NEMHS Communities Raise Awareness for Breast Cancer
- Category: Imaging
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In the last year, the communities served by Northeast Montana Health Services showed their generosity and support through several annual fundraising efforts for breast cancer. The Tough Enough to Wear Pink Night at the Wild Horse Stampede, Tough Enough to Wear Pink Golf Tournament, Blue Rock Beverage donation and Wolf Point High School Volleyball Pink Night game raised a combined total just shy of $10,000 for the NEMHS Mammography Department.
Tough Enough to Wear Pink events are held in partnership with Tough Enough to Wear Pink of Montana. This non-profit organization provides funding for breast cancer screening programs and financial grants for breast cancer patients across the state. Tough Enough to Wear Pink of Montana also sponsors free breast exams in select cities in the month of October.
This funding is essential for building awareness of breast cancer, supporting women who have been diagnosed with the disease and purchasing mammography screening equipment. Past donations contributed to the purchase of a 3-D Mammography Unit for Trinity Hospital in Wolf Point.
According to Monica Hanson, Director of Radiology at Northeast Montana Health Services, “Early detection is the most important tool for surviving breast cancer and that starts with a mammogram screening every year.”
One in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, making it the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women after skin cancer. Mammograms have proven to be the best way to detect breast cancer for the majority of women. By showing abnormal areas in breast tissue, mammograms detect changes that could lead to breast cancer before any symptoms are apparent.
Promoting awareness of the disease and the importance of early detection has led to an increase in the number of mammograms performed at NEMHS each year. In 2024, 580 mammograms were performed at Trinity Hospital compared to 426 the previous year. Through continued community awareness efforts, it is anticipated that those numbers will continue to grow in the future.
