You've convinced your husband to schedule his annual physical and even gotten Fido a new flea collar. But isn't there someone you're forgetting?

Women are the primary caretakers of families, and thus, they often put themselves last on the list for medical attention. But one of the most important things a woman can do for herself -- and her family -- is to schedule a yearly mammogram and bone density screening.

Treatment for breast cancer and osteoporosis, a bone disease that heightens a woman's risk for hip fracture, is most effective in the early stages of disease.

Mammograms
At Central Montgomery Medical Center (CMMC), mammograms are performed with specialized, low-dose X-ray equipment.

To obtain an image, a healthcare provider gently compresses each breast against an X-ray plate. Women may feel some pressure or discomfort. As a precaution, women are encouraged to schedule their mammograms a few days after their monthly periods end. During this time, the breasts are usually less sensitive.

A team of specially trained diagnostic radiologists at CMMC reads and interprets mammograms, and results can be sent to physicians to be discussed with patients.

"About 10 percent of women screened require additional mammograms," says Thomas J. Shields, MD, FACOG, an OB/GYN at CMMC. "Of these women, 8 to 10 percent will need biopsies to test for cancer, but 80 percent of them will test negative."

Minimally Invasive Biopsies
A biopsy is a procedure that removes a microscopic sample of breast tissue so that laboratory technicians can determine if cancerous cells are present.

Ultrasound-guided biopsy relies on ultrasound analysis to determine the exact location of needle insertion within the breast. Patients lie on their backs or sides while a radiologist conducts the ultrasound and obtains a sample.

Sterotactic biopsy requires patients to lie flat on a table, which contains an opening for the breast to hang through. A needle-like, vacuum-assisted cutting device pierces the skin of the breast and removes a small sample of tissue.

Thomas J. Shields, MD, FACOG

DEXA Scans
While mammograms and biopsies obtain information about the breasts, a bone density scan can obtain information about a woman's entire skeletal anatomy.

At CMMC, radiologists measure bone density using Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry -- DEXA technology. During the procedure, a woman lies motionless on a table while the machine passes over her, scanning her body with a low dose of radiation.

"From the total body weight, measurements for lean soft tissue, fat soft tissue and bone density are derived," Dr. Shields says. The DEXA scan also compares a patient's bone mass to that of a young adult of the same gender, and to someone of the same age, gender and size.

Love Yourself:
Schedule Yearly Mammograms, Perform Monthly Breast Exams
If you're a woman age 40 or older, be sure to schedule your annual mammogram. If you have a family history of breast cancer, you may need to begin mammogram testing sooner.

Central Montgomery Medical Center now makes it easier to perform your own monthly breast self-exam.

Get detailed instructions from our shower hang-tags, free to you by calling 866-446-2507.

To schedule a mammogram or DEXA scan at CMMC, please call 215-853-8040.

Central Montgomery Medical Center 100 Medical Campus Drive, Lansdale, PA 19446 215-368-2100 | FAX 215-361-4933