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Have you ever wanted to make a good memory out of a first time healthcare experience? Three of our guests had their first mammogram last night, and decided it wasn't so bad after all. Going with friends and coworkers made an otherwise anxious test downright fun. Sothia, Tammy, Yolonda, Nickie, Mona, and Debi enjoyed each others' company while Shelley (not pictured) was having her mammogram, and posed with sparkling cider in hand for the photographer's cheer of "Save the Tatas!".

This party marked our fourth attempt to bring some levity to annual screening mammography.  So far, the response has been quite positive. Comments from Thursday night included "Loved the appetizers!"  Another attendee commented about the mammography technologist and her experience: "It was great! Kat was wonderful, gentle, caring and compassionate. She really made it as comfortable as she could." A third shared, "This is more fun than I expected, would do again."

Are you interested in setting up a party for five to ten women that you work with? Simply give us a call or learn more about Mammogram.Party.Alaska on our Facebook page. You, too, might effuse "I will recommend to friends, great way to take care of yourself."

We'll see you here!

Our bodies depend on us - and sometimes we need a reminder to take care of them before something goes wrong. Women who are age 40 and older and have financial need are eligible for a free mammogram at the Providence breast cancer screening.

Take time to schedule your mammogram today and pass this message along to your friends and family. Your body will thank you for it!

Dates: April 26-29, 2010
Time: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Providence Imaging Center, 3340 Providence Drive, Anchorage (in the A Building, on the first floor, on the east end of the Providence Hospital campus, entrance 4)   By appointment only

Eligibility:

• Women who do not have insurance
• Women who have insurance that doesn't cover a mammogram
• Women who have a high insurance deductible

 

Space is limited. Call us today at 212-7966

The Providence Cancer Center is a network member of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, which includes three of the top cancer centers in the world, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, UW Medicine, and Seattle Children's.

This story by Julie Steenhuysen appeared recently on reuters.com in the Health section.  PIC was the first imaging center in Alaska to offer digital mammography.  Learn more about digital mammography at PIC.

A radiologist examines breast X-rays after a cancer prevention medical check-up at the Ambroise Pare hospital in Marseille, southern France, on April 3, 2008.

Credit: Reuters/Jean-Paul Pelissier

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Newer digital mammograms may deliver significantly lower radiation doses than conventional film mammograms, especially for women with larger and denser breasts, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.

Health

A study of nearly 50,000 women that compared digital mammography systems to film mammograms found the radiation dose was about 22 percent lower on average with the newer digital mammography exams.

"The ability to reduce the radiation dose for many women is another step forward for breast cancer screening with mammography - which saves thousands of lives each year," Edward Hendrick of the University of Colorado-Denver and a consultant to General Electric's GE Medical Systems, said in a statement.

The results were part of the Digital Mammography Imaging Screening Trial of 49,528 women, which in 2005 found that digital mammograms detected up to 28 percent more cancers than film mammograms in women under 50 who have not gone through menopause and in women with dense breast tissue.

Dr. Carol Lee, chairwoman of the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Commission, said the previous study showed that the performance of digital was equivalent or slightly better in certain groups.

What is new, she said, is "that can be achieved with overall a lower radiation dose."

Both film and digital mammograms make X-ray images of the breast, but digital mammograms are collected and stored on a computer, making them easier to access than conventional film mammograms.

Lee said generally, the radiation dose from film or digital breast mammograms is not large enough to be worrisome, and women should not skip getting a recommended mammogram if digital mammography is not available in their area.

But in general, she said, lowering the radiation dose is preferable. "We certainly want to keep radiation dose as low as possible and still achieve the desired goal of a good image," Lee said in a telephone interview.

In the study, researchers used digital mammography equipment made by Fischer Imaging Corp, Fujifilm Medical Systems, GE Healthcare and Hologic Inc.

Lee, who was not involved in the research, said only the systems made by GE and Hologic are still available, and said companies have made significant advances in the technology since the data in the study were collected, suggesting the newer machines may deliver an even lower radiation dose.

"Unfortunately, studies and information lag behind the actual practice," Lee said.

