EVERETT — The Providence Comprehensive Breast Center at Providence’s Pacific Avenue campus recently released a free, personalized cancer screening and early detection system, called Prevention4Me.
The Comprehensive Breast Center is the first Providence location nationwide to introduce it. The risk assessment tool evaluates a patient’s need for advanced breast cancer screening and genetic testing as part of its cancer prevention program. It is available to anyone making a mammogram appointment at the Providence Comprehensive Breast Center.
“Early detection is helpful in treatment — factoring in size and biology of the cancer,” Dr. Brandon Liu, a radiologist and medical director of the Comprehensive Breast Center, said. “Delays may result in spread of the cancer to the rest of the body.”
Developed by Providence Genomics, this survey-based screening tool provides an individualized assessment of cancer risk for people aged 25 to 80.
Patients can choose to complete the Prevention4Me assessment via email after scheduling a mammogram. The reports are sent to the patient’s primary-care provider, a Providence spokesman said. Patient data is not shared to others, he said.
The assessment includes questions about personal and family history, such as a history of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and colon cancer. It also takes into account the woman’s breast density. The assessment is estimated to take less than 10 minutes to complete. Afterwards, patients receive a personalized cancer risk assessment and a summary of the next steps. This includes the opportunity for saliva-based genetic testing if eligible, which is covered by most health insurance plans. Patients then proceed with their scheduled mammogram appointments.
“It’s an algorithm called a Tyrer-Cuzick score,” Laura Kendrick, a breast cancer survivor and manager of the Providence Comprehensive Breast Center, said. “Any woman with a score greater than 20% will be eligible for our high-risk screening program, which includes supplemental screenings to help catch breast cancer earlier.”
To support the early detection program, Pink Ribbon Row and the Providence General Foundation provided $116,000 in funding for newer mammography equipment.
The equipment is called contrast-enhanced mammography, Kendrick said.
“This special type of mammogram is similar to an MRI but is a more cost-effective option for women,” Kendrick said.
Kendrick said most health insurance plans cover mammograms, genetic testing and other screening tools. The Comprehensive Breast Center also provides financial aid options for patients without insurance. If a patient qualifies for low income, they can receive a free mammogram.
Each year, at least one-third of the 23,000 patients who visit the Providence Comprehensive Breast Center are at risk of developing breast cancer in their lifetime.
Liu recommends women start annual mammograms at age 40 and continue as long as they are physically able. The American Cancer Society suggest starting at age 45 with biennial screenings.
The program provides a safety net for patients whose cancers may not be detected by standard mammograms, which fail to identify about 1 in 8 breast cancer cases, according to the American Cancer Society. According to Prevention4Me, nearly half of women over 40 have dense breasts, a condition often inherited. Dense breast tissue can make mammograms more challenging to interpret and can obscure the detection of cancer.
Kendrick’s advice for women who are hesitant about regular breast cancer screenings is to encourage them to come in regardless. She believes these screenings are important to ensure they remain healthy for many years to come.
“Our center provides compassionate care throughout the entire process, from the initial call to receiving results from a radiologist or nurse practitioner,” Kendrick said. “From start to finish, I experienced what all our patients go through when diagnosed with breast cancer. I stayed in our system because I trust our system.”
Later this year, the health system plans to expand access to Prevention4Me by providing the screening tool to mammography patients at Providence’s clinics in Monroe and Mill Creek.
