Of all the health problems women can face, breast cancer may be the one they fear most. It’s understandable. Roughly one in eight women will get the disease in her lifetime.

What’s important to realize about breast cancer is that when it’s found early, it is highly curable. To improve your chances of finding breast cancer early, the American Cancer Society recommends:

• Breast exams performed by a health professional every three years for women in their 20s and 30s, and yearly after age 40. Women are also encouraged to perform breast self-exams.
• Mammograms yearly for women 40 and older.

Mammography is still the best way to find breast cancer in its earliest stages, when it is most treatable. “Mammography is one of the most studied medical tests of all time,” says Peter Jokich, MD, director of the the Rush Breast Imaging Center. “And all the studies have shown the same thing: Mammography saves lives.”

Research suggests that a woman’s mammogram is only as good as the doctor who reads it. At the Rush Breast Imaging Center, women can access an experienced team of mammography experts. “All we do is breast imaging,” Jokich says. “Really, it just makes sense. When you do one thing all the time, you get really good at it.”

If you do find a lump, you have an abnormal mammogram or you have a family history of breast cancer, the Comprehensive Breast Center at Rush stands at the ready to help. The team provides a full range of treatments, including immunotherapies, chemotherapy, radiation and a variety of surgical options. The center is the first of its kind in the Midwest, and strives to provide the most effective, gentlest care possible.