Early Detection Makes All the Difference

Every October, pink ribbons can be seen on storefronts, lapels, and football fields throughout our communities. These ribbons help promote a vital message: breast cancer that is detected early is easier to treat.

Screening tests, such as mammograms, are designed for preventive care. You don’t schedule a screening because you notice something unusual; instead, you schedule it when everything seems normal. A screening mammogram can identify changes in breast tissue before a lump or other changes become noticeable. Detecting changes early often leads to more treatment options and less aggressive interventions.

One question comes up more than any other: when should I start, and how often should I go? Recommendations vary by your age, family history, and personal risk factors and national organizations don’t all recommend the same schedule. That’s why it’s important to have this conversation with your provider. If breast cancer runs in your family, that’s worth raising at your next appointment rather than waiting for a milestone birthday.

A mammogram isn’t the complete picture when it comes to breast health. Know how your breasts normally look and feel, and report any change — a lump, thickening, dimpling, discharge, or a change in shape — to a provider right away. Don’t wait for your next scheduled mammogram to address any changes.

Having an established primary care provider makes all of this easier. A provider who knows your health history is best positioned to help you understand which screenings you need, when you need them, and what your results mean.

Pawnee Valley Community Hospital (PVCH) offers 3D mammography at the Pat Young Imaging Center, and our imaging department is accredited by the American College of Radiology for mammography. Unlike traditional mammography, which captures a single flat image, a 3D mammogram captures multiple thin slices of breast tissue, allowing radiologists to better examine overlapping areas. The exam itself takes about 10 to 15 minutes. If a screening indicates further investigation is necessary, diagnostic imaging and breast ultrasound are available on-site with the same experienced team.

If it’s been more than a year since your last mammogram, or if you’ve never had one, October is a great time to schedule yours.

Pink ribbons come down on November 1. Appointments stay open year-round.