New cancer screening program at Jennie Edmundson Hospital helps save lives

When Susan Schmidt went for her mammogram, everything was normal. Six months later, her doctors discovered a small lump on an MRI.

Schmidt’s health plan was a part of Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital’s newer cancer screening program.

The hospital started a Hereditary Cancer Risk Assessment Program where individuals identified to have a higher risk of certain cancers, like breast cancer, are put on a more frequent screening plan.

“The best thing that was done for me was to put me on the six-month plan,” Schmidt said.

One in eight women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime according to the American College of Radiology. Of them, 75% don't have a family history of breast cancer, so they may be less likely to expect the diagnosis.

Tammy Johnson, APRN, a nurse practitioner at Jennie Edmundson, said that there are a lot of factors that can go into the risk for breast cancer. The new program in place helps identify those risk factors early so the patient can be monitored.

The Daily Nonpareil: New cancer screening program at Jennie Edmundson Hospital helps save lives