When You Should Get a Mammogram

Transcription:

Melanie Cole, MS (Host): Welcome. Joining the show to discuss the importance of early and regular screenings for breast cancer is my guest, Vickie Miller. She’s the mammography supervisor and breast navigator at Marietta Memorial Health System. Vickie I'm so glad to have you with us and so many women have questions about mammography and who should be getting it. Tell us the importance of early detection.

Vickie Miller RT(R)(M) (Guest): The goal of screening mammography is to identify breast abnormalities as early as possible. An early detection of breast cancer is important because it improves the woman’s survival. Early detection can also effect the types of treatment offered by your physician. All women should talk with their physician about when they should start screening mammography. The American College of Radiology recommends that all women undergo a risk assessment at the age of 30 to be performed by their physician. This assessment will help determine when you should start screening mammography. Most women start screening mammography at the age of 40 and continue yearly screening until their physician determines that it’s no longer needed. Some women who are at a higher risk for breast cancer may benefit from screening mammography before the age of 40 and may benefit from additional types of screening tests. This is why all women should discuss when to start screening mammography with their physician.

Host:   So then let’s talk about some of those recommendations because not everybody really knows. There’s been some confusion. Tell us about risk factors, family history, age, and how often you really want people to consider obviously discussing it with their physician. Tell us about risk factors as well.

Vickie:   Some of the risk factors that you may have would be women with a family history of breast cancer, women who have had gene testing that shows that they are at a higher risk for breast cancer, women with atypia or prior breast biopsies, or maybe a woman that has had radiation to their chest. Other women may have a combination of risk factors that significantly increase their risk for breast cancer. So that’s really why they should undergo a risk assessment at age 30 with their physician and then that will help their physician determine when they need to start screening mammography.

Host:  So as we’re talking about screening and every woman that’s had it and had to sit there and wait to make sure that the pictures came out all right. Then we hear that it’s a diagnostic mammogram. Tell us the difference between those two.

Vickie:   A screening mammogram is a mammogram in which you present without any breast complaints. A diagnostic mammogram could be a follow up to an abnormal screening or it could be a mammogram where you present with a breast issue. Some examples of breast issues could be you palpate a lump, you have nipple discharge, you have skin changes such as swelling, redness, or other visible differences.

Host:    What could someone expect if they do have to have that diagnostic mammogram? Tell us about radiology breast navigation process and how do you help the woman going through these different types of tests and screening?

Vickie:   If you have an abnormal screening mammogram and your provider is from the Memorial Health System, you will be entered into our radiology breast navigation program. As a patient in this program, you will be called by the navigator who will discuss you results with you and any additional imaging that would be recommended. At that time, the patient will have the opportunity to be scheduled for additional images which could be a diagnostic mammogram, it could be an ultrasound, or maybe even a biopsy, a breast MRI. These are some of the additional imaging that could be recommended from your screening mammogram. The navigator serves as a patient contact to answer any questions and to help get further testing scheduled.

Host:    Well then tell us a little bit about that scheduling process. Where can you get a mammogram within the Memorial Health system? How do you schedule it? Do you need a physician’s referral because women don’t always know whether they need to talk to their physician, get a referral. How does that work?

Vickie:   So to schedule mammogram with our system, you’ll need a referral from your physician. Your physician’s office will help you with the scheduling process once you get the referral. We perform screening mammograms at our department of obstetrics and gynecology located at 410 Second Street in Marietta and our Belpre location at 807 Farson Street in Belpre. Our Wayne Street campus in Marietta also performs screening mammography along with diagnostic mammography, breast ultrasounds, and breast biopsies. All diagnostic workup is performed at our Wayne Street campus because we have a radiologist on staff.

Host:    What about the underinsured Vicki? How do they get their mammograms? Do you have a program for that?

Vickie:   We do. The Memorial Health System has a Strecker Breast Fund, which helps underinsured or uninsured patients to receive free screening mammography. This program is funded by community donations and the Memorial Health Foundation. If you are interested in the program, you can contact a patient financial advocate. The number you can call would be 740-374-1413, and you're gonna select option three.

Host:    That’s great information. This is so important. What a great topic. So as we wrap up, Vicki, tell women listening what you’d like them you know about the importance of early detection and the screening, and that mammograms are really very painless and very easy and very quick and there's nothing to be afraid of.

Vickie:   That’s a true statement. We advise that women get their screening mammograms because, like we said, early detection will help survival rates at the end. Early detection can also effect the types of treatment offered by your physician. So it’s really important to get in and get a screening mammogram done. It usually takes—You come in and register at one of our facilities. We usually have you come in about a half hour before your appointment to register. When you come in, we don’t want you to wear any powders, lotions, deodorants, or perfumes. We’ll take you back and do the mammogram, which usually takes about 15 or 20 minutes. So if you can take an hour out of a day to get your screening mammogram done, that’s really beneficial to your health.

Host:    Well, it certainly is. As someone who’s had quite a few of them in my day, they are easy. They do not take much time. So there is nothing to be hesitant about. It’s so important. Vicki, thank you so much for coming on and telling us about that. That wraps up this episode Memorial Health Radio with Memorial Health System. Head on over to our website at mhsystem.org for more information on mammograms and to get connected with one of our providers. If you found this podcast informative, please share. Share on your social media, share with your friends and family and other women that you know, and be sure to check out all the other interesting podcasts in the Memorial Health System library. Until next time, I'm Melanie Cole.