Health care
BY CHLOE YOUNG
St. David’s Georgetown begins providing 3D mammography services
Keep in mind
Women age 40 and over should get screened for breast cancer by receiving an annual mammogram, Dupre said. Those with a history of breast cancer may want to get screened at age 35. Patients do not need a doctor’s order to receive these screenings, she said. “The whole reason for mammography is to visualize the breast cancer before you notice it,” Dupre said. Anyone experiencing symptoms, such as a lump or pain, should contact their health care provider. A doctor may then order a diagnostic screening that will include a mammogram plus additional imaging, such as a breast ultrasound or MRI, she said. Dupre recommends women conduct monthly self-breast exams to check for any lumps, skin changes, discharge or pain.
St. David’s Georgetown Hospital began o ering 3D mammograms to patients in September. The advanced imaging technology is allowing providers to better detect breast cancer in its beginning stages, said Debbie Dupre, lead mammographer at St. David’s Georgetown. Additionally, the hospital provides various treatment options and surgeries for individuals who receive a diagnosis. The new 3D mammography system provides sta more detailed imaging that can lead to the early detection of breast cancer, Dupre said. The software captures around 50 images of the breast compared to a traditional 2D mammogram that may only capture around four images. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths for women, according to the American Cancer Society, but is easily treatable when detected early, Dupre said. An early detection may allow patients to avoid chemo and radiation treatments, she said. “It’s really bene cial with this 3D machine what we can visualize early, that way those patients don’t have these long-term treatment plans,” Dupre said. St. David’s Georgetown stopped providing mammograms for the last two years due to sta ng shortages and its mammography machine breaking down, Dupre said. The hospital decided to return these services
Women with a high risk of breast cancer include those:
Debbie Dupre, lead mammographer at St. David’s Georgetown, has led the hospital in restarting its mammography services.
CHLOE YOUNG COMMUNITY IMPACT
With a known BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation
as there are not many care options in the area, Dupre said. Few facilities in the area provide 3D mammograms, and those that do often have long wait lists, she said. “Having this up in this area, any of those patients that have a history of breast cancer really will bene t from being able to come here,” Dupre said. The hospital hired Dupre to restart the program this spring, renovated its radiology department, and received a new dressing room and new equipment, including a CT scanner, she said.
With a rst-degree relative with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation
Who have had radiation therapy to the chest
Who have Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Cowden syndrome, or Bannayan- Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome, or have rst-degree relatives with one of these syndromes
SOURCE: AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY COMMUNITY IMPACT
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