HJLR May/Jun 2019

54 MAY / JUN 2019 I  Healthcare Journal of little rock column ONCOLOGY Screening and Early Detection Saves Lives With screening and early detection, we can save lives. In fact, 40 percent of the lives saved by mammography are in women younger than 50. Women are en- couraged to get their first mammogram at age 40, and annually thereafter. Seven- ty-five percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history. The two most significant risk factors for devel- oping breast cancer are gender and age. Arkansas is currently ranked 41st in the nation for participation in mammography screening, with only 67.8 percent of wom- en age 40 and over having a mammogram in the last year. The hope is that by offer- ing women in Arkansas state-of-the-art breast care coupled with comprehensive breast cancer treatment, we will increase the rate of screening in our state, which will ultimately lead to more lives saved. Opening in June of this year, The Breast Center at CARTI will allow us to actively engage in early detection and diagnosis by offering annual breast screenings. The Breast Center will offer comprehensive care for breast patients, including can- cer detection, state-of-the-art treatments and technology, and top-of-the-line pa- tient care. This new department will take our “Cancer Focused, Patient Centered” approach and apply it to mammography screening and breast wellness services. The primary goal of The Breast Center is to provide breast cancer screenings. These screenings will allow for early detection, which will make the disease more easi- ly treatable, and treatment less extensive and costly. It will be equipped with 3D mammography units – leading-edge tech- nology in mammography screening – pro- viding a 30 percent increase in cancer de- tection and a 35 percent decrease in false positives. When comparing the technology of a standard 2D mammogram with that of a 3D unit, I prefer to use the analogy of a book. While a 2D image only allows you to see the cover of the book, a 3D image allows you to look at specific details on in- dividual, interior pages. By taking a deeper look at the breast, 3D digital mammogra- phy increases detection in women age 50 and younger, pre- and peri-menopausal women, and women with dense breast tis- sue for whom traditional mammography is less sensitive. It is critical to find solu- tions for earlier detection in these women because one out of every six breast cancer diagnoses occurs in women between the ages of 40 and 49. 3D imaging also reduces the number of false positives that lead women to have to undergo additional testing. By reducing Mammograms can show changes in breast tissue up to two years before a doctor can detect it via a clinical breast exam. Annual mammograms have helped reduce the mortality rate of breast cancer in the U.S. by nearly 40 percent since 1990.