The truth about mammograms: Myths and Facts - Rebecca Bowie, RN

The truth about mammograms:  Myths and Facts

Detecting cancers early before they spread and beginning treatment as soon as possible, greatly increases the chance for a cure.  But no test is perfect; a mammogram can detect many but not all cases of breast cancer.  Early detection of breast cancer is accomplished through annual mammography, annual clinical breast exams and monthly self breast exams.    

A mammogram is an x-ray picture of the breast.  During a mammogram, your breast is placed between two plastic plates and compressed as the x-ray is taken.  You may feel discomfort as the plates press on the breast, but it will last only a few seconds.  If you experience pain tell the mammography technician.  If you have menstrual periods, the best time to get a mammogram is at the end of your menstrual period.  This is when your breasts are less tender.  Some women have less breast tenderness if they avoid having any caffeine for a couple of days prior to the test.  After the x-ray pictures are taken, they are sent to a radiologist, who studies them and sends a report to your health care provider.  The mammography facility will usually send you a letter regarding your mammogram results and any recommendation from the radiologist.  Be sure you receive the results of your mammogram either from the facility or from your health care provider shortly after the test and follow any recommendations.   If the doctor detects any abnormality or change in the mammogram, you may have to undergo additional testing. 

 There are two types of mammograms; screening and diagnostic.  A screening mammogram is used to check for breast cancer in women who have no signs or symptoms of the disease.  Screening mammograms usually involve two x-ray pictures or images of each breast.  The x-ray images make it possible to detect tumors that cannot be felt.  Screening mammograms can also find microcalcifications (tiny deposits of calcium) that sometimes indicate the presence of breast cancer.  Diagnostic mammograms are used to check for breast cancer after a lump or other sign or symptom of the disease has been found.  A diagnostic mammogram can also be used to evaluate changes found during a screen

ing mammogram or to view breast tissue when it is difficult to obtain a screening mammogram because of special circumstances, such as the presence of breast implants.

Women 40 years and older should have a screening mammogram every year.  If you are younger than 40 years and have a family history of breast cancer or other concerns, discuss with your doctor when to begin screening.  Women with breast implants should continue to have mammograms.  Be sure to let the mammography facility know about breast implants when scheduling a mammogram.

See your health care provider if you have a lump that was not seen on a mammogram or notice any other breast changes.

Annually, the Tri-Cities Cancer Center hosts no-cost breast and cervical screenings with our partner hospitals and various providers in our region. We are able to offer screening events like this free of charge thanks to generous donations made to our Foundation. Uninsured and under-insured women are encouraged to take advantage of these free cancer screenings. Visit our website or call us to learn more: www.tccancer.org or (509) 737-3420. Did you know your Tri-Cities Cancer Center provides a comprehensive no-cost mammogram program, offered year-round, serving women in our community?  If you are in need of a mammogram and are unable to afford one, please ask your doctor to provide you a referral for our no-cost mammogram program.

~ Rebecca Bowie, RN

   Tri-Cities Cancer Center

What you need to know about breast cancer - Rebecca Bowie, RN

What you need to know about breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in U.S. women, after skin cancer.  It is currently the second leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer.  It can also occur in men, though incidence is rare.  The survival rate has improved because of earlier diagnosis and the variety of treatments now available.  About half of all breast cancers occur in the upper outer part of the breast closest to the arm.  It usually develops in the ducts or lobules of the breast.   Breast cancer may spread by way of the lymphatic system or bloodstream to the lungs, liver, bones and other organs.   

Signs and symptoms of breast cancer to watch for are:

• a lump or mass in the breast
• change in symmetry or size of the breast
• change in the skin (such as thickening or dimpling, scaly skin around the nipple, an orange-peel-like appearance, or ulcers)
•  unusual drainage or discharge from the breast, change in the nipple (such as itching, burning, erosion, or retraction)
• swelling of the armpit, pain or tenderness in the breast, change in skin temperature or color (a warm, hot, or pink area)   

These signs and symptoms do not necessarily mean that you have breast cancer.  However, you should tell your doctor about any lump or any changes in the skin of the breast, nipple, or areola (the round area of dark-colored skin around the nipple).  The earlier you detect breast cancer, the sooner it can be treated and the better it responds to therapy.  

The cause of breast cancer is unknown but there are various risk factors that may contribute to the development of breast cancer:

•   high breast tissue density
•   Family history of cancer
•  Genetics
•   Long menstrual history (early age of onset before age 12 & late onset of menopause after age 55)
•  Never having children, or having a first child after the age of 30
•  Having a previous biopsy showing hyperplasia
•  Postmenopausal hormone use
•  Being overweight and inactive

Breast cancer screening is important for all women as breast cancer most commonly happens to women with no risk factors.

