(Riverton, WY) – Announcing its partnership with the Wyoming Breast Cancer Initiative, SageWest Riverton held a ribbon-cutting ceremony early Tuesday morning that presented their 3D Mammography Suite in Women’s Health & Wellness, and provided attendees with information to learn more about the opportunities for free breast imaging services and programs.
Based out of Cheyenne, the WBCI’s collaboration with SageWest is geared to not only increase breast cancer awareness and prevention across the state, but to also encourage women in Fremont County to take advantage of free screening programs in their communities.
“We partner with the Wyoming Department of Health and the Wyoming Cancer Coalition to pay for screenings,” said Jeanna Stewart, WBCI board member and member of the Wyoming Cancer Coalition Survivorship Committee. “It doesn’t matter about your income. It doesn’t matter about whether or not you have insurance coverage…because all of these screenings and diagnostic tests are very expensive. And so this helps covers helps cover those expenses for people in Wyoming, and our funds stay in Wyoming.”
Information can be found on the WBCI website, wyomingbreastcancer.org, or by calling SageWest directly for an appointment at 857-3462 or 335-6250. You do not need insurance or a provider to get a free screening.
Breast Cancer Awareness: Making an impact across Wyoming
Stewart said that Wyoming ranks the lowest in the U.S. for breast cancer screenings.
“A lot of that has to do with access, of course,” she said. “Financial issues, cultural issues…a lot of people think there’s a lack the resources, but really, we have more resources in the community than they think. That is why we’re trying to get the word out.”
Stewart briefly shared her own journey with breast cancer, which was one of the reasons why she became involved with the WBCI, wanting to “participate in a cause that would make an impact across the state.”
“The limited resources in Fremont County make the WBCI’s cause that much more impactful,” she said. “There’s a misconception that breast cancer is under control and that healthcare had a kind of has this whipped. It’s not true. We’re still losing people in our state…we just recently lost our own Bobbi Barrasso… our mission is to increase breast cancer awareness, and prevention across Wyoming.”
The Wyoming Breast Cancer Initiative began in 2016 after the Susan G. Komen affiliate left the state. In 2019, they received their 501c3 status, and over the last eight years, have granted nearly a million dollars to all 23 Wyoming counties. They hold various events across the state, such as the annual Pink Ribbon Run.
“We partner with hospitals, public health organizations, and other breast cancer support groups to meet the specific needs of Wyoming,” Stewart said. “Sadly, we break glass in the nation with women over the age of 50 in getting breast screenings…and there’s no excuse because we do have the means and the capabilities and the funding available.”
‘Cutting edge’ 3D technology in Fremont County
SageWest’s program for their state-of-the-art 3D mammography was a work in the making over the past five years and is now the standard in the industry for breast cancer detection and diagnoses. As part of their Women’s Health & Wellness Suite, a mammogram can be done in about 30 minutes. Their Imaging Department assists with the 3D imaging, and an ultrasound would be done if something was found.
“It’s kind of like a deck of cards, so the first one goes through and looks at each layer of the breast tissue,” said Ultrasound Tech Savannah Tracy. “And they’re really helpful, especially with dense breast tissue and things like that in the diagnostic process. Most facilities are switching. I believe 90% of the United States have changed to 3D imagery. You’ll still find 2Ds; we do still have 2Ds…they’re good and they have their place for biopsies and things like that. But for diagnostic purposes, 3D is the best. All mammograms can be a little bit uncomfortable for some people…I feel like having it and knowing that you’re clear is a lot better than ignoring something potential.”
If something is detected in a mammogram, the next step is to refer the orders to a radiologist, who then orders an ultrasound.
“We always have a radiologist on-site when we do diagnostic mammos and breast cancer (ultra)sounds,” Tracy continued. “So the radiologist comes in and talks to the patient after, and says what they recommend next. Sometimes it’s a biopsy or it can just be a follow-up in six months.”
“This is really important to us as a community,” said SageWest CEO John Whiteside, referring to their 3D mammography technology as ‘cutting edge.’
“If you’re a recipient of a mammogram, and you see the image looking at 3D versus 2D…the old style is almost like looking at the old cathode ray tube TVs versus the big screen 4K/5K you see on the Super Bowl,” Whiteside said. “So you want 3D mammography to help identify anomalies early, and it also allows the radiologist to get deep into finding out if there’s something that needs to be having intervention.”
“Every one of us has a mother,” Whiteside continued. “And every one of us has the ability for tragedy to call upon our families. So bringing awareness, bringing concern, and attention to it is important.”
Click here for more information about Mammography at SageWest.