The Jupiter Medical Center helps you take charge of the health of your breasts

The month of October – Breast Cancer Awareness Month – is the best time to make sure you know your health. At this time of year, we highlight the importance of prevention and early detection – your best weapons in the fight against breast cancer.

Although there have been some discrepancies in the breast cancer screening guidelines, I share the recommendations of the American College of Radiology. I advise my patients to have a regular mammogram at the age of 40, unless their family history or other factors put them at a higher risk of developing the disease. I also encourage patients to undergo a breast cancer risk assessment at the age of 30 to determine their specific risk factors, in case they need to start screening sooner.

Some patients are worried about radiation exposure and are reluctant to start an annual mammogram. However, exposure to radiation during a mammogram is minimal. In fact, this can be likened to the amount of radiation exposure that one would receive in a Palm Beach airplane in New York.

Even with this knowledge, some patients still prefer to undergo annual breast ultrasound instead of mammography. Although ultrasound is useful in detecting the presence of a breast mass, a mammogram remains a critical evaluation because it can detect breast calcifications that are not visible on ultrasound. Many times, cancer begins with breast calcification. We need a combination of both technologies to accurately assess breast health.

Breast cancer can also occur in older patients. I also recommend that working women, regardless of their age, continue to undergo screening and breast exams.

As part of our efforts to encourage annual breast cancer screening among women over 40 years of age, the Jupiter Medical Center has launched a screening questionnaire in our emergency department and our emergency care centers. as part of our standard sorting process. Women in the appropriate age group who have not been screened or who have not had a mammogram in the past 12 months can be referred to our breast center at their request. A member of the Jupiter Medical Center team will then contact each woman to plan a screening mammogram. The program is still in its infancy, but we believe that overtime will be a lifeline for women who might otherwise not be screened for breast cancer.

Although screenings are the key to detection, one of the ways to improve your chances of staying cancer free is to consider your diet. We can not control genetics, but we can moderate what we absorb and how we treat ourselves. Exercise, even in small amounts, can help improve your health and reduce risk factors for diseases such as cancer.

If you are diagnosed with breast cancer, the Jupiter Medical Center and the Margaret W. Niedland Breast Center are at your disposal. As the medical director of the comprehensive breast care program at the Jupiter Medical Center, I can assure you that you will have access to the most sophisticated and sophisticated imaging and diagnostic equipment, as well as state-of-the-art therapies and therapies.

In addition, our radiologists are also sub-specialists in breast imaging trained and approved by the Board of Directors. As a result, they have developed state-of-the-art techniques to detect the smallest of cancers, reducing unnecessary biopsies and procedures, and optimizing treatment while limiting side effects.

At Jupiter Medical Center, we focus on your individual medical needs by bringing together a team of experienced professionals, leading-edge technologies, innovative treatment options and a wide range of support services to deliver the best possible result.

Like many major cancer centers across the country, we have begun to focus on the biology of cancer to best determine the most effective treatments, to predict recurrences and / or the development of a new type of cancer. . Thanks to genetic testing, for example, we have a much deeper understanding of your specific cancer. Biology, not necessarily the size of your tumor, is a better predictor of the outcome, as well as the treatment protocol.

Finally, clinical research is one of the most important weapons in the ongoing fight against breast cancer. At Jupiter Medical Center, we practice medicine in the same way as academic research institutions and we participate in clinical research to improve the care and treatment our patients receive. As a result, our patients have access to clinical trials that include new or potentially more effective forms of treatment.

Unfortunately, breast cancer remains the most common type of cancer in American women, with the exception of skin cancer. However, with screening and being proactive about breast health, you can reduce your risk of developing cancer while increasing your chances of survival. To learn more about our breast health services, visit jupitermed.com/services/breast-health.