Phoebe hospitals offer free 3-D mammograms

ALBANY/AMERICUS — In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital’s Carlton Breast Health Center in Albany and Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus will offer 100 and 50 free 3-D mammograms, respectively, in October to women who are uninsured and are due for their annual screening.

“We’re excited to once again offer this service to our community,” Ursula Dennis-Mathis, the oncology quality director at Albany’s Phoebe Cancer Center, said. “Early detection is the key to preventing late-stage breast cancer and leads to more favorable outcomes.”

The free 3-D mammograms will be provided to the first 100 eligible women at Phoebe in Albany and the first 50 at Sumter Medical Center who make appointments at the hospitals. To be considered for one of the free breast tomosynthesis screenings, each applicant at both facilities must meet the following criteria:

♦ Have not had a mammogram in the last 12 months;

♦ Age 40 or older;

♦ Not experiencing any breast problems, (those experiencing breast problems should contact their doctor immediately);

♦ Uninsured;

♦ Not pregnant;

♦ Live in one of the following counties (for Phoebe Albany) Baker, Calhoun, Colquitt, Crisp, Dougherty, Early, Lee, Miller, Mitchell, Randolph, Sumter, Terrell, Tift, Turner and Worth; and (for Phoebe Sumter) Sumter, Schley, Macon, Marion, Dooly, Webster, Stewart and Taylor;

♦ Must have a referring physician

Interested women should note that this event is only for mammogram screenings and does not apply to follow-up imaging needs.

Carlton Breast Health Center in Albany began using 3-D mammography (breast tomosynthesis) more than five years ago. During a tomosynthesis exam, multiple, low-dose images of the breast are acquired at different angles. The 3-D view of the breast tissue helps radiologists identify and characterize individual breast structures without the confusion of overlapping tissue.

Breast cancer is the second-most-common cancer among women. For 2023, The American Cancer Society estimates nearly 297,790 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed, roughly 55,720 new cases of ductal carcinoma in situ will be diagnosed (DCIS is non-invasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer), and that nearly 43,700 people will lose their battle with the disease.

To schedule an appointment in Albany, call Phoebe Patient Contact Center at (229) 312-4800. To schedule an appointment at Phoebe Sumter, call the Patient Contact Center at (229) 931-1375. Scheduling for the free mammograms will begin at both hospitals on Wednesday.

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