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BREAST RECONSTRUCTION
RIGHTS AWARENESS DAY
When:
March 21, 8:30 a.m. to
5 p.m.
Where:
PeaceHealth Medical
Group Plastic Surgery, 505 NE
87th Ave., Suite 250, Bldg. A,
Vancouver
Info:
Come to our open house
to help celebrate the clinic’s first
Breast Reconstruction Rights
Awareness Day! Learn more
about the importance of this
day, and see the latest in plastic
surgery and medical spa services.
For more information, call
360.514.1017.
Breast screening advances aid
with better detection
Visit the Kearney Breast Center online at
BecauseItsPersonal.org
or call 360.514.6161
today to schedule your mammogram.
I N THE F I GHT AGA I NS T BR EAS T CANCE R , EAR LY
detection is the key to beating the disease. When you find
breast cancer before there are any symptoms and before
it has spread, chances of successfully treating this disease
increase dramatically.
Because early detection has been shown to save lives, the
American Cancer Society recommends regular screenings.
The standard for breast cancer screening includes a high-
quality mammogram in conjunction with a clinical breast
exam performed by your doctor.
For some patients with dense breast tissue, a family
history of breast cancer, or other indicators, your doctor
may prescribe a new 3-D breast imaging procedure. 3-D
breast imaging, called digital tomosynthesis, has recently
been approved by the FDA and brings three-dimensional
imaging into your doctor’s breast cancer detection arsenal.
Traditional mammography provides two single images
of the breast, one from the side and one from the top. For
most women, these images provide enough detail to detect
any breast changes or abnormalities.
For womenwith increased risk, additional screeningmay be
recommended. That’s where the 3-Dmammogram comes in.
With digital tomosynthesis, a series of images are taken along
the arc of the breast, providing multiple three-dimensional
images. This gives physicians a more detailed view.
“3-D tomosynthesis offers a significant advancement in
women’s breast health,” says Michael Morich, MD, radiologist
at the Kearney Breast Center. “3-D has been compared to
flipping through pages of a book, looking at one page at a time
instead of seeing a single breast image on one page.”
3-D tomosynthesis was made possible at PeaceHealth
Southwest through the generosity of Pink Power.
Brachytherapy, a type
of radiation that places
pencil-lead sized sources
of radiation inside or next
to the cancerous tissue,
is treating breast cancer
from the inside out.
“As an alternative to
external whole-breast
irradiation, breast
brachytherapy offers
excellent outcomes while
making the treatment
process easier for patients,”
says S. Christopher Hoffelt,
MD, medical oncologist at
PeaceHealth Medical Group
Hematology & Oncology.
In many cases, use of
brachytherapy can reduce
the duration of radiation
from six or seven weeks to
one week. Also, healthy
tissue in the surrounding
area, such as ribs, lungs,
heart and skin, is protected
from unnecessary exposure.
This reduces unwanted side
effects of treatment.
Talk with your doctor
about the possibility of
incorporating breast
brachytherapy into
your treatment plan.
Through the overwhelming
generosity of our donors,
PeaceHealth Southwest
is now able to offer
brachytherapy as part
of the arsenal of cancer-
fighting technology.
Treatment from the inside out
S. Christopher Hoffelt, MD
PeaceHealth Medical Group
Hematology & Oncology
8821 NE Fifth St.
Vancouver, WA 98664
360.514.1900
www.swmedicalcenter.org
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