Cancer Prevention & Screening
Breast Cancer Preventions & Screening
Schedule a mammogram or take advantage of our walk-in option to proactively protect your breast health.
Schedule a Mammogram
Breast health begins with receiving regular mammograms, which can detect and prevent breast cancer early. Most physicians recommend women begin routine mammograms at age 40, although women with risk factors may benefit from receiving mammograms at an earlier age.
Our registered mammography technologists offer two types of mammograms — screening and diagnostic — during weekdays by appointment. We also have a walk-in mammogram day on the last Tuesday of every month. Mammography Screening and Support Specialist will encourage, support, and guide you through screening and any subsequent diagnostic imaging you may need.
For questions regarding mammography please call 920-623-1271 and our Screening and Support Mammography Technologist can assist you.
To schedule a mammogram call the number below.
Call (920) 623-6466Frequently Asked Questions
A mammogram is a screening tool that uses x-rays to detect breast cancer — even at an early stage, when the cancer is minimal. We offer screening and diagnostic mammograms, in 2D and 3D. (3D mammography technology has shown a 41% increase in detecting invasive cancers!)
A screening mammogram is preventative — women over the age of 40 should schedule annual screening mammograms to check for breast abnormalities.
A diagnostic mammogram should be scheduled if something out of the ordinary is discovered during a screening mammogram, or if there are other signs of breast cancer.
(Please note, our walk-in mammograms are screening mammograms — not diagnostic mammograms.)
We offer 3D screening and diagnostic mammograms.
The American Cancer Society recommends that:
- Women ages 40 to 44 should have the choice to get annual mammograms.
- Women ages 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year
- Women ages 55 and older should have mammograms every two years or continue yearly screening
- Screening should continue as long as a woman is in good health
Breast self-exams should be performed on a monthly basis, noting how breasts look and feel and reporting any changes to a healthcare provider right away.
Signs of breast cancer, such as:
- New lump in the breast or underarm
- Thickening or swelling of part of the breast
- Irritation or dimpling of breast skin
- Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast
- Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area
- Nipple discharge, including blood
- Any change in the size or the shape of the breast
- Pain in any area of the breast
If you have any signs or symptoms that worry you, be sure to contact your healthcare provider right away.
Risk factors aren’t exclusively related to family history. In fact, environmental factors contribute 80% to a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer — only 20% is due to family history. Many variables can increase the risk of breast cancer, including:
Age
The risk for breast cancer increases with age; most breast cancers are diagnosed after age 50.
Genetic mutations
Women with inherited changes (mutations) to certain genes, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, have a higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer. (According to the CDC, about 1 in every 500 women in the US has a mutation in either her BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene.)
Early menstrual period
Women who start their periods before age 12 are exposed to hormones longer, slightly increasing their risk of breast cancer.
Late or no pregnancy
Women who are pregnant for the first time after age 30 and those who never have a full-term pregnancy are at increased risk of breast cancer.
Starting menopause after age 55
Women who start menopause after age 55 are exposed to hormones longer, slightly increasing their risk of breast cancer.
Not being physically active
Women who are not physically active have a higher risk of getting breast cancer.
Being overweight or obese after menopause
Older women who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of getting breast cancer than those at a normal weight.
Having dense breasts
Dense breasts have more connective tissue than fatty tissue, which can sometimes make it hard to see tumors on a mammogram. Women with dense breasts are more likely to get breast cancer.
Using combination hormone therapy
Taking hormones to replace missing estrogen and progesterone in menopause for more than five years raises the risk for breast cancer.
Taking oral contraceptives (birth control pills)
Certain forms of oral contraceptive pills have been found to raise breast cancer risk.
Personal history of breast cancer
Women who have had breast cancer are more likely to get breast cancer a second time.
Personal history of certain non-cancerous breast diseases
Some non-cancerous breast diseases, such as atypical hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma, are associated with a higher risk of breast cancer.
Family history of breast cancer
A woman’s risk for breast cancer is higher if she has a mother, sister, daughter (i.e. first-degree relative), or multiple family members on either her mother’s or father’s side of the family who have had breast cancer. Having a first-degree male relative with breast cancer also raises a woman’s risk.
Previous treatment using radiation therapy
Women who have had radiation therapy to the chest or breasts (e.g. treatment of Hodgkin’s lymphoma) before age 30 have a higher risk of breast cancer later in life.
Women who took the drug diethylstilbestrol (DES)
This was given to some pregnant women in the United States between 1940 and 1971 to prevent miscarriage, have a higher risk of breast cancer. Women whose mothers took DES while pregnant with them are also at risk.
Drinking alcohol
Studies show that a woman’s risk for breast cancer increases with the more alcohol she drinks.
