Open House to Showcase Digital Mammography
SUN CITY, Ariz. (May 28, 2010) -- On Saturday, June 5 from 9 to 11 a.m., Banner Lakes Imaging Center will host a community open house to showcase its new digital mammography units, funded by community contributions through Sun Health Foundation, and highlight its many other outpatient imaging services.
The open house will include educational tours and the opportunity to speak with clinical experts.
RSVP by calling (602) 230-CARE (2273) or by clicking here (select "Open House-Banner Lakes Imaging Center"), and automatically be entered into a drawing for a free gift.
Mammography is an important tool in the early detection of breast cancer. Each year in the United States, more than 192,000 women are diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and more than 40,000 die from the disease.
Goodyear resident Nancy Burton, 57, thought she was pretty diligent about getting her annual mammogram. But as some women do, she got busy and missed a few years. It wasn’t until the former CEO of Banner Boswell Medical Center had a casual conversation with Ann Schwartz, R.T.(M), supervisor of Women’s Diagnostic Services, that Burton finally scheduled her mammogram – a decision that probably saved her life.
In February 2007, Schwartz walked into Burton’s office to ask permission to display literature about breast health awareness throughout the hospital, and while she was there, asked Burton when she last had a mammogram. Burton guessed that it had been about two years, but later realized it had been closer to five years. Schwartz insisted that Burton schedule her mammogram, and when she did, the radiologist discovered a spot in her left breast. After a stereotactic breast biopsy, doctors diagnosed her with infiltrating ductal carcinoma, the most common form of breast cancer.
“This is one of the easiest cancers to detect through mammogram, and we can see it when it’s at an incredibly small stage,” said Schwartz.
According to the American Cancer Society, many breast cancers are diagnosed as larger, more advanced cancers simply because too much time has elapsed from the date of the last normal mammogram. This is why women should talk with their doctors about a plan for receiving regular mammograms according to recommended guidelines.
Three years after Burton’s lumpectomy and radiation, she remains cancer-free. She now has a mammogram with ultrasound on her left side every six months and bilaterally once a year.
“I credit Ann with being that person who came upon my doorstep,” she said. “She’s my guardian angel.”
Digital mammography produces images of better clarity and accuracy than traditional screen-film mammography that results in the detection of up to 28 percent more cancers, particularly in women under age 50, women with dense breast tissue, and pre-or peri-menopausal women. Additionally, digital mammography administers lower doses of radiation to patients and it detects cancers in their early stages, when they are most treatable.
“Improved imaging will lead to early detection of breast cancer, which can result in increased long-term survival amongst both men and women diagnosed with the disease,” emphasized Steven Charney, MD, interventional radiologist and medical director of Banner Boswell’s Medical Imaging department.
