“Early detection gives you the best chance for a healthy outcome.”

Sheboygan – During Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital reminds its patients and communities about the importance of breast health and mammograms.

“Breast cancer is sometimes found after symptoms appear, but many women with breast cancer have no symptoms,” said Mandy Raasch, RT(R), Sr. Mammography Technologist and MQSA Specialist at HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital. “This is why regular mammograms are so important. Early detection gives you the best chance for a healthy outcome.”

HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital offers screening and diagnostic imaging through 2-D and 3-D mammography, Mon. – Fri. The mammography program at HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital is accredited by the American College of Radiology, and appointments can be made by calling (920) 459-5171.

All women should talk with their health care provider about the appropriate timing for screening mammograms, especially women who are age 40 or at high-risk. A mammogram schedule will be based upon an individual’s health. At age 40, any woman may wish to begin regular screening mammograms. By age 45, women should have a screening mammogram and continue to have one at least every other year. 

Additional breast procedures may be necessary as a result of findings from a mammogram, such as ultrasound, ultrasound guided biopsy/FNA, breast MRI, wire localization, lymphoscintigraphy or sentinel lymph node mapping. These procedures are also offered at HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital.

It is also important to be aware of the factors that can contribute to the cause of breast cancer. These include:

1. Increasing age: The risk of breast cancer increases with age.
2. Inherited breast cancer: Doctors estimate about 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are linked to gene mutations passed through generations of a family.
3. Dense breasts: Women who have a high percentage of breast tissue that appears dense on a mammogram have a higher risk of breast cancer than women of similar age who have little or no dense breast tissue.
4. Personal history of breast cancer: Women have had breast cancer are more likely to develop a second breast cancer.
5. Radiation therapy: Women who had radiation therapy to the chest before age 30 have an increased risk of developing breast cancer.
6. Alcohol: Studies indicate the more alcohol a woman drinks, the greater her risk of breast cancer.
7. Having never been pregnant: Women who have never been pregnant have a greater risk of breast cancer than do women who have had one or more pregnancies.
8. Reproductive and menstrual history: Women who had their first menstrual period before age 12 or who went through menopause after age 55 have an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Women who had their first full-term pregnancy after age 30 or who have never had a full-term pregnancy are also at increased risk of breast cancer.
9. Long-term use of menopausal hormone therapy: Women who used combined estrogen and progestin menopausal hormone therapy for more than five years have an increased chance of developing breast cancer.
10. DES (diethylstilbestrol): The drug DES was given to some pregnant women in the United States between 1940 and 1971 to prevent miscarriage. Women who took DES during pregnancy have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. Women who were exposed to DES in utero, those whose mothers took DES while they were pregnany, may have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer after age 40.
11. Body weight: The chance of getting breast cancer is higher in women who are overweight or obese than in women of a healthy weight.
12. Physical activity level: Women who are physically inactive throughout life may have an increased risk of breast cancer.
13. Race: In the United States, breast cancer is diagnosed more often in white women than in African American/Black, Hispanic/Latina, Asian/Pacific Islander, or American Indian/Alaska Native women.

To learn more about breast health services at HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital, please visit: https://www.hshs.org/StNicholas/Services/Womens-Health/Breast-Health

HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital, in partnership with Prevea Health, also offers mammograms at the Prevea Plymouth Health Center with the Prevea Health + HSHS St. Vincent, St. Mary’s, St. Nicholas and St. Clare Memorial Hospital mobile mammography unit. To learn more about mobile mammography in Plymouth, please visit: www.prevea.com/mammo

###

About HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital

HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital has been delivering high quality health care to Sheboygan and its surrounding communities since 1890. HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital provides a comprehensive range of services that include cancer care, women’s services, 24-hour emergency care, digestive health, orthopedics, cardiac, home health and hospice care. The hospital’s primary purpose is to continue Christ’s healing love through the delivery of high quality and compassionate health care in an environment sensitive to the needs of all people. HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.  An affiliate of Hospital Sisters Health System, we draw on the history of St. Francis of Assisi as we move to continue serving the health care needs of our area in Christ’s healing ministry, caring for all people. To learn more, visit www.stnicholashospital.org.

About Hospital Sisters Health System

Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) mission is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high quality, Franciscan health care ministry. HSHS provides state-of-the-art health care to our patients and is dedicated to serving all people, especially the most vulnerable, at each of our 15 Local Systems and physician practices in Illinois (Breese, Decatur, Effingham, Greenville, Highland, Litchfield, O’Fallon, Shelbyville and Springfield) and Wisconsin (Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Oconto Falls, Sheboygan, and two in Green Bay). HSHS is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries. For more information about HSHS, visit www.hshs.org.  For more information about Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, visit www.hospitalsisters.org.