Manage Your Health

Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Greene County and early detection is crucial. Finding breast cancer early means a better chance of treating it effectively and increasing your chance at survival.

Appointment.  Make an appointment today for a mammogram in either Catskill or Hudson.  Call 518-828-8224.

Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines and Location for Screening Service

Described below are guidelines from two expert organizations, the American Cancer Society and the US Preventive Services Task Force.

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY SCREENING GUIDELINES

For women at average risk
A woman is considered to be at average risk if she doesn’t have a personal history of breast cancer, a strong family history of breast cancer, or a genetic mutation known to increase risk of breast cancer, and has not had chest radiation therapy before the age of 30.

• Women ages 40 to 44 should have the choice to start annual breast cancer screening with mammograms if they wish to do so. The risks of screening as well as the potential benefits should be considered.

• Women age 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year.

• Women age 55 and older should switch to mammograms every 2 years, or have the choice to continue yearly screening.  Screening should continue as long as a woman is in good health and is expected to live 10 more years or longer.

• All women should understand what to expect when getting a mammogram for breast cancer screening – what the test can and cannot do.

For women at higher than average risk
Women who are at high risk for breast cancer based on certain factors should get an MRI and a mammogram every year. This includes women who:

• Have a lifetime risk of breast cancer of about 20% to 25% or greater, according to risk assessment tools that are based mainly on family history (such as the Claus model – see below)
• Have a known BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation
• Have a first-degree relative (parent, brother, sister, or child) with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, and have not had genetic testing themselves
• Had radiation therapy to the chest when they were between the ages of 10 and 30 years
• Have Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Cowden syndrome, or Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome, or have first-degree relatives with one of these syndromes

Mammograms
Regular mammograms can often help find breast cancer at an early stage, when treatment is most likely to be successful. A mammogram can find breast changes that could be cancer years before physical symptoms develop. Results from many decades of research clearly show that women who have regular mammograms are more likely to have breast cancer found early, less likely to need aggressive treatment (like surgery to remove the entire breast [mastectomy] and chemotherapy), and more likely to be cured.

Mammograms are not perfect. They miss some cancers. And sometimes more tests will be needed to find out if something found on a mammogram is or is not cancer. There’s also a small possibility of being diagnosed with a cancer that never would have caused any problems had it not been found during screening. It’s important that women getting mammograms know what to expect and understand the benefits and limitations of screening.

Clinical breast exam and breast self-exam
Research does not show a clear benefit of physical breast exams done by either a health professional or by yourself for breast cancer screening. Due to this lack of evidence, regular clinical breast exam and breast self-exam are not recommended. Still, all women should be familiar with how their breasts normally look and feel and report any changes to a health care provider right away. To learn about the signs and symptoms, click here.

UNITED STATES PREVENTIVE SERVICES TASK FORCE
SCREENING GUIDELINES

LOCATION FOR SCREENING SERVICE

Greene Medical Imaging
159 Jefferson Heights
Suite D-106
Catskill, NY 12414

Columbia Memorial Health
71 Prospect Avenue
Hudson, NY 12534