Breast Cancer Screenings Should Not Be Delayed Due to COVID-19
10/1/2021
Early detection and treatment supports the best possible outcomes
Huntsville, AL, 10/1/21 – Breast cancer and other medical illnesses remain a risk for women - even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, due to concerns about the virus, many women have postponed their annual screening mammograms, increasing their risk of undetected cancer. Crestwood Medical Center is encouraging women who may have delayed their mammograms to schedule the screening now, because when breast cancer is detected early, life-saving treatment can begin right away.
“When screenings are delayed, diagnosis is delayed, and treatment is delayed,” said Joel Lightner, M.D., lead mammography radiologist at Crestwood’s Women’s Center. “But the best chance for survival of any cancer is early diagnosis and treatment. Women should not be afraid to get a mammogram. Many stringent safety precautions have been put in place in our imaging center to protect everyone from COVID-19, so as a doctor, I’m telling you - if you’ve put off a mammogram, don’t put it off any longer.”
Early Detection Saves Lives
Nearly all breast cancers can be treated successfully if found early. The most effective way to detect breast cancer at an early, treatable stage is to have yearly mammograms. Since mammography became widely used in the 1980s, the U.S. breast cancer death rate in women has dropped 43 percent.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in Alabama, 3,816 of new female breast cancer cases were reported in 2018, the most recent year data is available.
The American College of Radiology (ACR) and Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) recommend that all women, particularly African American and those of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, should have a risk assessment at age 30 to see if a screening earlier than age 40 is needed.
A screening mammogram can help detect breast cancer in its earliest and most treatable stages. For women of average risk, the ACR and SBI, along with other major screening groups, recommend annual mammograms starting at age 40. Different guidelines apply to women at higher risk, including supplemental screening with breast ultrasound and breast MRI.
Safety Measures to Protect Against COVID-19
For the protection of patients and staff, Crestwood Medical Center is pre-screening all patients for any COVID-19 symptoms, scheduling appointments to maintain social distancing, requiring staff and patients to wear masks, and cleaning commonly touched surfaces with greater frequency.
A physician order is not required. Mammograms can be scheduled by calling (256) 429 4888.
Crestwood Women’s Center was recently designated as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology (ACR). By awarding facilities the status of a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, the ACR recognizes breast imaging centers that have earned accreditation in mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy, and breast ultrasound (including ultrasound-guided breast biopsy).
Peer-review evaluations, conducted in each breast imaging modality by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field, have determined that Crestwood Medical Center’s Breast Care has achieved high practice standards in image quality, personnel qualifications, facility equipment, quality control procedures, and quality assurance programs.
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