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CAMBRIDGE HEALTH ALLIANCE BREAST HEALTH INITIATIVE
Welcome to the CHA Department of Community Affairs' Breast Health
Initiative page.
The Breast Health Initiative is a collaborative project of the
Departments of Radiology, Medicine/Primary Care, and Community Affairs,
with generous support from the Avon
Foundation as well as other CHA departments.
The initiative aims to improve mammography screening rates among
CHA patients through:
- Enhanced CHA breast health services
- Patient outreach
- Patient education
What promotes Breast Health?
What is a mammogram?
What should I expect when I get a mammogram?
Is there help for me to get a mammogram?
How can I make a mammogram appointment?
What promotes Breast Health?
Breasts, like women's bodies, come in all shapes and sizes. They
change many times and in many ways over a woman's lifetime. Getting
to know how your breasts normally feel and look is the first step
in promoting good breast health.
The biggest concern in breast health is breast cancer. Breast cancer
is the second leading cause of cancer death among women. This year,
more than 200,000 women in the United States will find out they
have breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
But there is good news.
When breast cancer is found early, it is more likely to be
successfully treated.
To find breast cancer and other breast health problems early, the
American Cancer Society recommends:
- Mammograms every year for women age 40 and older.
If you are over 40, you should have a mammogram every year as
long as you are in good health. Mammograms are one of the best
ways to find cancer at its earliest stages, when it is more likely
to be treated successfully.
Remember that most of the time these breast changes are not cancer.
For more information on breast health and breast cancer, you can
visit the National
Cancer Institute's breast cancer pages or the American
Cancer Society's breast cancer pages.
What is a mammogram?
A mammogram is a special x-ray that takes a picture of your breast.
By looking at the picture, doctors can see even very small lumps
or abnormalities. Mammograms use very small doses of radiation,
so they do not hurt you or your breasts.
There are two kinds of mammograms:
- A screening mammogram is a routine test to look at your
breasts for any changes since your last mammogram.
- A diagnostic mammogram is a special mammogram requested
by your doctor to check a lump or other abnormality.
Mammograms can find 90% of breast cancers in women over 50. Studies
show that mammograms can find breast cancer up to two years before
a woman feels a lump.
What should I expect when I get a mammogram?
A Mammogram Technologist will take a picture of one breast at a time. To get
a clear picture, the machine squeezes your breast when it does the
scan.
Mammograms do not harm your breasts and your entire appointment
should last less than 30 minutes.
Although mammograms may be uncomfortable for some women, they usually
don't hurt. To be as comfortable as you can, schedule your mammogram
for the week after your period starts. If you don't have your period
anymore, you can schedule your mammogram at any time. On the day
of your appointment, don't wear deodorant or perfume on your underarms
or breasts.
All technologists at CHA who do mammograms are women.
Translation services are available on request. If you need translation
services, please ask when you make your appointment.
For more information on mammograms, please visit the CHA Radiology
mammogram webpage.
How can I make a mammogram appointment?
Cambridge Health Alliance makes it easy for you to make an appointment
for a screening mammogram in two simple steps:
1) Know the name of your primary care provider.
2) Call 617-665-1298 to make an appointment at any of our
3 hospital campuses:
Some evening testing sessions are available.The Breast Health Initiative
also offers group education and screening sessions on certain Saturdays
throughout the year. Please call the Breast Health Coordinator at
617-591-6925 for more information.
Mammograms are paid for by MassHealth, Commonwealth Care, Medicare,
Free Care, and many private health insurance plans.
* If you notice a change in how your breasts look or feel, contact
your primary care provider right away.
For help finding a primary care provider, or to find low-cost health
insurance options that are right for you, please call the CHA Connections
hotline at:
1-877-637-2273 (1-877-637-CARE)
Is there help for me to get a mammogram?
CHA's Breast Health Initiative offers support for patients who want
to get a mammogram. With generous support from the Avon
Foundation, we offer:
- Help with your appointment.
We can help you make your mammogram appointment and we will remind
you the day your mammogram is scheduled. We can also help with
transportation and child care so you can be sure to make your
appointment.
- Support during your mammogram appointment.
Some women are embarrassed, uncomfortable or reluctant to get
their mammogram. We are happy to go to the mammogram appointment with you
to make sure you are comfortable.
- Mammography education and screening events.
You can make an appointment to come to one of our screening events,
offered at the Cambridge Hospital campus on scheduled Saturdays.
At these events, you can learn more about breast health, meet
other women from the community, and get a mammogram.
- Informational materials.
We have brochures and flyers that can help you learn more about
breast health and mammograms.
- Referral to other resources.
We can put you in touch with other important healthcare resources,
including low- or no-cost health insurance programs you might
qualify for.
Please contact the Breast Health Program Coordinator at (617) 591-6925
to find out more about how we can help you get a mammogram. We speak
English, Spanish, Haitian Creole and Portuguese.
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