“Comprehensive, Integrated Breast Care—The Gold Standard”
By Chico Breast Care Center
Are you a woman over the age of 40? If so, did you know that you should be having an annual screening mammogram? A woman’s chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime is 1 in 8, with most breast cancers occurring in women over 40. The good news is that if found early, before it has spread, the 5-year survival rate is 98%. Thus, early detection is a key factor in being able to successfully treat, and ultimately survive, this dreaded disease.
The American Cancer Society’s guidelines for the early detection of breast cancer recommend that women age 40 and over have an annual screening mammogram in addition to a clinical breast exam performed by a licensed healthcare provider. Monthly self-breast exams should also be considered as part of your routine breast health care. If you have additional risk factors that may increase your chance of developing breast cancer, such as a strong family history, then you should discuss additional or alternate screening options with your healthcare provider.
Once you have made the wise decision to undergo screening mammography, you will need to decide where to have your mammogram performed, since not all breast care centers are created equal. Some questions to ask yourself or your provider:
Does the breast care center use 3D Mammography, also known as Digital Tomosynthesis?
How long until my mammogram is read by the radiologist and the report sent to my doctor?
Is the breast care center also able to perform any follow-up exams or procedures that may be recommended?
Does the breast care center offer ancillary services such as risk assessment and nurse navigation?
Is the breast care center accredited?
The newly constructed Chico Breast Care Center is locally owned and operated by the physicians of North State Radiology, a group that has been integral to the medical community in the North State for more than 50 years. While breast imaging has always been a significant component of their family of services, the new state-of-the-art center offers an entirely new patient-centered experience by combining breast imaging with other equally important components of breast care, all conveniently located under one roof. Having your study done at a center that offers fully comprehensive and integrated breast health services can help speed up the process if you do have to undergo additional studies or procedures, which may include diagnostic work-up with mammography and/or breast ultrasound, breast MRI, breast biopsy, and surgery. This type of full-spectrum integrated care is not only more convenient for the patient, but also allows for coordination of care and less chance of confusion between multiple providers and facilities. Furthermore, the new 3D Mammography technology offered at Chico Breast Care Center can increase the chance that your cancer will be detected early while decreasing the chance that you will need to be called back for a follow-up exam due to a false-positive finding. The center also offers breast cancer risk assessment and nurse navigation assistance which can prove invaluable should you be diagnosed with breast cancer. The Chico Breast Care Center is currently the only center in California to offer this full spectrum of care in one location.
North State Radiology is accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR) in Mammography, Breast MRI, and Stereotactic Breast Biopsy and the Chico Breast Care Center is one of only six centers in California to be designated as a Certified Quality Breast Center of Excellence by the NQMBC. No matter what exam or procedure you need done, you can rest assured that it will be done by highly qualified staff in a first-class facility.
The Chico Breast Care Center provides comprehensive integrated breast care, including 3D Mammography, to residents of the North State. For more information, please visit nsradiology.com or call 898-0502 to schedule an appointment.
