Local
Breast Center Now Provides a Softer Mammogram
Memorial Medical
Center in Calhoun County now provides a new product that dramatically
eases the discomfort many women feel when they get a mammogram.
The FDA-cleared foam cushion, called MammoPad®, creates a softer,
warmer mammogram.
Memorial Medical
Center is a certified Softer Mammogram Provider, a distinction awarded
only to an elite group of healthcare facilities. The center hopes
to increase the number of area women who follow recommendations for
regular screenings.
"The discomfort
many women feel during mammography compression is widely known to
be a reason that some don't get regular screenings," said Reza
Malek, M.D., radiologist at Memorial Medical Center. In addition to
compression, the cold surfaces and hard edges of the mammography device
make the experience uncomfortable for some patients.
"The breast
cushion answers these complaints by providing a soft warm cushion
for the breast during mammography," said Dr. Malek. "And
because women are more relaxed during the exam, it makes it even easier
for our mammography technologists to get the best possible image."
The single-use,
adhesive-backed foam cushion attaches to the compression plates of
the mammography device. It was developed by Stanford University breast
surgeon Gale Lebovic, M.D., who understood mammography discomfort
from both a physician and patient's point of view.
The recyclable breast cushion is "invisible" to X-rays and
does not interfere with the image quality of the mammogram.
The American Cancer
Society reports women can greatly reduce their risk of death from
breast cancer if they receive regular mammographic screens. For this
reason, both the society and the American College of Radiology recommend
that women 40 and older receive mammograms yearly.
Yet despite the
urgency of this message, nearly 40 percent of American women don't
get regular recommended mammograms. Studies have shown mammography
pain is a major reason some women do not return for annual screening.
The new foam cushion
could help reverse this trend. MammoPad has been clinically studied
in both the U.S. and Sweden, where evaluations in more than 1,300
patients found approximately 70 percent experienced a significant
reduction in pain when the cushion was used, Dr. Malek noted.
"Early detection
of breast cancer can make the crucial difference between life and
death," said Dr. Malek. "Mammograms identify lumps that
a woman's self-exam wouldn't find until an average of 1.7 years later.
That is why regular mammograms are the only scientifically proven
way to reduce breast cancer mortality. This breast cushion removes
a major barrier to women receiving this important procedure."
"We try to
create the best possible experience for our patients," said Dr.
Malek. "We're pleased to be able to offer our patients this important
enhancement." For more information or to schedule a mammogram,
call the center at 552-0250, or access its Web site at www.mmcportlavaca.com
.
