Local women benefit from mobile mammography unit

October is "National Breast Cancer Awareness Month," and the American Cancer Society (ACS) continues to recommend mammograms for all women age 40 and older every year to help detect breast cancer early.

For Lincoln County women, getting a mammogram is easy and convenient, courtesy of University Hospital's Mobile Mammography Unit, which visits the health department once a month.

What follows are comments made by local women about the mammography unit:

.. "I just want to say that the mobile mammography unit that comes to the Lincoln County Health Department has been and is a great blessing. I can now travel 18 miles instead of 40 to have a mammogram, and the staff members on the unit are both professional and kind. I am always pleased with the level of care."

.. "My doctor told me to go to the mobile unit because it's closer, and I wouldn't have to get someone to take me to Augusta."

.. "The mobile unit keeps me from having to take a day off of work. What a blessing."

According to Dr. Michelle Mason- Woodard, local physician, "The mobile mammography unit is of great value to the women of Lincoln County. Many people do not have transportation to an out-of-town facility to get this very important test done, while others simply do not drive out of town. Having the mobile mammography unit is an enormous benefit to our residents."

Since the start of the mobile mammography program in December of 2002, the staff has conducted approximately 15,000 mammograms. Of that number, 52 individuals were diagnosed with cancer.

This year, to date, 193 Lincoln County women have had this life-saving test performed at the mobile mammography unit. Although the schedule is full for October 23, there are appointments still available for Tuesday, November 20, and Tuesday, December 11. Just call the local health department at 706-359-3154.

The mobile mammography unit, which was purchased using $500,000 in donations from the community, travels the CSRA and surrounding counties five days a week. The unit is currently in the process of adding businesses to its schedule.

This year, an estimated 178,480 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, and approximately 40,460 will die from the disease. In fact, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed non-skin cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer death, after lung cancer.

Although breast cancer death rates among women have been decreasing steadily since 1990 due to earlier detection and better treatment, mammography rates are now declining, according to a recent study. This raises cause for concern as studies continue to show that one of the most important ways to make strides in the fight against breast cancer is to ensure that women continue getting a yearly mammogram, which can detect cancer at its earliest, most treatable stage.

Unfortunately, millions of women are missing potentially life-saving breast cancer screening due to a lack of insurance. A recent study in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the ACS, showed that uninsured and Medicaid-insured women were about 2.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with advanced breast cancer than women with private insurance.

The study also found that African American and Hispanic women were more likely than white women to be diagnosed with advanced breast cancer, regardless of insurance status.

In addition to mammograms, the ACS likewise recommends the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) screening for some women at an increased risk for breast cancer. For most women, who have a 20 to 25-percent or greater life-time risk of developing the disease according to risk assessment tools based mainly on family history, MRI and mammography screening should begin at age 30 and continue for as long as the woman is in good health.

The ACS's guidelines are a critical step in helping to define who should be screened using an MRI in addition to mammography, as women at a very high risk of breast cancer can be diagnosed much earlier when combining the two technologies, rather than utilizing mammography alone.

Up to date cancer information and referrals to local ACS programs and other community resources may be obtained by calling the society toll free at 1-800-227-2345, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or by logging on to the organization's website at www.cancer.org.

Founded in 1913 and headquartered in Atlanta, the ACS has 13 regional divisions and local offices in 3,400 communities.

The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering, and preventing cancer through research, education, advocacy, and service.