WhatA $250,000 state appropriation is helping eligible New Mexico women to get three-dimensional mammography through The University of New Mexico Hospital and the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center.
WhyAlso called “tomosynthesis,” 3D mammography uses many x-ray images to create a 3D picture of the breast. When combined with two dimensional mammography, this 3D picture helps radiologists find cancer more often than 2D mammography alone. And, studies have shown that women are called back 15 percent fewer times because the 3D picture helps them make a diagnosis more confidently.
WhoTo qualify for the “Free 3D” program, women must be 40 years or older. They must meet one of the following insurance requirements: no health insurance; health insurance with high deductible/co-pay; health insurance that does not cover screenings; or, Medicare Part A. They must also meet income eligibility requirements of having less than 250 percent of the Federal Poverty level.
WhenTo be covered by the program, the 3D mammograms must be completed by June 30, 2016.To schedule, call 505-272-4545 and ask for a “Free 3D” mammogram.
WhereThe University of New Mexico Hospital,Outpatient Surgery and Imaging Services (OSIS)1213 University Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102
ContactDorothy Hornbeck, JKPR, 505-340-5929, [email protected] Michele Sequeira, UNM Cancer Center, 505-925-0486, [email protected]
About The UNM Comprehensive Cancer CenterThe University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center is the Official Cancer Center of New Mexico and the only National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center in a 400-mile radius. One of the premier cancer centers nationwide, the UNM CCC has 128 board-certified oncology physicians, forming New Mexico’s largest cancer care team. It treats about 60 percent of adults and virtually all the children in New Mexico diagnosed with cancer — more than 10,000 people— from every county in the state in more than 135,000 clinic visits each year. Through its partnership with the New Mexico Cancer Care Alliance, an “exemplary national model for cancer health care delivery,” the UNM CCC offers access to more than 160 clinical trials to New Mexicans in every part of the state. Annual research funding of more than $72 million supports the UNM CCC’s 132 cancer scientists. Working with partners at Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, and New Mexico State University, they have developed new diagnostics and drugs for leukemia, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, liver and pancreatic cancer, brain cancer, and melanoma; garnered 33 new patents and 117 patents pending; and launched 13 new biotechnology companies since 2010. Learn more at www.cancer.unm.edu.
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