October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Teche Regional Medical Center in Morgan City gears up to spread the word to “Get Checked” because early detection can save lives.

The message of the importance of routine mammograms can been found in unique ways around the hospital. From 80-foot banners scaling the exterior of the hospital to speed bumps painted bright pink with reminder signs “If You Feel a Bump, Call Your Doctor.” There are also pink banners and ribbons spread throughout on the hospital walls.

Women who undergo routine mammograms at Teche Regional Medical Center have the latest diagnostic technology available to them, digital mammography.

Teche Regional was the first health care provider in St. Mary Parish to feature the state-of-the-art system, Selenia digital mammography, together with the breast cushion MammoPad.

It has been a year since the new technology arrived at the hospital and the response from the community and medical staff has been stupendous, said hospital officials.

Digital mammography is different from conventional mammography in how the image of the breast is acquired, and more importantly, viewed. The radiologist can magnify the images, increase or decrease the contrast and invert the black and white values while reading the images. These features allow the radiologist to evaluate microcalcifications and focus on areas of concern.

In addition to offering superior mammography technology, Teche Regional offers a softer, warmer mammogram by using the MammoPad for every patient. MammoPad has been clinically demonstrated to reduce discomfort associated with mammograms. This breast cushion is “invisible” to X-rays and does not interfere with the image quality of the mammogram.

By offering women a softer mammogram, the hospital hopes to increase the number of area women who follow recommendations for regular screenings.

For more information about breast cancer visit www.lifepointhealthcontent.com/healthcontent.asp?page=/healthy/woman/index.