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TOPEKA, Kan. (WBW) – Even before Covid, some women were getting breast cancer screenings because they were afraid of the procedure. The pandemic seems to have provided another reason to skip exams.
The American College of Radiology reported a 37 percent drop in mammograms during the Covid-19 pandemic. A recent study by the group found that the numbers haven’t gone back.
The numbers are worrying for health care workers, like Stormont Vale director of medical imaging services Connie Wagers, who hope to catch cancer earlier.
“It’s much easier to treat[cancers]when they’re small and not large in the breast tissue,” Wagers said.
Wagers said the drop in virus numbers and stricter routine cleaning measures are easing concerns about the health risks associated with any outbreak. But some women may still be afraid of what the test will entail. That’s why Stormont staff walked 13 NEWS through what women can expect when they go in for a mammogram or breast MRI.
Becky Lackey has been a mammography technician for 40 years.
“It’s important that my patients come in, they have a great experience and they want to come back every year and get that test,” Lackey said.
Lackey: Women coming in for a mammogram come in, answer a few questions, change into a gown, then enter a room with a mammography machine. She said one breast was sitting on a plate and another plate was coming down and squeezing the breast.
“It’s a little tight,” Laki says, always watching her patients for feedback. “When you say it’s uncomfortable, I pay attention. I might be able to put you somewhere else.
The scanners compile a three-dimensional view of the breast, taking four to six scans each time. Laki said that the patient generally stands in one place, but can reach around the machine to insert all the muscles and lymph nodes into the armpit area.
“The whole process is over in five minutes at most,” she said.
If you have dense breast tissue, are at high risk for cancer, or have a new diagnosis, doctors may send you for an MRI.
According to MRI technologist Shannon Greene, an MRI captures slices of images to get a very detailed picture of the breast.
For this test, you will get an IV to provide comparison materials.
“The point of contrast would be to emphasize the abnormal areas of the breast,” Green said. “The patient walks into the room. They sit in the Superman position facing themselves, we explain. The table rises. They slide into the scanner.
Green said that sometimes tests are done in an open machine, but the machine can also be closed. In both cases, the patient falls asleep in 45 to 60 minutes.
“We strive to be comforting and compassionate. We try to talk to him and let him know it’s okay,” she said.
If cost is holding you back, still call. The Shawnee County area has a breast cancer drive to provide free mammograms to those in need. Stormont staff raise money every year.
“The staff understands the importance of providing mammograms to people in our community who cannot afford them,” Wagers said.
The hope is that a woman over 40 years of age – if there is a previous family history or genetic risk – come for a visit every year, It can save their lives.
“We want to find your breast cancer early,” Lackey said. “We don’t want you to come in here and say, ‘I have a tumor,’ and then if you did it every year, we’d have a bigger cancer than we would have.”
Breast cancer awareness is the focus of the Saturday, October 15th “Walk with Doc” program. People are invited to wear pink, and join Wager and Dr. Hashmi for a one-mile walk. They will begin at 9 a.m. on the Washburn campus just east of Lee Arena.
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