Hospital Highlights

Every year an estimated 230,000 women and 2,000 men in the U.S. are diagnosed with breast cancer. About 25 percent will later develop advanced (metastatic) breast cancer. This is when the cancer originating in the breast spreads to other parts of the body – the lungs, liver, lymph nodes or brain. The goal of screening exams for early breast cancer detection is to find cancers before they start to cause symptoms, which allows treatment to begin early and before the cancer has spread.

Key actions for early detection include regular breast self exams using the 3 prong method (middle three fingers), an annual exam by your provider and age-appropriate mammograms. The American Cancer Society recommends annual mammograms for all women age 40 and up. Your provider may recommend a mammogram earlier depending on your personal history.

At Whitman Hospital and Medical Center, we have state of the art mammography equipment, expert radiologists and highly trained, friendly staff. Our digital mammography includes CAD (computer assisted diagnosis) which compares prior images to current images to find changes that are smaller than a radiologist might see on visual inspection of the image.

Under the Affordable Care Act, mammograms will be covered as a preventive service. In the meantime, if you need financial assistance to pay for your mammogram, please call our radiology department and they can provide information about additional resources.

If you have your mammogram during the month of October, you will receive a goodie bag, lunch on us and a chance to win a t-shirt. To schedule your mammogram, or to ask a question about mammography services, please call our radiology department at 509-397-3435 x330 and one of our friendly staff will be happy to assist you.

Debbie Glass, CEO

Whitman Hospital & Medical Center