No appointment needed for screenings at Tanner Breast Health in Carrollton

Tanner is making it easier for women to check their annual mammogram screening off their to-do list.

Each Wednesday throughout the year, women can walk into Tanner Breast Health’s Carrollton location — on the first floor of the Tanner Health Pavilion across from Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton — from 8 a.m. to noon and get a screening mammogram without an appointment.

A mammogram is an X-ray image of the breast. Doctors use a mammogram to look for early signs of breast cancer. Regular mammograms are the best tests doctors have to find breast cancer early, sometimes up to three years before it can be felt, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The breast cancer specialists at Tanner Cancer Care recommend a baseline, or first, screening mammogram between the ages of 35 and 40 and annual screening mammograms beginning at the age of 40.

Screening mammograms are covered by most insurance plans, including Medicare. Allow one year — or 366 days — in between screening mammograms for insurance coverage.

“Walk-In Wednesdays are a great opportunity to get that important annual mammogram. These screenings save lives by detecting cancer before it can be felt,” said Shannon Couvreur, DO, an obstetrics and gynecology specialist with Tanner Healthcare for Women.

Patients should keep the following guidelines in mind:

·                     Do not use deodorant, lotions or creams in the breast area or under arms on the day of their mammogram.

·                     Walk-in appointments are for screening mammograms only. Consult your physician if you have pain or tenderness in the breast, nipple changes or discharge, and lumps or other breast issues.

Results are provided by letter once the mammogram is read by a radiologist, usually within two weeks. Patients who have the Tanner MyChart app will receive their results sooner. Should the radiologist determine that further studies are necessary, a nurse from Tanner Breast Health will contact the patient to schedule a follow-up.

For more information about mammograms at Tanner, visit TannerBreastHealth.org. For more information about women’s care at Tanner, visit TannerWomensCare.org.