The newly updated Mobile Mammography Unit from CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs will soon be making regular trips through southwest Arkansas to bring advanced breast cancer detection technology to women and communities without nearby access to a breast center for regular screenings, a news release said.
The Mobile Mammography Unit has been updated to provide access to 3D mammography technology that can detect up to 40% more instances of invasive breast cancer, allowing earlier diagnosis and treatment with "significantly less discomfort for patients," the release said.
In addition to monthly visits to CHI St. Vincent clinics across the region, the unit will also make annual visits to businesses, schools and other underserved areas.
"There's been a lot of education around the importance of regular mammograms and screening for breast cancer, but many of our southwest Arkansas communities just don't have easy access to those resources," CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs President Dr. Douglas Ross said in the release.
"Now they can have access thanks in large part to the generous support of our donors and contributions from our highly trained staff. This newly renovated mobile unit means we can provide these communities with the most advanced screening technology with far more accuracy than previous 2D mammograms and certainly more than self-examinations."
Women are encouraged to get regular mammograms beginning at age 35 and in some cases sooner if they are considered to be at high risk, the release said. The Women's Center at CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs adopted 3D mammography technology last year in order to detect breast cancer at an even earlier stage when it is far more easily treated.
Communities where the Mobile Mammography Unit is currently scheduled to visit include:
ā¢ Mount Ida on Aug. 3 at CHI St. Vincent Primary Care, 320 Lucerne St.
ā¢ Glenwood on Aug. 10 at CHI St. Vincent Primary Care, 234 E. Broadway.
ā¢ Murfreesboro on Aug. 17 at CHI St. Vincent Primary Care, 319 W. 13th St.
ā¢ Gurdon on Aug. 19 at Gurdon City Hall for the Cabe Foundation.
ā¢ Arkadelphia on Aug. 24 at CHI St. Vincent Primary Care, 3004 Pine St.
"One in eight women will develop breast cancer in their life and early detection is our best opportunity to beat breast cancer," Kathy Davidson, lead technologist/mammographer at the CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs Women's Center, said in the release
"This new 3D mammography technology allows us to detect the tiniest spec on an image that someone would probably not even feel for years with self-examinations. That means we can provide better treatment earlier and we know that breast cancer is very treatable if caught at such an early stage."
The latest 3D mammography updates were made possible by donors through the CHI St. Vincent Foundation, including the Katherine C. Anthony Charitable Trust, CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs Auxiliary, C. Louis and Mary C. Cabe Foundation, AR Cancer Coalition and Arvest Bank.
The Mobile Mammography Unit at CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs has been in use since the 1990s.
