, it’s even lower than screen film mammography,” she said.
Medina Memorial went live with digital mammography in October 2008, and is now able to send a patient’s images directly to the radiologist, without having to process film. Digital mammograms have superior image quality and are able to detect significantly more cancers than film mammography in women with dense breasts, those under the age of 50, those who are pre-menopausal and peri-menopausal, Maynard explained.
“We’re so fortunate to have this technology in the community,” she said. She explained that not all facilities have the digital technology available.
Lead mammographer Sue Knutson shares that opinion.
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“I couldn’t believe the difference with how sharp and clear the images looked on our digital unit — it just blew me away,” she said. “If you’re seeing more, you pick up more.”
Knutson sees many women coming in to learn about breast health, and said she was also shocked to learn the results of the task force study.
“A lot of patients are coming in and asking about the study,” she said. “I tell them to go by the American Cancer Society guidelines — nothing has changed.”
Knutson explained that “from registration to results” it takes a patient about one hour to complete a mammogram appointment. The actual screening, she said, takes about 15 minutes, on average.
The hospital has also opened up its availability to perform screenings on weekends and evenings. Those who are uninsured or underinsured can contact Community Partners at 798-6641 to find out if they are eligible for a free mammogram.
The hospital will hold its annual for-women-only event, Staying Alive and Getting Screened, at 5:30 p.m. May 5 at the Ridgeway Fire Hall on Route 104. There will be live entertainment by the “Disco Ducks,” special guest speaker Dr. Courtney Diehl, refreshments, jewelry, information booths and a Chinese auction. All money raised will go toward women in Orleans County who are uninsured or underinsured.
“Patients should work with their health care providers to create a plan tailored to their individual needs based on their health and family history,” Maynard said. “We want to help women be their own advocates for their health care by making informed decisions.”
“We want it to be understood that mammograms save lives.”
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