Catching breast cancer early makes all the difference

Cancer is scary. And breast cancer, which affects one in eight women in their lifetime, is no exception.

The good news? Breast cancer is highly treatable when it’s detected early. In fact, according to the American Cancer Society, 99% of women who are diagnosed with the earliest stages of breast cancer are still alive five years later. For women, getting screened for breast cancer is one of the most important things they can do for their health.

Learn more about the importance of getting screened, what screening options are available and how women of all ages can protect themselves against breast cancer.

The sooner you know, the sooner you can act

At its earliest stages, when it's still localized, breast cancer is highly treatable. However, if given the time to spread to the lymph nodes or beyond, treatment becomes much more difficult. Getting a mammogram – a type of X-ray that can spot cancer even when it’s too small to feel – is the best way to catch breast cancer as early as possible.

“Not only do mammograms check for cancer, they also check for irregular cells that could lead to cancer,” says Heather Gunsenhouser, a clinical breast specialist and diagnostic navigator with Sentara McLeskey (Leigh) Comprehensive Breast Center. “The easiest way to treat cancer is to catch it at its earliest stage, or to make sure that it doesn’t even start growing.”

Many factors can determine a woman’s risk for developing breast cancer, including age, race, genetics and a family history of developing the disease. The current guidelines at Sentara for screening a person at average risk for breast cancer are:

• Women, beginning at age 40, should have annual mammograms, after an informed decision with their health care provider, based on personal and family history.
• Screening should continue indefinitely, provided the individual is in good health and expected to live 10 years or longer.

What about younger women?

The screening guidelines focus on women over the age of 40 because they’re at a higher risk of developing breast cancer. But that doesn’t mean younger women can’t develop breast cancer. So what should women under 40 do to protect themselves?

In addition to getting regular clinical breast exams from their primary care physician, younger women should also do regular self-exams.

Not sure how to perform one? You can find a step-by-step guide on the National Breast Cancer Foundation website. While self-exams don’t replace mammograms or other screening technology, they can help you to be better acquainted with what normal looks and feels like for you, so you’ll be more likely to notice if something changes.

“Every female should be doing breast exams,” says Darlene North, a mammography technologist with Sentara Leigh Mobile Mammography. “If you feel something concerning, schedule an appointment with your doctor.”

If you’re at high risk of developing breast cancer because of genetics and family history, your doctor might also have you start getting annual mammograms at a younger age.

When in doubt, ask your doctor.

What should I expect when I get my mammogram?

Knowing what to expect when you get a mammogram can help alleviate anxiety and make the procedure less stressful. The process will be more or less the same no matter where you go in the Sentara network.

After scheduling an appointment, you’ll fill out a family history questionnaire on your MyChart. When you arrive for your appointment, you’ll get undressed from the waist up, put on a gown and sit in the waiting room until you’re called for your mammogram. The entire process takes about 15 minutes from start to finish.

“We do two pictures on each breast, a front-way squeeze and a side-way squeeze,” says Gunsenhouser. “Then you get dressed, and we go over the family history questionnaire you filled out. Then you get to go home.”

A radiologist will review your results – typically within 24 hours – and post them to your MyChart. If everything looks good, then that’s it until next year. But, if the radiologist spots something suspicious, you’ll get a call from our breast core team for a follow-up diagnostic mammogram.

A diagnostic mammogram involves taking additional X-ray images of the specific area to help the radiologist determine if there is a need for a biopsy or further testing. Because each new mammogram is compared to previous ones to check for suspicious changes, women are much more likely to get a call back the first time they get a mammogram.

“I always tell people: ‘Since this is your first time, we don’t have anything to base it on,’” Gunsenhouser explains. “You’re more likely to get called back in, but don’t get scared!”

Where can I go to get a mammogram?

Sentara has over two dozen locations where you can get a mammogram, including seven specialized comprehensive breast centers, and the Sentara Brock Cancer Center in Norfolk. Women 40 years and older don’t need a referral from a doctor for screening mammograms, and insurance typically covers the cost.

For those who might not otherwise have access, Sentara’s Mobile Mammography Van travels to sites throughout Virginia and North Carolina to provide mammography services. Patients are encouraged to schedule ahead for a 15-minute screening session, but walk-ins are also taken whenever possible.

“We’re set up to comfortably do 22 mammograms per day,” says North, the mammography technologist. “That’s one every 15 minutes, with a 30-minute break for lunch,” says North. “But we do take walk-ins. No matter what our schedule is, we’ll take you if we can.”

North is responsible for scheduling the mobile unit site visits and performing the mammograms. A registrar assists her by driving the van and checking in patients. Between the two of them, they have streamlined operations to make the experience as quick and stress-free as possible.

“When you come into the mobile unit, there’s a couch for you to sit on,” North says. “As soon as you're registered, you go to the dressing room. I’m on the other side, I do the mammogram and get you out. The whole process takes 15 minutes from start to finish.”

There’s no reason to wait

All Sentara locations, including the mobile unit, use modern 3D mammography – also known as breast tomosynthesis. This technology has become the standard of care for breast cancer screening. Not only can it catch stage 0 cancer when it’s still contained within a milk duct, it can even spot cells that are precancerous.

While mammograms are uncomfortable, getting one every year can make the difference between finding precancerous cells while they’re still relatively easy to remove and having full-blown cancer that could spread to other parts of your body.

“Ladies may think, ‘Well, I don’t feel any lumps,’ or ‘I don’t have a family history, so why do I need this?’,” says North. “I tell them this: ‘It’s uncomfortable, but it’s quick. Those few seconds you’re compressed could save your life.’”