The Tri-Cities Cancer Center has experienced registered nurses called Breast Patient Navigators.  Their services are provided to any breast cancer patient in the community free of charge.  As dedicated members of your cancer care team, the Breast Patient Navigators can assist in facilitating personalized cancer care for you. This includes:

•  Consulting with you and your family members to describe the comprehensive spectrum of services available in our community.
• Collaborating with your healthcare team as a patient advocate to ensure that barriers to timely treatment are minimized.
• Assessing your individual needs and providing customized community resource information & educational materials.
• Educating patients about breast cancer, diagnosis and treatment.

For more information or to schedule an appointment with our Breast Navigation Team, call (509) 737-3480 or (800) 377-0856.

Our Resource Center also offers a host of products and services at no-cost for breast cancer patients and other patients undergoing cancer treatment. Feel free to stop by any time between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday - Friday:

Resource Center offers free:

·         Wigs

·         Hats

·         Specialty mastectomy products:

o   Mastectomy bras

o   Post-surgical camisoles 

o   Breast prosthetics

Services by appointment include: 

·         Facials

·         Wig styling

·         Nutritional counseling

Call (509) 737-3420 for an appointment

Breast Self-Examination (BSE) - Rebecca Bowie, RN

Breast Self-Examination (BSE)
Adult women beginning at the age of 20 should perform a monthly BSE.  Approximately 40% of breast cancers are detected by women who felt a lump.  You may think your breasts are so lumpy and wonder how this is going to help.  The key is to be familiar with how your breasts look and feel so you can spot any worrisome changes and report them to your healthcare provider promptly.  In addition to your monthly BSE your healthcare provider should perform an annual “clinical” breast exam.

Most breast changes including lumps (8 out of 10) are not cancerous but it’s important to notify your healthcare professional promptly should you find any changes or lumps.  Breast changes can occur because of pregnancy, aging, menopause, during menstrual cycles or when taking birth control pills or other hormones.  It is normal for breasts to feel a little lumpy and uneven.  Also, it is common for breasts to be swollen and tender right before or during a menstrual period.

If you have menstrual periods, the best time to self-examine is a few days after your period ends.  Postmenopausal women should do so the first day of every month as it’s easy to remember.    To decrease the surface tension you may use soapy water in the shower and lotion when lying down.

In front of a mirror

• With your arms at your sides, look carefully for changes in the size, shape, and contour of each breast.  Look for puckering, dimpling, or any changes in skin texture.  Gently squeeze both nipples, checking for any discharge. 
• Clasp your hands behind your head and press them forward until you feel your chest muscles tighten.  Look for any change in the shape or contour of your breasts.
• With hands on hips, bow slightly toward the mirror and pull elbows and shoulders forward to tighten your chest muscles.  Again, look for change in the shape or contour.

In the shower

• Raise one arm.  With the opposite hand, place the flat part of your fingers on your breast’s outer edge.  Firmly glide your hand in small circles, spiraling toward the nipple as you touch every part of the breast to feel for lumps, thickenings, or changes.
• Be sure to examine the area between the breast and the underarm and the underarm itself.  Feel for any unusual lump or mass under the skin.
• Check both breasts using the right hand to examine your left breast and the left hand to examine the right breast. 

Lying down

• Place a towel or pillow under your right shoulder and raise your right arm, positioning your hand behind your head.  Examine your right breast with your left hand fingers flat, use the same circular motion described earlier.  Examine every part of the breast for lumps, thickenings, or changes.
• Be sure to examine the area between the breast and the underarm and the underarm itself.  Feel for any unusual lump or mass under the skin. 
• Repeat with the left breast.

If any changes are found, or if you have any concerns or questions, contact your doctor promptly.  Free “Do It Yourself” BSE shower cards are available from the Tri-Cities Cancer Center. Stop by our Resource Center to pick up your free BSE shower card. We are located at 7350 W. Deschutes Ave., Kennewick.

Rebecca Bowie, RN
Tri-Cities Cancer Center

Embracing Change: Moving with the Cheese! - Michael Novakovich

The staff at the Tri-Cities Cancer Center recently read the book, “Who Moved My Cheese.” The book is a tale of “change” and focuses on four characters: Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Ha. Sniff, as you might imagine, smells out the need for change long before a game changing situation presents itself. Scurry, scurries into action – embracing change. Ha, well…Ha initially resists change but eventually realizes that he will be left behind, becoming obsolete and failing if he does not embrace change. He eventually joins the party! Hem, poor Hem. Hem is unwilling to change. He believes things will return to how they once were.  He is a subscriber to what I like to call the “Eeyore Syndrome.” Hem mutters phrases like: It will never work, we can’t make that happen, we have always done it this way. As a company, and as individuals, we need to be like Sniff and Scurry (or at the very least like Ha) if we want to grow, prosper and offer the best support for those we serve and care about. We need to Move with the Cheese.