Besides lower radiation exposure and better performance for certain women, Lee said digital mammography offers the same kinds of advantages that digital photographs have over pictures taken with older film technology.

"You can zoom in. You can change the contrast level and things like that. When you took a picture with your old film camera, what you took is what you got," she said.

The study was funded in part by the National Cancer Institute and published in the American Journal of Roentgenology.

On November 16, new recommendations were published by the United States Preventive Task Force regarding screening mammography.  We believe that the "new" look at the data draws some mistaken conclusions.  Dr. Denise Farleigh, our medical director, recently went on record to explain how she feels about this recent development, which has caused a firestorm of national reaction.

 

Here is a TV interview with KTUU's Lori Tipton that took place November 24th, and includes the testimonial of a local breast cancer survivor Sheila Reilly, whose cancer was found with a routine screening mammogram she had in her early 40s.

http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=11570474 

 

Here is an editorial piece from the Anchorage Daily News Compass:  Other points of view that was published on November 26.

One life saved is worth regular breast exams

By DENISE FARLEIGH

Published: November 25th, 2009 09:51 PM
Last Modified: November 25th, 2009 09:51 PM

The United States Preventive Services Task Force issued a chilling announcement on November 16. Newly proposed recommendations from this group -- a government-funded committee with no medical imaging representation -- advises against regular screening mammography for women between the ages of 40 and 49, replaces annual mammography with a mammogram every other year for women 50 to 74, and stops all breast cancer screening for women over the age of 74. Further, the recommendations do not support teaching breast self-examination.

These recommendations for change in the guidelines for screening mammography, clinical breast examination and breast self-examination are in conflict with the facts. Careful review of the considerable literature from numerous clinical trials in the United States and elsewhere confirms that screening mammography reduces mortality from breast cancer as well as the morbidity associated with a breast cancer diagnosis. With screening mammography, the death rate from breast cancer has decreased by more than 30 percent since 1990. (The most recent of the clinical trials show a reduction in the death rate of greater than 40 percent, and specifically confirms this benefit for women aged 40-49.) The reduction in the death rate is apparent in all women screened, including women in their 40s as well as older women.

In addition to the dramatic decline in the death rate from breast cancer, less aggressive treatment may be needed for those women with an early diagnosis of breast cancer.

The recommendations from the task force, if followed, could reverse this hard-won reduction in breast cancer morbidity and mortality, placing large numbers of women at risk for early death from breast cancer.

The task force acknowledges that mammography beginning at age 40 saves lives, just not enough of them. Screening 1,339 women between the ages of 50-59 with mammography saves one life, and the task force finds that reasonable. For women ages 40-49, 1904 screening mammograms are needed for each life saved, and the Task Force states that is not worthwhile. The incidence of breast cancer for women between the ages of 40 and 49 is one in sixty-nine.

The task force focused on the potential "harms" of mammography (including discomfort of the exam, anxiety over positive results and possible over-treatment), stating that these outweigh the greatly decreased number of deaths each year resulting from breast cancer screening. While mammography is not a perfect tool, there are continuing improvements in the technology that add to the accuracy of the test. The benefit of screening mammography far outweighs the limitations.

The American Cancer Society, The American Society of Breast Disease, The Susan Komen Foundation, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, The Society of Breast Imaging, The American College of Radiology and the National Cancer Institute, among others, disagree with The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations. Each of these groups has issued formal statements urging women to continue with the current guidelines.

Alaskans are diagnosed with breast cancer every day, many following a routine screening mammogram. Do yourself a favor and continue to follow the current guidelines:

• Annual clinical breast examination from your health care provider
• Annual screening mammogram, beginning at age 40
• Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and should be considered.

Dr. Denise Farleigh, MD, is medical director of Providence Imaging Center, in Anchorage, AK, and speaks on the importance of breast cancer screening at an event called "Paint the Rink Pink" held at the Sullivan Arena. Breast self exam, clinical breast exam, and screening mammography are discussed. Emphasis is placed on early detection, as breast cancer caught early is curable. Mobile mammography is also discussed, which makes screening more convenient for many women.

