Paint the Town Pink this October

Paint the Town Pink this October with West Feliciana Hospital for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast Cancer Awareness Month, known best for its pink theme, aims to promote screening and prevention. This disease affects one in eight women in the United States annually and 2.3 million women worldwide. Our annual Paint the Town Pink campaign can be an excellent reminder to learn more about breast cancer and its risk factors. Through its partnership with Woman’s Hospital of Baton Rouge, WFPH makes advanced cancer detection technologies available to women in our parish.

Early diagnosis matters

When it comes to breast cancer, early diagnosis is key. When diagnosed early, it’s highly survivable, thanks to advanced treatments that arrest the cancer before it spreads. By far, the most effective method of detecting breast cancer early is mammography. Mammograms can usually detect cancerous tumors 2 to 3 years before a lump can be felt.

Breast cancer is much more common in women over 50

Breast cancer is most common in women who are middle-aged or older. American Cancer Society statistics show that the median age for a breast cancer diagnosis in women in the United States is 62. This means that half the women who develop the disease are 62 or younger when diagnosed, and half are older. Breast cancer diagnoses in women younger than 45 are rare.

Regular screenings increase your chances of surviving breast cancer by 97%

When combined with a monthly self-breast exam and an annual breast exam performed by a health care provider, getting an annual mammogram improves your likelihood of surviving a diagnosis by 97% if you ever develop the disease.

There are 2 types of mammograms–West Feliciana Hospital performs both

Mammography uses a low-dose X-ray procedure to examine breast tissue. Today, 2 main types of digital mammograms are performed:

A 2D mammogram is an X-ray that compresses breast tissue between 2 plates, then records 2 images of the breast—1 from the top and 1 from the side.
A 3D mammogram, also called tomosynthesis, takes multiple X-ray images from different angles to create a 3-dimensional image containing up to 120 layers. This enables a radiologist to view breast tissue in thin “slices,” almost like flipping through the pages of a book. Having a 3D mammogram feels about the same as having a 2D mammogram.

Both procedures expose the patient to a similar amount of radiation. It’s about equivalent to 2 months of the normal “background” radiation that most people are exposed to in regular life.

3D mammograms and breast density

While 2D and 3D mammograms are both effective at detecting breast cancers early, a 3D mammogram is especially beneficial for women with dense breast tissue, which can make any abnormality more difficult to spot. You may be more likely to have dense breasts if you are younger, have a low BMI (body mass index), or are taking post-menopausal hormone replacement therapy. Only a mammogram can determine whether a woman has dense breasts.

Partnering with Woman’s Hospital, WFH makes getting a mammogram easy and effective

When breast cancer is detected early, it’s much easier to treat. WFPH partners with Woman’s Hospital of Baton Rouge to offer 2D and 3D yearly wellness mammograms in St. Francisville. A Woman’s Hospital technician located in West Feliciana Hospital performs your screening; the scans are then sent to radiologists located at Woman’s Hospital. These results are “double read” (two experts interpret the scan) before the results are sent back to your physician.

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 3.8 million breast cancer survivors are living here in the U.S. today. So why put off a breast cancer screening or drive to Baton Rouge when you can schedule a 2D or 3D mammogram in town?

Call (225) 635-2443 to schedule your screening appointment.

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