The latest in digital mammography is now available in a private suite specifically dedicated to women at Galesburg Cottage Hospital. The new digital technology creates an electronic image of the breast. By storing it digitally, technologists or registered mammographers can transmit the image faster to radiologists, who can give doctors their readings in a more timely—and cost effective—fashion.

A recent National Cancer Institute study found that digital mammography is significantly better than film mammography when screening women under age 50, or women of any age who have very dense breasts.

As technology has improved, so have breast cancer treatments. Where once a mastectomy to remove the entire breast was the only surgical option for breast cancer, doctors now routinely perform lumpectomies, leaving the breast intact, followed by radiation therapy. Combination chemotherapy, the use of multiple drugs to combat breast cancer, is now standardized practice and less experimental.

According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, women in their 20s and 30s should receive a clinical breast exam from their doctor every three years while women age 40 and over should have a clinical breast exam and a mammogram, every year. Women with relatives who have had breast cancer should begin getting mammograms five years before that relative was diagnosed, as breast cancer can be passed down genetically.

While improved technology has led to better outcomes for breast cancer patients, the best tool in early detection is a woman's familiarity with her own body and medical history. Women should talk to their doctors about the correct way to perform a monthly breast self exam and discuss any incidence of cancer in her family's history. A physician can assess risk factors and develop a strategy for early intervention when necessary.

Stephen M. Smith, M.D. Clinical Assistant Professor of Radiology University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria Diagnostic Radiology

About our new Radiologist at GCH: Steven Smith, M.D., a member of the medical staff at Galesburg Cottage Hospital, is a graduate of Rush Medical College, Chicago, Illinois. He completed his medical training at West Suburban Medical Center, Oak Park, Illinois and Radiology Residency at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center. Dr. Smith is certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners and the American Board of Radiology. He is a member of several professional societies such as Illinois Medical Society, Peoria Medical Society, Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound and the Society of Breast Imaging, just to name a few.