FRANKLIN COUNTY (WSIL) - Getting a mammogram is one of the best forms of detection of breast cancer. But what if you knew before you had cancer, that you are genetically predisposed to the disease.
One local hospital is one of the few in our area with those capabilities.
Regular mammograms are one of the best tools in the early detection of breast cancer.
"I always say, caught early - 98% life. Caught large - 98% death," explained Daniell Weinfoffer, the Director of Imagine at Franklin Hospital.
Which makes preventative care essential. But at Franklin Hospital there's an option to take preventative medicine even further.
The day before your mammogram, you'll receive a text message containing a survey. The results of that survey will determine if you're eligible for the genetic testing.
"After people have answered all the questions," Weinhoffer said, "there's a program that runs behind it and it gives them a number value whether or not they meet the criteria for the genetic testing."
If they meet the criteria, the blood draw will be conducted at the lab the same day as their mammogram.
"They're looking for the BRCA-1 breast cancer gene," said Weinhoffer. "That gene in men can cause breast cancer, prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer. In women, it can cause breast cancer, pancreatic cancer and uterine cancer."
Those results are typically available within 14 to 21 days.
Over in the lab, the genetic testing hit close to home for Director Judy Courter, whose daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer. Courter was eligible for the testing, and while her test came back negative, she recommends all women take it to provide knowledge for generations to come.
"Even your grandchildren, your great grandchildren... The BRCA gene testing hasn't been around for a long time, but I think it's something that everyone should consider," Courter said. "We were really excited to bring this program to Franklin County and the people who get their mammograms through us."
For more information on mammograms or the genetic testing, you can contact the imaging department at Franklin Hospital.