What is 34 feet long, pink and white, and can sometimes be seen on the Alaska Marine Highway?  Providence Imaging Center's Mobile Digital Mammography Coach! The coach turns 3 years old in April and is busier than ever, bringing the latest breast cancer screening technology all over Southcentral Alaska.

In May, the coach will travel to the communities of Cordova, Valdez and Glennallen to provide screening mammography. Women in these communities would otherwise have to travel to Anchorage for their mammograms. Last spring, almost 140 women were screened. This will be the fifth time the coach has made this journey, and it is all carefully coordinated to ensure that things go smoothly. 

First, our mobile coordinator calculates a preliminary date to ensure that it has been at least a year since our last spring visit. This is to make sure that both screening and insurance criteria are met for these patients. The next step is to carefully check the ferry schedule to see which dates are available for transporting the coach. Then she compares that with the PIC schedule to make sure a mobile technologist is available for the journey.

Finally, she contacts the sites themselves to verify that the days and times are good for the community.

The technologist going this year is Barbara DeLongchamp RT (R)(M), who will be traveling for a solid week. She is driver, technologist and an ambassador to the communities she visits all wrapped into one.

"Driving the coach through the Whittier Tunnel is interesting. Sometimes it feels like the top of the vehicle is going to scrape against the rock ceiling. And maneuvering the coach onto the ferry requires a little outside help," quipped Barbara.

This year, the first stop will be Ilanka Community Health Center in Cordova, set for May 18-19.  Women who are interested contact us to pre-schedule their test, ensuring that they won't have to wait. Communication is a bit tricky in this part of the world, as cell phones often don't work. Updates on the day's schedule are faxed to the clinic, and the mammography technologist enters the pertinent information into the mammography equipment's computer.

Next stop, Providence Valdez Medical Center. The coach will travel by ferry again and see many more women over the next two and a half days. Many volunteers help to make sure things run smoothly in Valdez. Finally, Barbara will drive the coach about 70 miles over Thompson Pass to Cross Road Medical Center in Glennallen. With this site done, it's a mere 155 miles back to Anchorage, where the images will be uploaded for the radiologist to read, and the journey will be complete.

 

Our bodies depend on us - and sometimes we need a reminder to take care of them before something goes wrong.

Women who are age 40 and older and have financial need are eligible for a free mammogram at the Providence breast cancer screening in May. Pass this message along to your friends and family.

Eligibility:
- Women who do not have insurance
- Women who have insurance that doesn't cover a mammogram
- Women who have a high insurance deductible

When: May 11-14, 2009, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Providence Imaging Center
How: By appointment only. Space is limited. Call 212-6165 or 888-674-5465

Providence Imaging Center, a leader in mammography in Alaska, announces the installation of Alaska's first digital mammography to replace traditional film mammography beginning in June 2005.

Mammography, used in the detection of breast cancer, has been shown to reduce death rates from breast cancer by at least 30 percent in women over age 50.  Researchers believe the use of digital mammography could lead to a further decrease in deaths. The system, called full-field digital mammography (FFDM),  provides several key benefits compared to traditional mammography:

• the digital machines chosen by PIC have state-of-the-art image acquisition-the highest quality image available on the market today.
• high quality images are available to view within seconds after exposure
• images can be digitally enhanced and manipulated for accurate diagnosis
• the number of views needed for a diagnostic mammogram is reduced.

"Digital mammography allows the radiologist to manipulate the contrast, brightness and magnification levels of the image to better see abnormalities.  A CAD system, as part of the digital software, also facilitates the use of computer aided detection," said Janice Anderson, M.D., Providence Imaging Center radiologist.

While the patient's experience of getting a mammogram won't be any different with the digital device, anxiety is lessened by not having to wait for the images to be developed.  The use of electronic manipulation and the ability to magnify the images will result in fewer patients needing to be called back.

"Providence Imaging Center performs more than 25,000 mammograms a year, therefore the storage and retrieval of traditional films is a challenge.  With FFDM, mammograms are acquired, processed and archived in a completely digital format, eliminating the need for film storage and gives easier access to the health care providers," said Laura McDonough, Providence Imaging Center's executive director.