Your Tri-Cities Cancer Center has been sniffing out new advances in cancer treatment and overall patient care, and scurrying into action! It is exciting to work with a group of healthcare professionals who embrace a unified vision to continually search out and provide the very best for the community we serve. One such endeavor is our recent network affiliation with the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA). The SCCA is a collaboration of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington Medical School and Seattle Children’s.  If you are not familiar, these three entities are the powerhouses of cancer research and care here on the west coast…and we just brought them to town! Radiation clinical trials that were once only available in large metropolitan areas, generally in a university setting, will now be available to patients in our region without the need to travel. What this means to a cancer patient is better outcomes as they benefit from less stress; they maintain their support system; and they avoid the financial burden of an extended stay away from home.

We will be sharing more about the exciting changes we are bringing to our community. As they say, “We are Moving with the Cheese!”

Be sure to read the full Press Release below for more detail about our SCCA network affiliation. 

Until next time,

Michael Novakovich
Director of Business Development
TCCC

Tri-Cities Cancer Center Joins
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Affiliate Network

Kennewick, WA – Tri-Cities Cancer Center has joined the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) Network to become its ninth affiliate in the greater Northwest. The affiliation will expand local access to cancer treatment options and help foster advances in cancer care.

“We have a long history of taking a collaborative approach to cancer care and joining Seattle Cancer Care Alliance’s network is a natural extension of this philosophy,” said Charles W. DeGooyer, Chief Executive Officer of Tri-Cities Cancer Center. “We truly believe that this will empower us to offer greater access to care while providing world-class cancer treatment for all.”

By joining the SCCA Network, Tri-Cities Cancer Center oncologists can now offer their patients access to additional treatment options via select SCCA clinical studies without having to send their patients to Seattle. The SCCA Network provides a structured program for supporting community-based oncology services, such as continuing medical education and arranging for local patients to enroll in clinical trials managed by qualified community physicians.

“Access to breakthrough clinical trials should not be limited by geography,” said Norm Hubbard, Executive Vice President of SCCA. “We are excited to extend our relationship with the Tri-Cities community and look forward to partnering with Tri-Cities Cancer Center oncologists.”
The new relationship doesn’t involve any changes to health plan coverage or benefits. As always, patients should talk directly with their health plan customer service center to understand coverage specifics before beginning any treatment.

“All of us in Eastern Washington can be proud that SCCA, one of the most highly respected academic cancer centers in the country, has invited the Tri-Cities Cancer Center to become part of its provider network,” said Dr. Thomas Rado, MD, PhD, Columbia Basin Hematology & Oncology. “This invitation recognizes the excellent patient care provided by TCCC, and its dedication to bringing the latest advances in cancer research to the Tri-Cities. At Columbia Basin Hematology and Oncology we welcome the Tri-Cities Cancer Center to SCCA, and look forward to a partnership which brings the best in clinical research and evidence-based cancer care to our patients.”

Other members of the SCCA Network include Bozeman Deaconess Hospital, Bozeman, Mont.; Columbia Basin Hematology and Oncology, Kennewick; Group Health Medical Centers; MultiCare Regional Cancer Center, Tacoma; Olympic Medical Center, Port Angeles; Providence Alaska Medical Center, Anchorage; Skagit Valley Hospital, Mount Vernon; and Wenatchee Valley Medical Center, Wenatchee. SeaMar Community Health Centers also have a relationship with the SCCA Network as a community partners focused on educational activities.

The Tri-Cities Cancer Center, a partnership of Lourdes Health Network, Kennewick General Hospital, Kadlec Regional Medical Center, and the Tri-Cities Community, opened its doors in 1994 as a freestanding non-profit cancer treatment facility. The center has become the primary community resource for cancer treatment, support, education, and information. With the generous support of the community, Tri-Cities Cancer Center is a place where dedicated professionals work alongside devoted volunteers to expand services each year.

For more information on the SCCA Network please visit: http://www.seattlecca.org/network-members.cfm. To learn more about the Tri-Cities Cancer Center visit: http://www.tccancer.org/.

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About Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance is a cancer treatment center that unites doctors from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, UW Medicine and Seattle Children’s. Our goal, every day, is to turn cancer patients into cancer survivors. Our purpose is to lead the world in the prevention and treatment of cancer. SCCA has five clinical care sites: an outpatient clinic on the Hutchinson Center campus, a pediatric inpatient unit at Seattle Children’s, an adult inpatient unit at UW Medical Center, a medical oncology clinic at EvergreenHealth, and medical and radiation oncology clinics at UW Medicine / Northwest Hospital.  Additionally, proton therapy services are provided at SCCA Proton Therapy, A Procure Center. For more information about SCCA, visit www.seattlecca.org.