Every three minutes, a woman is diagnosed
with breast cancer in the United States.
The Leila J. Eisenstein Breast Center at Providence continues to build on its commitment to women's health. The center opened November 2003 to fill a need in the community to provide readily accessible breast cancer diagnosis technology and resource assistance in one location. Now, six years later, the breast center will offer women the latest state-of-the-art imaging technology for the early detection of breast cancer.
The Dilon camera yields a fundamentally different approach to breast cancer diagnosis with its breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI). It doesn't just identify how the breast appears different from surrounding breast tissue with cancer - like with digital mammography or ultrasound - it also records how the breast functions and the metabolic activity. With BSGI, metabolic differences are identified between cancer cells, which are more active than normal cells, and healthy breast tissue. BSGI also allows for detection of lesion as small as three millimeters.
The Dilon camera's ability to distinguish breast function and metabolic activity can be crucial for allaying the fears of women with a family history of breast cancer. BSGI has the same sensitivity as a breast MRI, but with a lower number of false positives resulting in fewer benign biopsies. "I was 16 when I lost my mother to breast cancer at the age of 39, so false positives are troubling," says Providence breast center patient Sydney Sloan. "I traveled to Portland for a BSGI on my doctor's recommendation. Getting the results was the very first time in my life I felt secure." The Dilon camera has a less than six percent rate of false positive results compared to 40 percent from a breast MRI. And, BSGI is not impaired by breast density and may reduce sensitivity by 44 percent.
In addition to improved detection of breast cancer, tests using the Dilon camera are significantly less expensive than a breast MRI. BSGI technology is covered by insurance, including Medicare. Without insurance, BSGI costs approximately $777 compared to more than $2,000 for an MRI.
A woman's best chance of surviving breast cancer is early diagnosis - stage zero or stage one. Yet in Jackson County one-third of breast cancer patients are diagnosed in later stages. Last year more than 10,000 exams were performed at the Leila J. Eisenstein Breast Center using advanced diagnostic technology. "Breast cancer is not just showing up in women over 40," says Amy McCormick, Providence's breast center manager. "The youngest patient we've seen was 28 years old."
Breast cancer has no boundaries, no time frame and no age limits. While research is making huge strides, early detection still remains the best defense against breast cancer. Please partner with Providence to bring the Dilon camera to our community, and with it the reassurance of hope for many women at risk of breast cancer.
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December 2
Formal Dinner and Auction
5:30-10:00 p.m.
December 3
Festival Holiday Party
6:00-10:00 p.m.
December 4
Public Viewing
10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
An Evening of Giving
(Private Event)
6:00-9:00 p.m.
December 5
Public Viewing
9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
A Musical Evening for Families
featuring the Siskiyou Violins
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
December 6
Public Viewing
9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Location
Medford Armory
1701 S. Pacific Hwy
Medford, Oregon
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