HEALTH Secretary James U. Hofschneider yesterday said the Commonwealth Health Center’s mammography has been awarded a three-year accreditation term.
Mammography is the best method available for diagnosing breast cancer at an early stage.
The American College of Radiology’s recent survey of CHC’s mammography facility shows compliance with high industry standards, Hofschneider said.
“ACR is a tough accreditation agency,” he added. “ACR’s accreditation of CHC’s mammography shows that we have a good facility, efficient personnel and procedures, and this ensures that the community gets good service,” Hofschneider told Variety.
Mammography is a low dose X-ray procedure that allows visualization of the internal structure of the breast.
Susan M. Zehr, head of the CHC Radiology Unit, said every ACR evaluation is conducted by board certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field.
The surveyors report their findings to the ACR Committee on Accreditation which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report.
Hofschneider lauded CHC’s Radiology Unit and the Department of Public Health’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program for a job well done.
He also urged women who are 40 years old and above to undergo regular mammography.
Last year alone, six local women died of breast cancer, according to Zehr.
Early detection, followed by up-to-date treatment, provides a woman with a better chance for long term freedom from breast cancer, she added.
“Once is not enough. Women must make mammography screening a part of their regular health care routine,” Zehr said.
Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in America. However, early detection and prompt treatment can significantly reduce the suffering and deaths caused by this disease.
The associated risks to breast cancer include: being over 40 years old; family history of breast cancer; late menopause; never having had a pregnancy or having a first pregnancy over the age of 30.
Breast cancer deaths could decline if all women at 40 or older receive mammograms regularly. For women of all ages, monthly breast self-examination is recommended, Hofschneider said.
