Livonia, MI – As part of its new Comprehensive Breast Center, St. Mary Mercy Hospital is now offering a unique mammography service called MammoPlus®. Women utilizing this service are provided a digital mammogram PLUS a lifetime risk assessment for breast cancer at the time of their mammography, which offers much more than a traditional appointment and provides more information sooner.
It is estimated that one in 50 patients evaluated by a primary
care physician is at increased risk because of his or her family history.1
“We want to provide our patients with a bigger picture than simply traditional
breast cancer screening,” said Medical Oncologist Ramesh Mohindra, MD, Medical
Director, Breast Health Services, St. Mary Mercy Hospital. “Regular mammograms
are essential in the fight against breast cancer… a digital mammogram can detect breast
cancer up to two years before the patient even experiences symptoms and this
risk assessment provides an even more complete evaluation. The sooner breast
cancer is discovered, or the threat of it, the better the chance of beating
it,” he said.
The Smarter Mammogram
With MammoPlus®
each patient is offered the National Cancer Institute’s Breast Cancer Risk
Assessment as part of their standard mammography service. “This tool helps us
gather information about the patient’s personal health and breast history that
assist us in determining if she may be at increased risk for developing breast
cancer,” said Diagnostic Services Director Mary Tocco, St. Mary Mercy Hospital.
Should
the patient’s MammoPlus® risk score require further review, she and
her referring physician are alerted to her score right away and within 48 hours
she will receive a call to discuss her MammoPlus® results, as well
as have an appointment scheduled for a more in-depth high risk assessment. Following
the assessment, she will undergo
an interview with our High Risk Coordinator who develops the RiskPlus™
Analysis Report based on her answers to comprehensive questions about her
personal and family risk. “Our High Risk Clinic is also available at the
patient’s convenience to answer any questions about her personal risk,” added
Tocco.
With this new service, St. Mary Mercy is proactively
screening women for their breast cancer risk specific to their own risk level
and identifying who is at highest risk, and acting on it quicker. “We always
strive to detect cancers at their earliest stage, regardless of risk, but
knowing a patient’s personal risk can increase our chances of detecting a
cancer earlier and saving more lives,” said Tocco.
There
is no additional cost for MammoPlus® — it is simply our version of
the best mammogram service available. For more information about MammoPlus®
at St. Mary Mercy Hospital, call 734-655-4216.
1 Murff HJ, Byrne D, Syngal S. Cancer risk assessment: quality and
impact of the family history interview. Am J Prev Med 2004; 27: 239–45.
About St. Mary Mercy Hospital
St. Mary Mercy Hospital is a 304-bed hospital providing acute-care medical
and health services to our community by board-certified doctors and registered
nurses. We provide the highest quality services with leading-edge technology in
our 24-hour Emergency Center, Senior ER, Heart & Vascular Center, Cancer
Center, Birthing Center, Women’s Center, Center for Joint Replacement,
Inpatient and Outpatient Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Units, Sleep
Center, Wound Care Center, and Michigan Bariatric Institute. We also offer
same-day diagnostic testing and a variety of community health education
services.
For additional information
about St. Mary Mercy, please visit www.stmarymercy.org.
For more
information on health services offered at Saint Joseph Mercy Health System,
please visit www.stjoeshealth.org.
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