Oct 22, 2015 3 min read

There was a time, not so long ago, when a diagnosis of cancer was the equivalent of a death sentence. Cancer was spoken about in hushed tones, as the mere word conveyed a sense of dread.

But luckily those days are over. Thanks to medical research, more Americans are beating cancer than ever before. Cancer is now talked about openly, no longer feared as it once was.

However, there are still some cancers that do present some formidable challenges. Breast cancer is among them. The American Cancer Society estimates that 272,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. Around 40,000 women will die, including about 2,000 in Pennsylvania.

According to the ACS, the most common symptom of breast cancer is an often painless lump or mass in the breast. But there is hope, mainly in the form of mammograms, which can detect breast cancer early, giving doctors the opportunity to stop the disease in its tracks. And it’s good to know that there have been local advances in mammograms, which are giving our doctors an even better chance of detecting the tumors that can turn into breast cancer.

Robin Jennings, spokeswoman for Excela Health, said the biggest advancement in the detection of breast cancer is the introduction of 3-D mammography, which gives radiologists a better view of the breast.

Jennings said 3-D mammography machines were installed this year at Excela’s three hospitals in Mount Pleasant, Latrobe and Greensburg, as well as at Excela Square in North Huntingdon.

“We’re now able to take a digital, more accurate view (of the breast tissue), so you’re seeing a much clearer picture,” said Jennings, “The radiologist is able to pinpoint areas more easily,” she added.

Dr. Tim Miller, director of radiology at Uniontown Hospital, said the hospital has staffed a team for the last eight years to treat breast cancer in particular with three radiologists and a surgeon who specialize in breast cancer. He added that the hospital is moving quickly toward 3-D mammography.

At Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va., radiation oncology department chair Dr. Geraldine Jacobson, said the hospital is offering a new form of treatment which requires only a small, one-time dose of radiation at the time of surgery to remove a tumor.

Called intraoperative radiation therapy, the treatment uses a small, portable device to administer radiation and allow a patient to forgo weeks of intense therapy.

However, all the equipment and treatment is for naught if women don’t take the time to get a mammogram. To make more women aware of the importance of getting mammograms, October has been designated as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

To show its support for breast cancer awareness, the Herald-Standard printed its Sunday newspaper on pink paper. To aid women in their fight against breast cancer, the newspaper contributed a portion of Sunday’s sales to Susan G. Komen and the Uniontown Hospital Charity Care Fund.

The hope is that one day a cure will be found for cancer, and it will be relegated to the history books.

But in the meantime, women need to get their mammograms. It may very well be the difference between life and death.