WAVE 3 - Louisville, KYMedical Advances Helping Ease Pain Of Annual Mammograms

Medical Advances Helping Ease Pain Of Annual Mammograms

By Lori Lyle

(LOUISVILLE) -- For years, the most effective tool for early detection of breast cancer has been the mammogram -- a procedure that is not without a certain amount of discomfort. But a simple solution is helping ease that pain, and other medical advances right here in Kentuckiana are helping doctors detect cancer earlier than ever before. WAVE 3 Medical Reporter Lori Lyle reports.

No more cold, hard mammography machines for patients at Jewish Hospital's Medical Imaging, thanks to a new product called the "Soft Touch Pad" -- a piece of foam that covers parts of the mammography equipment, providing a cushion between flesh and cold metal.

The simple pad has eliminated much of the dread associated with the life-saving exam.

It's a simple solution that's especially important to women over 40 -- who should get a mammogram at least once a year.

But there are more high-tech tools available as well.

Dr. Jerry Buchanan is the Medical Director of Radiology at Jewish Hospital's Medical Center East, where digital mammography is standard care.

He says the new technology lets doctors magnify and zoom in on images and "allows me to really see through the breast, and I think pick up a whole lot of pathology that we've been maybe overlooking in the past."

A recent study found that digital mammograms detect up to 22 percent more cancers in women under 50, women with dense breasts, and those who have just reached menopause.

Buchanan says "there's a good chance that there's benefit to the other population, to the other women. And I think eventually we may find that to be true."

And for women who most at risk for breast cancer, the technology gets even more specific.

According to Buchanan, "In patients that have the genetics -- the BRCA1 and BRCA2 -- everyone is recommending they have breast MRI now."

Just over 20 patients have been screened with digital mammogram. As Dr. Buchanan explains, with the digital MRI "instead of one image, you see we're going from outside to inside.

The pictures are video-like in quality, revealing complete sections of the breast, allowing doctors to find things like abnormal lymph nodes that could indicate a residual tumor. Such early detection allows surgeons the opportunity to remove it before it has a chance to become lethal.

And for Marlene Scheffer, the convenience of getting results just minutes after her digital exam brought peace of mind. "I can rest better tonight," she said, "not worrying about whether they found something or didn't.

Digital MRIs can also give an indication as to whether chemotherapy is working on the tumor just days after it has been started, saving women a lot of precious time.

Most insurance carriers in the area do cover the cost of digital mammography and for high risk patients. MRIs are typically covered as well.

Of course, women should continue to perform self-exams on their own, but sometimes it's easy to forget. That's why Bluegrass Health and WAVE 3 take part in a nationally recognized program called "Buddy Check."

The Buddy Check program is simple: just have a buddy (family member, co-worker, close friend) call you on the third of every month to remind each other so you can ask each other if you remembered to perform the self-exam.

Online Reporter: Lori Lyle

Online Producer: Michael Dever