Special to Iredell Free News
During the month of October and in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Davis Regional Medical Center is offering mammograms for $99. To qualify for this special price, mammograms must be purchased in October, but they may be redeemed at a later date.
In America, one in eight women will develop breast cancer. In 2020 it is estimated that a record 276,000 new cases will be diagnosed, and there is a one in 38 chance of dying from breast cancer.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important not to postpone annual screening mammograms. Davis Regional is encouraging women who may have delayed their mammograms to schedule the screening now because when breast cancer is detected early, life-saving treatment can begin immediately.
“When screenings are delayed, diagnosis is delayed, and treatment is delayed,” said Dr. Andrew Schneider, Davis Regional’s chief interventional radiologist “But the best chance for survival of any cancer is early diagnosis and treatment. Women should not be afraid to get a mammogram. Many stringent safety precautions have been put in place in our imaging department to protect everyone from COVID-19. If you have put off your annual screening mammogram due to COVID, I recommend that you do not put it off any longer.”
Typically most mammograms take less than 20 minutes, and they use less radiation than a standard X-ray.
Early Detection Saves Lives and nearly all breast cancers can be treated successfully if found early.
The most effective way to detect breast cancer at an early, treatable stage is to have yearly mammograms. Since mammography became widely used in the 1980s, the U.S. breast cancer death rate in women has dropped 43 percent.
In North Carolina, cancer is the leading cause of death for women, according to the Centers for Disease Control
The American College of Radiology and Society of Breast Imaging recommend that all women, particularly African American woman, should have a risk assessment at age 30 to see if a screening earlier than age 40 is needed. Women who were previously diagnosed with breast cancer are recommended to be screened with an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).
For women of average risk, the ACR and SBI recommend annual mammograms starting at age 40, with no upper age limit as long as the woman is in good health. A screening mammogram can help detect breast cancer in its earliest and most treatable stages.
For the protection of patients and staff, Davis Regional is pre-screening all patients for any COVID-19 symptoms, limiting appointments to maintain social distancing, requiring masks for staff and patients, and cleaning commonly touched surfaces with greater frequency.
To schedule a Mammogram and arrange payment for the $99 rate, please call 855-412-1533 or visit MDSave.com/easy-peasy.