October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and new technology is helping doctors detect breast cancer faster and more accurately.Sister stationKMBC 9 found out how it works and talked to a survivor sharing her message about the importance of early detection. A tiny tumor can be hard to see with the naked eye, but new technology is helping doctors detect breast cancer earlier than ever before. “Sometimes cancer is really obvious, but a lot of times it can be very subtle changes,” said Dr. Ruby Meierotto, a breast radiologist at Saint Luke’s Cancer Institute. An artificial intelligence program called Profound AI uses algorithms to identify potential cancer in mammograms.Meierotto and her team are using this new weapon in the battle against breast cancer. “Studies show that radiologists who interpret with Profound AI find more cancers, have fewer false positives … and then can interpret mammograms in less time,” she said. Meierotto says early detection through annual mammograms is key.“The question is, are you going to know when it’s a teeny tiny treatable stage zero stage one cancer? Are you going to wait until it’s progressed and metastasized, you know, with a less than 20% survival rate?” she asked. Meghan Geivett is living proof that early detection saves lives. She was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer after her first routine mammogram at age 40. After chemotherapy and a double mastectomy, she’s now in remission. She says getting diagnosed with breast cancer was the last thing she expected.“I didn’t have a lump. I didn’t have any pain. I didn’t have anything that caused me to think I was gonna have breast cancer when I went in for my mammogram,” she said. Doctors found four cancerous tumors, though. Geivett also didn’t have family history of breast cancer. Doctors say three in four breast cancer patients don’t have family history, but some still use that as an excuse to put off testing.“In Megan’s case, had she waited, she may not be here today to tell her story,” Meierotto said.Geivett is sharing her story as a warning to others.“You can be young, you can be healthy, you can look great on the outside, but you have no idea what’s inside your body,” she said. “All you can do is get checked.”Watch the video above for the full story.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and new technology is helping doctors detect breast cancer faster and more accurately.
Sister stationKMBC 9 found out how it works and talked to a survivor sharing her message about the importance of early detection.
A tiny tumor can be hard to see with the naked eye, but new technology is helping doctors detect breast cancer earlier than ever before.
“Sometimes cancer is really obvious, but a lot of times it can be very subtle changes,” said Dr. Ruby Meierotto, a breast radiologist at Saint Luke’s Cancer Institute.
An artificial intelligence program called Profound AI uses algorithms to identify potential cancer in mammograms.
Meierotto and her team are using this new weapon in the battle against breast cancer.
“Studies show that radiologists who interpret with Profound AI find more cancers, have fewer false positives … and then can interpret mammograms in less time,” she said.
Meierotto says early detection through annual mammograms is key.
“The question is, are you going to know when it’s a teeny tiny treatable stage zero stage one cancer? Are you going to wait until it’s progressed and metastasized, you know, with a less than 20% survival rate?” she asked.
Meghan Geivett is living proof that early detection saves lives. She was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer after her first routine mammogram at age 40. After chemotherapy and a double mastectomy, she’s now in remission.
She says getting diagnosed with breast cancer was the last thing she expected.
“I didn’t have a lump. I didn’t have any pain. I didn’t have anything that caused me to think I was gonna have breast cancer when I went in for my mammogram,” she said.
Doctors found four cancerous tumors, though. Geivett also didn’t have family history of breast cancer. Doctors say three in four breast cancer patients don’t have family history, but some still use that as an excuse to put off testing.
“In Megan’s case, had she waited, she may not be here today to tell her story,” Meierotto said.
Geivett is sharing her story as a warning to others.
“You can be young, you can be healthy, you can look great on the outside, but you have no idea what’s inside your body,” she said. “All you can do is get checked.”
Watch the video above for the full story.
