0,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer, more than twice the next most common cancer – lung and bronchus, according to the National Cancer Institute.
The American Cancer Society describes breast cancer as “when cells in breast tissue change and divide uncontrolled, typically resulting in a lump or mass.”
Most begin in or around the milk glands, the ACS said.
Regular screenings can find cancer early in people who don’t have symptoms, making treatment more successful, Shannon Owens, director of radiology at Memorial Health Care Systems in Seward, said.
Many of the most common screenings are available at MHCS.
Mammograms can be done in Seward and are recommended annually starting at age 40 for those with an average risk for breast cancer. Those with a higher risk of breast cancer should start screening at age 30. Those would be women who have a strong family history of breast cancer or genetic testing BRCA1 or BRCA2, which are known genetic risk factors.
Owens said MHCS follows the American College of Radiology and the Society of Breast Imaging guidelines.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “between 2019 and 2023, about two in three female breast cancer cases were diagnosed at a localized stage, meaning the cancer had not spread outside the breast.”
About one in four had spread into lymph nodes, tissues or organs, the CDC said.
“We’re seeing more younger people,” Owens said. “We have a test avenue that we didn’t have before.”
Tests for cervical cancer like Pap smears and HPV (human papillomavirus) tests look for precancerous cells and high-risk HPV strains. Regular tests should begin at age 21, Owens said.
Screens for colorectal cancer should start at age 45 and be updated every 10 years. Colonoscopies can be done in the surgical suite at MHCS, Owens said.
Smokers or those who have recently quit should have low-dose CT scans done between ages 50 and 77. Insurance may not cover this scan, however, if pack-year criteria are not met.
A pack-year is determined by the average number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day over a year.
Counseling is also available for those trying to quit smoking, Owens said.
PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood tests and digital rectal examps are also available based on an individual’s risk for prostate cancer.
Owens said the lab at MHCS can collect the screens and, if they can’t be processed in house, will send them to the correct processor.
She has been at MHCS for 28 years and said the screenings and scans have progressed quite a bit in that time. When she started, radiology used film for its scans and processed the film in house. Today’s digital scans are more detailed, she said, and can lead to more treatment options.
For example, mammograms were two-dimensional using film. The digital equipment can perform a 3D scan and extract slices of tissue for a more detailed look, Owens said.
She said MHCS saw a decline in screenings during the Covid-19 pandemic, but numbers came back up after that and have now plateaued. Many screens are covered as part of a well-person test, which means insurance may pay for them.
Information about the different screenings is available at the annual MHCS health fair. Skin cancer screenings can be done at the fair, although other screening need an appointment.
