Just before October 2022–Breast Cancer Awareness Month–Katie Couric publicly revealed that her mammogram a few months earlier had alerted her doctors that she needed further medical tests, and this testing led to her diagnosis of breast cancer. Fortunately, she and her doctors had caught her cancer early on and had time to act on the diagnosis.

Katie’s career as a successful news anchor brought attention to the reality that breast cancer can happen to anyone. She felt her bold announcement of the disease might help reduce new cases of invasive breast cancer. That was her objective with many interviews and publicity on television, in magazines, and other media.

Campaigns are More Important This Year

During the pandemic, many women went without seeing their physicians or getting mammograms. The Journal of American Medical Association estimates breast cancer screenings have reduced by 6% in the past two years. With breast cancer causing worldwide deaths of over 685,000 in 2020, early detection with mammograms is essential.

Mammograms are just an X-ray to detect abnormalities in a woman’s breast tissue; however, these images have found cancers up to 3 years before a patient can feel any lumps in the breast tissue.

Just about everyone is aware of the importance of mammograms in the fight against breast cancer, but many do not follow through with the process of making and showing up for mammogram appointments. Creative campaigns to motivate women to follow through with their health care can save many lives.

Campaign Strategies

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a digital media toolkit to focus constructive messages to the public about Breast Cancer Awareness. The toolkit is structured to empower women to take control of their health and do what they must do for an early diagnosis of breast cancer.

Every campaign initiated by organizations, workplaces, and individuals should emphasize routine mammograms because they can be the key to saving a woman’s life. The mammogram is an easy exam, but it’s equally easy to forget or delay.

During October, many clinics or private practitioners offer free mammograms to low-income or uninsured women between the ages of 40 and 64. Individuals can help these organizations get the word out to the public by volunteering to help spread the word. The word free is a very effective campaign strategy.

The Susan G. Komen Foundation has multiple races across the country to bring awareness and financial support for breast cancer awareness. Their strategy is to create an event for the participants to go out and raise money for their cause. Their strategy is power in numbers, and the walks have been very successful for the foundation.

Employers can get involved with campaigns for their employees as well. Workplace wellness plans have partnered with their insurance companies to offer personal assessments for their employees, bring in mobile mammography vans, and promote educational information for the women in their workplace.

Anyone can have a successful campaign to bring awareness to breast cancer prevention and early detection. Finding strategies that work for each individual, community, and culture can sometimes be challenging but worth the effort. After all, it is about getting the word out and, more importantly, saving lives.

Read More Mammograms with Teleradiology

By partnering with a teleradiology company like Vesta, you will be able to get more mammogram screenings done since we can handle the interpretations for you, days, nights and weekends. Want to learn more about how we integrate with your workflow? Contact us now for a free quote and overview: 1-877-55-VESTA.

Without a doubt, it is far better to catch any disease in its earliest stages. Screening allows for early detection and more effective treatment. Below are the top five screenings every woman should have to detect and prevent diseases.

Mammogram- 1 in 8 women will have breast cancer at some point in their lives. For some women this occurs earlier than others. The general guideline is that  women ages 40 to 44 should have mammograms. However, if a family history or a genetic predisposition to breast cancer is present, it is more important than ever to get annual screenings. 

Cervical –

A Pap smear or HPV test can find irregularities in cells that point to cervical cancer in the early stages. If signs of cervical cancer are detected a transvaginal, transrectal, or an MRI should be performed to ascertain the extent of the cancer or tumor.

Bone Density-

After age 65, it is recommended that all women get a bone density screening.  Practitioners can utilize x-ray, body CT, spine CT or a bone density scan to assess the progression of osteoporosis

Cholesterol

Blood tests can detect high cholesterol. To further evaluate vessels in the heart, doctors can use a CAC test, a type of CT scan. According to the American Heart Association, patients aged 40 to 75 should receive this screening, especially when the risk of heart disease can’t be determined. 

Colorectal Cancer

The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends women over the age of fifty-five should get a colorectal examination. Colonoscopy, CT colonography, and flexible sigmoidoscopy are used for visual detection of colorectal cancer. 

Over the past 30 years, there have been many advancements in radiology that allow for better imaging and faster screening. With three dimensional and cross-sectional imaging, practitioners can get a better view of areas of concern and catch cancers or other diseases in their earliest stages. Moreover, electronic transmission enables radiologists to read screenings remotely for a quicker turnaround time. 

 

Helping your Patients get Screened

Even with these advancements, education is key in encouraging women to get screening. There is a tried and true saying —when you know better, you do better. Education can be employed in a variety of ways. Do you operate a women’s wellness clinic? You want to spread the right information that can save your patients’ lives. Here are a few tips to do just that:

• Newsletters are cost-effective and can have a far-reaching impact. It is important to utilize personal stories, so that patients can put a face to the statistics. These often create a connection with patients as well. Women can see themselves in the stories of other women.

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  Virtual events are more convenient for patients than the traditional fundraising events, especially in the age of COVID. Not to mention, they are also cost-effective. The virtual events can also utilize statistics, personal stories, and discussions by doctors in the field.

Imaging centers should work with doctors to encourage them to speak with their patients about the importance of screenings, as patients rely on their doctors for the majority of their information.

Early screening is often overlooked. However, it is of the utmost importance to encourage patients to get regular screenings to allow for ear detection and treatment. Doing so can save lives.

Teleradiology Services

If you are concerned that your healthcare facility simply cannot support the amount of time it takes to review screening results, that’s where Vesta comes in. In service for nearly 15 years, Vesta provides telemedicine and teleradiology services to fill in those gaps for you. With 24 x 7, 365 year round service, Vesta Teleradiology employs US Board Certified radiologists to receive and expertly interpret mammograms and more.

Whether your facility is in a major city or is a satellite in a rural town, we can help.